News Desk

The Australian singer was the third celebrity to be named for the new series of the BBC show and has now given an update after a gruelling first day in rehearsals

Delta Goodrem says she’s already struggling with the gruelling demands of her Strictly Come Dancing schedule – after one rehearsal.

The Australian singer and actress was confirmed for the twenty-sixth series of the long running BBC show in June, shortly after representing her country in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Eclipse.

But Delta, 41, admits she is feeling the strain after participating in her first rehearsal at a London dance studio on Friday. Reflecting on her progress with new Strictly host Emma Willis, she said: “I can’t move today… I had my very first day yesterday. Obviously, there was a lot of dancing, so it was a baptism of fire, a lot of shock for the body, so I’m slow moving today.”

Despite her pedigree as a seasoned performer, Delta insists she doesn’t have an advantage over her Strictly rivals because her music doesn’t lend itself to dance.

“I love dancing, but I don’t get to dance,” she explained during an appearance on BBC Radio 2. “It’s never been my role. My music doesn’t sit in the space where I do a lot of choreography.

“I don’t do a lot of dancing, and I don’t think people associate me with dance… I’ve never done ballroom. I didn’t even know there was a difference between Latin and ballroom until yesterday.”

Delta was the third celebrity to be confirmed for the new series following the announcements of former Love Island winner Dani Dyer and EastEnders star Lacey Turner.

The singer hinted at an appearance on the show in June, telling Good Morning Britain: ‘Every time I’ve ever been in the UK and I get immersed into it. I love music with all my heart but as I said before Eurovision, I’m always open.’

Last week, the singer admitted she was yet to be assigned a professional dance partner and was already feeling nervous about her imminent appearance on the show. “I think in a couple of weeks, so it’s still like a week or so away when we start the process,’ she told Sunday Brunch. ‘I’m excited, nervous, all those kinds of things.”

Asked if she saw herself as a potential winner, she added: “I am going to go in and give my very best that I possibly can. I have no expectations or awareness of what level of dancing.”

Strictly is back this autumn and winter for its first series since hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman quit the programme. Tess and Claudia have since been replaced by a trio of presenters – Johannes Radebe, Josh Widdecombe and Emma Willis.

Delta shot to fame when she starred as aspiring singer Nina Tucker on Neighbours and then went onto a major pop career with hits such as Innocent Eyes and Born To Try.

Along with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia, she is part of a cohort of stars who started out on the Australian soap before going onto conquer the music industry.

After signing up for Strictly Come Dancing, she said: “I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career – from TV, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world.

“There is, however, one stage I’ve never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor. I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Strictly and can’t wait to get started.”

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Israel kills 11 in deadliest attacks on Lebanon since June truce as Iran and Oman continue talks on Hormuz.

Lots of broken-up bands reconvene for a tour, as the Black Crowes did in 2019, half a decade after brothers Chris and Rich Robinson dissolved the Southern rock group they’d formed in Atlanta in the mid-1980s. Some even stay together long enough to make a new record, as the Crowes managed to do with 2024’s well-received “Happiness Bastards.” What’s relatively rare in music is for a reunited band to quickly follow up a comeback album with a second one. Yet that’s what the Robinsons did this year when they dropped “A Pound of Feathers,” the Crowes’ 10th studio LP, behind which they’ll touch down Monday night at the Hollywood Bowl. Ahead of the show, Chris Robinson, 59, called from the road to tell the stories behind five of the band’s songs.

‘Hard to Handle’ (1990)

The Black Crowes broke out with a frisky cover of this Otis Redding tune just as hair metal was giving way to grunge. A hit on MTV, the song drove sales of the band’s debut, “Shake Your Money Maker,” to sales of more than 5 million copies.

There are some songs of Otis’ that I couldn’t do justice. As a 21-year-old kid starting my career — well, we didn’t even know we were gonna have careers — but what am I gonna sing? “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”? “Hard to Handle,” it’s cheeky, it’s lighthearted. And I loved the break: “Pretty little thing, let me light your candle…” So I took it to George Drakoulias, our producer, and I said, “I think we could do this.” George is the one who turned it into “Walk This Way” — he put it in the same rhythmic space. Otis’ version swings, but we really couldn’t swing at the time.

So “Hard to Handle” wasn’t something you were playing live early on?
No, we brought it in for the record. Being from Georgia and Otis being from Georgia, it was important to us that people knew this is where we’re coming from. Two autumns ago, Zelma Redding and her family invited us to their big old ranch outside Macon, and we had an afternoon in the great man’s study. They have all his awards and guitars and stuff and the velvet slippers he had on when the plane crashed. At certain times in our career, we’ve been like, “F—, do we have to play ‘Hard to Handle’ again?’” We’d jam at the end or try all these things to make it sound different. But as the years have gone by, we just play it the way it’s supposed to be.

George’s engineer, Brendan O’Brien, played the guitar solo in “Hard to Handle.” Why?
We had Jeff Cease, but he’d split and gone back to Nashville. And Rich didn’t play solos back then. That changed, but at the time he was the rhythm guitar player. So it was out of necessity. We needed that meat-and-potatoes solo, and Brendan could rip it. I saw him on some podcast saying we were in L.A. and we were gonna call Slash. I’m like, “No we weren’t — you did the solo in Atlanta on Rich’s Les Paul.”

“Shake Your Money Maker” came out on Rick Rubin’s Def American label, and he’s credited as executive producer. Did Rick do anything on the album?
No.

All righty.
I’m just being honest. George and I lived in Rick’s house — I was in the basement — but the most I saw of him at the time was him leaving to go get lunch at Canter’s with Glenn Danzig. He did come to a session once with Andrew Dice Clay. We were called Mr. Crowe’s Garden at the time — we weren’t yet the Black Crowes. Rick and George were like, “You guys probably need to change your name,” and Andrew Dice Clay goes, “You should change it to Sticky Paste.” I said, “Why don’t you stick to the cigarette over your head, and I’ll handle this?”

‘She Talks to Angels’ (1990)

For “Money Maker’s” fourth single, the band released this darkly poetic ballad about a woman struggling with a drug addiction.

Were you nervous to reveal a softer side?
The only trepidation would’ve been because this was the power-ballad era of all the hair-metal bands.

Poison with “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and so on.
Every band had one. There were hair-metal bands that only had power ballads — Firehouse or some band with 17th century French aristocrat hair.

Everything but the lace cravat.
Everything but sincere songwriting. Look, they’re people too — I get it. But we wrote a ballad out of the sincerity of how we were feeling, you know? We were reaching for “Wild Horses” or “Dark End of the Street” or “Astral Weeks.” The power ballad was a device for rock bands, but we didn’t use it as that. We used it as pure expression.

Tell me about the story the song tells.
My interest in writing and literature revolved around darker themes, whether it was the Beats or Paul Bowles or whatever. There’s drugs and madness and pain but also glory and redemption and the true heartbeat of life. So the song is a sad story but it’s romantic. There’s no moral gotcha — no resentment toward the character or the predicament they find themselves in.

How’d you come by that approach?
Reading. My mother, who just passed away a few weeks ago, she gave me a great gift: I’m dyslexic, and my mom in the early ’70s in the Deep South, she knew something was up with me. I went to school three times a week after school for years to learn how to read. And when that clicked, that was everything. My life now, it’s horribly boring. Rick Rubin with Danzig at Canter’s sounds exciting compared to Chris Robinson and the used bookstores of my life.

“Angels” is full of vivid details: the lock of hair in the woman’s pocket, for instance. Who were the songwriters that taught you how to create an image?
It all starts with Bob: “Jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule” — like, what?! But I’m a funny Dylan fan because I like the weird lyrics he does, like “Clothes Line Saga” from “The Basement Tapes.” Alex Chilton was really big. The first Big Star record I could get my hands on in the early ’80s was “3rd.” As a matter of fact, the first show we ever did, Rich and I played “Nightime” from that record.

On the strength of “Money Maker,” the Crowes were nominated for best new artist at the Grammys in 1991. You didn’t win —
A theme that continues today.

You remember who did?
It was Mariah Carey, I think.

Correct.
Good for her. Rich and I flew in from some tour date for one night, and I remember MC Hammer winning and doing something with Pepsi. I met MC Hammer a couple years ago. Amazingly cool guy.

What put you and Hammer in the same room?
I’m not allowed to talk about that.

Sure.
No, I’m serious — I can’t talk about it.

‘Remedy’ (1992)

The Crowes’ sophomore album, “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion,” was led by this swaggering soul-rock jam, which Robinson opened with a memorable couplet: “Baby, baby, why can’t you sit still? / Who killed that bird out on your windowsill?”

I was in Philly a few weeks ago, in Rittenhouse Square, and I said to my friend, “That’s the hotel that I opened my window one gray day on tour, and there was a dead bird.” The room was on the 15th floor or something, and I guess the bird had flown into the glass. I was in a series of early failed rock and roll relationships, so my imagination was: Who killed that bird? Oh, she did it. The rest of it’s made up, but I had to see the dead bird that morning to kick off the thought.

There’s some great interplay here between you and your background singers — really draws out the R&B in the band’s sound.
For us, it’s instinctive. I’ve ingested a lot of Funkadelic, a lot of Prince, a lot of the Gap Band. One of my first concerts was Cameo on the “Alligator Woman” tour — mind-blowing. My singing is far more rhythmic than it is melodic a lot of the time. When I was playing with Joe Perry last summer, Steven Tyler came down to the Hollywood Bowl to do “Train Kept A-Rollin’.” He was like, “What key’s it in?” I said, “I don’t know.” He’s like, “You’ve been out with Joe for three weeks, and you don’t know what key the song’s in?” I said, “Steven, are you ready? I’ve never known what key a song is in.”

“Remedy” spent 11 straight weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s rock radio chart. One of the songs stuck behind it was the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge.”
And just think — I never took my shirt off.

‘Sting Me’ (1992)

The tune that eventually knocked “Remedy” from the top spot? The Crowes’ second single from “Southern Harmony.”

It’s as close to a protest song as we ever got. Concerts in the ’90s were wild, man — we were seeing security guards beating on kids. But we were also seeing this blind patriotism toward ideals and philosophies that you’ve never even really looked at with any depth. So: “If you feel like a riot / Then don’t you deny it.”

There’s something slippery about the riff — it takes a second to figure out where the one is.
It fights itself — it’s funky in there. “Shake Your Money Maker” was very straight — click tracks to put the drum track together, now play the bass over that, blah blah blah. We just weren’t great at that point. By the time we’re in the studio with “Sting Me,” though, that’s one take live on the floor. We made “Southern Harmony” in eight days.

You can hear the effect of having played a few hundred gigs.
I’m glad you say that. Now bands are like, “I don’t want to go on the road — I’m gonna take a mental health break.” Can you imagine in 1992, you’re in one of the biggest bands in the world, and you’re like, “Hey man, I gotta chill out”? Get the f— out of here.

The “Sting Me” video was filmed at the Great Atlanta Pot Festival in 1992, which the band played as part of your activism around legalizing weed. What’s it been like to see those efforts succeed to some degree?
My main victory within that, if my voice was a part of it, is that we’re in a more gentle place — that it won’t ruin your life now if the police pull you over and there’s a roach in your ashtray. You have to realize: Being arrested isn’t just about the inconvenience of being incarcerated — it’s that now you’re in the system. I mean, ask any marginalized community — those drug laws were put on the books to keep you down.

‘Pharmacy Chronicles’ (2026)

Over a shuffling country-blues groove, Robinson sings about “perfume, Champagne and sin” in this standout from “A Pound of Feathers.”

Would you have foreseen that, after you got back together, you and Rich would release two albums in less than two years?
I don’t know about that. But leave Rich and I to our own devices, and that’s what we do. Our whole entrée into this world wasn’t because I could sing or he was a great guitarist — we wanted to write songs. I’ve written a lot of songs by myself, and probably out of those songs, there’s a few that I’m proud of. And I think Rich would say the same thing for himself. But there’s just something about the inspiration I get from Rich’s playing that makes us a successful songwriting team.

“Pharmacy Chronicles” has some bedraggled wisdom to it. I’m not sure you could have written it as a younger man.
I wasn’t that cynical then. It’s making fun of yourself in a way — like some old Victorian actor in the bowels of the theater taking his makeup off and wondering what it all means.

Do you think your voice has changed along with your perspective?
Of course my voice has changed — through age and, in the ’90s, through abuse. I can’t hit the super-highest notes I could as a young person. But we still sing the old songs in the original keys. Not that I know what those keys are.

Aug. 15 (UPI) — Hungarian working crews are sinking two barges into the Danube River in an attempt to raise water levels and stave off an energy crisis, the prime minister said on Saturday.

Water levels of the 1,800-mile river have fallen to record lows amid a months-long drought across Europe.

To raise the waters, crews are sinking two 260-foot barges into the Danube River.

Hungary’s only nuclear power plant, Paks, depends on water from the river to cool down its reactors.

Prime Minister Peter Magyar said current water levels on Saturday were 48 inches lower than usual, and could fall a further 4 inches by Monday.

If it falls that low, he added, the power plant would have to shut down one of its last two functioning turbines.

“Water management experts are continuously monitoring the water level, water velocity, and riverbed condition using a measuring vessel and installed measuring devices,” Magyar said in a statement on X.

The plant is responsible for generating half the electricity needed by the country’s 10 million people.

Yemen’s Ministry of Information denounces Houthi attacks on Marib as ‘escalation’ that threatens lives and increases suffering.

Yemen’s Houthis have launched several strikes on the government-held city of Marib, also hitting residential neighbourhoods, according to local authorities.

The group hit the city with four ballistic missiles and four drones on Saturday, causing several injuries and damage to homes, vehicles and property, Marib’s provincial authority said.

A fifth ballistic missile later in the day also injured one person, Marib governorate officials said on X.

A sixth ballistic missile was launched by the Houthis towards Marib overnight, officials added early on Sunday.

It described the strikes as part of an “ongoing assault that threatens the lives of civilians, displaced persons’ camps, and residential neighbourhoods”.

Marib hosts the largest number of internally displaced people in Yemen, with more than two million of the roughly five million Yemenis forced from their homes over the course of the war living there.

Video footage verified by Al Jazeera showed destruction in the aftermath of Saturday’s strikes.

Yemen’s Ministry of Information said on X that the continued targeting of Marib’s densely populated areas marked a dangerous “escalation” that threatens lives and increases suffering.

The attacks on Marib came alongside clashes further south, where Yemeni government forces claimed drone strikes killed three fighters from the Iran-backed Houthis on Saturday, including field commanders, and wounded others along the Maqbanah front west of Taiz.

A separate strike destroyed a Houthi military vehicle in Jabal al-Zuhayb, killing several more fighters, a military source told the Yemeni News Agency (Saba).

The attacks are part of a rapid escalation that has gripped Yemen since early August, when Houthi missile and drone strikes on military camps in Marib and Hadramout killed at least 30 government soldiers, the deadliest single episode of the conflict in years.

Days later, Houthi missiles killed at least two civilians and wounded 14 in Marib, and further strikes killed seven people in the port city of al-Makha (Mocha).

The Houthis, backed by Iran, control much of Yemen’s northern territory, including the capital, Sanaa.

United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned the UN Security Council on Thursday that Yemen faces its highest risk of returning to full-scale war since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022, as fighting has intensified on multiple fronts and threatens to unravel more than four years of relative calm.

The family of actor Robert Carradine filed a lawsuit against the governing body of UCLA, saying that the “Revenge of the Nerds” star’s death by suicide in February at a university-affiliated psychiatric facility was preventable.

In a legal complaint filed Aug. 7 with Los Angeles County Superior Court, the children of Carradine allege that the psychiatric care team at the UCLA health facility was reckless in its care and committed elder abuse and neglect.

Carradine, 71, had checked into the facility shortly before his death.

The 27-page suit names the UC regents as defendants, along with physicians, nurses, clinical care partners and other officials who are identified as “Does 1-100.” Plaintiffs in the suit include Carradine’s estate and his surviving children.

“He asked for help. He recognized that he was a danger to himself and voluntarily walked into a psychiatric hospital to be kept safe,” the family claimed in the suit reviewed by The Times. “He knew he was not safe to be left alone.”

Carradine had bipolar disorder, and the lawsuit says that he had admitted that he had “suicidal thoughts” when he checked into UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Westwood.

“Instead of walking into a safe environment, [Carradine] walked into a locked facility that broke a cardinal rule for a hospitalized psychiatric patient with active suicidal thoughts and a history of suicide attempts,” the lawsuit says. “UCLA let him walk into a locked psychiatric unit with a belt.”

The family also said hospital staff left him in a room with a table that had not been removed from his unit before being placed there, according to the lawsuit. He died about 19 hours after checking into the facility, the lawsuit says.

“None of this happened because UCLA lacked the knowledge, the policies or the means,” the civil complaint says. “It happened because UCLA took shortcuts with two safeguards that were meant to protect Robert’s life. UCLA gave Robert the means to hurt himself and then no one watched over him or checked on him for long periods of time despite orders to watch him every 15 minutes.”

The lawsuit says that UCLA staff was distracted during Carradine’s observation intake and that they falsified their records to reflect proper care.

The Times has reached out to the UC regents and UCLA Health for comment.

The youngest son of prolific character actor John Carradine, Robert Carradine was born on March 24, 1954, in Los Angeles. Known for both his film and television work, Carradine made his debut in a 1971 episode of the long-running western “Bonanza.” His first film appearance was in the 1972 John Wayne western “The Cowboys.”

During his 50-year Hollywood career, he appeared alongside his brother David in a 1972 episode of “Kung Fu” and the 1973 Martin Scorsese film “Mean Streets.” Alongside his brothers David and Keith, Robert joined other sets of acting siblings to portray sets of real-life siblings in the 1980 western “The Long Riders.” Carradine also landed roles in Hal Ashby’s 1978 Vietnam War drama “Coming Home” and Samuel Fuller’s 1980 World War II epic “The Big Red One.”

“It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away,” the Carradine family said in a statement following the actor’s death. “In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon [of] light to everyone around him. We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s … nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder.

“We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness. At this time, we ask for the privacy to grieve this unfathomable loss. With gratitude for your understanding and compassion.”

In the 2000s, Carradine charmed a new generation of fans as lovable TV dad Sam in “Lizzie McGuire.”

“There was so much warmth in the McGuire family, and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents,” the show’s star, Hilary Duff, wrote in her Instagram tribute to her on-screen dad. “I’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him.”

Carradine’s family and estate are seeking unspecified general and wrongful-death damages and compensation for medical expenses incurred during his hospitalization.

Aug. 15 (UPI) — A man in New York was arrested on hate crime charges after disrupting a Shabbat service and allegedly injuring a congregant in a Manhattan synagogue on Friday, police said.

Larry Montes, 46 of the Bronx, was arrested at Central Synagogue in the Upper East Side and charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime.

“As synagogue security was escorting him out, he struck a member of the congregation, damaged synagogue property, and then spit at and headbutted a member of the security team,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement on X.

Amid the confusion, there were shouts of panic as people in the synagogue scrambled, CNN reported.

One congregant, a 63-year-old woman, suffered a cut to her lip and injuries to her right forearm, according to the news outlet.

“Every New Yorker must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement on X. “This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe.”

As of August, 360 hate crimes were reported in the city this year, including 205 targeting Jewish people, The New York Times reported.

Sources told CNN that Montes has a history of mental health issues.

Democrats in the United States have approved a shakeup to their 2028 presidential primary calendar as the party looks to take back the White House.

During a meeting on Saturday in Austin, Texas, Democratic National Committee (DNC) members voted to overhaul which states have the first say in picking the party’s presidential nominee.

South Carolina will once again take centre stage as the party’s first official nominating contest, with its Democratic primary scheduled for January 22, 2028.

Nevada will go second on February 1, followed by New Hampshire on February 8. New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia will round out the early states over the course of that month.

The new calendar formalises a change that began during the last presidential election cycle in 2024, when the national Democratic Party similarly put South Carolina at the front of its primary lineup.

The 2028 primaries set up a more competitive calendar for Democrats, giving greater influence to states with more racial diversity, in an effort to better represent the party’s key constituencies.

Debate over primary calendar

But plans to reshape the primary calendar have been met with controversy in the past.

In 2024, for instance, local leaders in New Hampshire defied party leaders by holding a state-run primary ahead of the first party-led vote in South Carolina. As justification, New Hampshire officials cited a state law requiring their primary to be the first in the nation.

There was also pushback in Iowa, whose state caucus had ushered in the primary season for decades.

Iowa Democrats warned that moving the state lower in the party’s calendar could send the wrong signal to rural voters, who often feel overlooked in national politics and tend to lean rightward.

Still, proponents of the calendar change argue that it will help the Democratic primaries better mirror the overall population of the US.

South Carolina has normally been Democrats’ first contest in the southern US, and it has a significant population of Black voters. Roughly a quarter of the state identifies as Black, according to census estimates.

Nevada and New Mexico, meanwhile, have large Latino or Hispanic populations, with 31 percent and 49 percent of their residents identifying as such, respectively. All three states will be at the forefront of the primary calendar, come 2028.

DNC Chairman Ken Martin took to social media on Saturday to tout the changes as capturing the demographic shifts in the country.

“These states reflect the diversity of America and will help ensure our nominee is best positioned to take back the White House in 2028,” Martin wrote on X.

Ongoing party feud

Iowa and New Hampshire both have overwhelmingly white electorates, and critics have long argued the two states have played outsized roles in shaping presidential elections.

Notching early victories in the party primaries can help a candidate build momentum, and that, in turn, can help presidential hopefuls secure party nominations.

Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who led the DNC from 2005 to 2009, told The Associated Press (AP) news agency that the calendar changes will make for a more representative nominating process.

“These states look more like the country,” Dean said, pointing to places like South Carolina and Nevada, “whereas Iowa and New Hampshire don’t”.

But it remains uncertain how the new calendar could affect the growing intra-party feud between progressive and more moderate, establishment candidates.

Democrats in Michigan, one of the states given a boost in the calendar shakeup, narrowly voted earlier this month to select progressive Abdul El-Sayed as their Senate nominee.

Given that Michigan will now have an earlier say in the voting process, some experts have speculated that the swing state could help progressives assert greater influence over the party overall.

But other states given more prominence in the 2028 lineup have a more moderate streak.

South Carolina, for instance, favoured then-candidate Joe Biden in the 2020 primaries over his more progressive opponents, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

“I think our primary voters up north are probably a little different than primary voters in South Carolina,” Boyd Brown, a former DNC member from South Carolina, told AP.

Here is the full list of the six states that will have the first say in Democrats’ 2028 presidential primaries:

• South Carolina: January 22, 2028
• Nevada: February 1, 2028
• New Hampshire: February 8, 2028
• New Mexico: February 15, 2028
• Michigan: February 22, 2028
• Virginia: February 29, 2028

EMILIE Kiser has addressed the controversy that surrounded her after her young son was pictured without a life jacket.

The 27-year-old influencer‘s son, 16 months, was pictured on a boat without a life jacket – and fans were left completely enraged.

In a video posted on Friday, Emilie acknowledged that she and her husband, Brady Kiser, 29, made a mistake for not putting a life jacket on their son and apologized for the incident.

“I understand this conversation.

“I think it is important. It holds people accountable, and I know that I am not perfect.

“I know that we make mistakes, and all I can say is that I’m sorry, and that I know we made a mistake,” Emilie said.

‘BRIGHT LIGHT’

Influencer Emilie Kiser reveals she’s pregnant a year after son, 3, drowned

DEVASTATING LOSS

TikToker speaks publicly for first time since 3-year-old son’s death

She captioned the video, “Thanks for listening. Hope you all have a safe and good weekend.”

Emilie also shared a statement which read: “Our child should have been in his life jacket for the entirety of that boat ride, not even for the few moments that he was out of it.

“We are painfully aware that in a matter of seconds, your entire life can change, and we should have done better.

“We recognize and appreciate the genuine care that people have for our children.

“There has also been a deep level of anger and hurt directed toward our family, and we understand the basis of those feelings as well.

“It comes from the belief that Trigg should still be here, and we share that same belief more than can be expressed. He was only three years old, and should have lived a lifetime more. That reality lives with us every moment of every single day.

“We will continue to do better, advocate for better and, as hard as we try to avoid them, still make mistakes. We can only promise that we will never stop learning from them and continue loving our children with everything we have.”

The footage of Teddy was captured during a June family trip to Mallorca, Spain.

The footage was shared by fellow influencer Madi Curtis in a now-deleted upload.

Teddy could briefly be seen sitting on the boat with Brady without a life jacket.

This comes just a year their son Trigg died after falling into the family’s pool.

Arizona police alleged Brady was watching an NBA playoff game while Trigg, 3, fell into the water and was alone for over nine minutes.

Brady found him unconscious, and Trigg died six days later in the hospital on May 18, 2025.

Just last month, Emilie revealed she’s expecting another child.

Taking to social media in July, Emilie penned: “As I stated last year, my family’s privacy will always be my priority.

“Because of that, I’m not sure how much I will be sharing about this pregnancy and next phase of life, but I appreciate your understanding as I navigate those boundaries.”

She added: “This baby has already brought so much hope and joy into our home, and we are treasuring every moment of it together.

“Thank you in advance for all of the love, well wishes, and support as we navigate this next chapter of our growing family.”

The influencer recently opened up about her grief and her decision to stay with her husband in mid-June on the Jay Shetty Podcast.

“Losing a child really shows you, in the scariest, most real way possible, just how quickly life can change and how quickly life can literally be taken away,” she said.

“And I think that really scared me with Teddy [her youngest son].”

Emilie revealed there were times she was “so angry” at her husband and was unsure if she could ever forgive him.

Aug. 15 (UPI) — Dozens of migrants were detained in Morocco on Saturday as they attempted to cross into the Spanish territory of Ceuta.

Moroccan officials said they intercepted some 111 people near the town of Fnideq, about 2 miles from the border, BBC reported.

Local police chartered buses to return them to other parts of the country, El Pais reported.

The attempted crossings come weeks after more than 60,000 people crossed the border into Ceuta, overwhelming the small territory.

At least 57 people died during the mass crossing.

Migrants were trying to enter Ceuta after the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that Spain cannot send home migrants inside their territory.

Earlier this week, Spain’s Civil Guard reported the possibility of another attempt by migrants to cross into the North African exclave.

Civil Guard officials said messages began circulating on social media sharing calls for another mass crossing on Aug. 15, Euro News reported.

President Donald Trump has given the U.S. Navy and the Pentagon 60 days to draw up a plan for installing steam-powered catapults and hydraulic elevators on the future Ford class aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller. On and off for nearly a decade now, Trump has talked about ordering the Navy to abandon the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) catapults and Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE) that are currently at the core of the Ford class design. The EMALS and AWEs have struggled with reliability and maintenance issues, but reverting back to steam and hydraulics on future ships in the class would require a major redesign. Such a costly and time-consuming process would risk creating new delays in the delivery of new carriers, which are already running years behind schedule, and could put the future fleet into crisis.

The directive regarding the catapults and weapons elevators on the future Doris Miller, which is also known by the hull number CVN-81, is contained in a larger memo President Trump sent out yesterday titled “Rebuilding the United States Navy and America’s Shipbuilding Industrial Base.” The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the memo, which also orders various parts of the U.S. government to take new steps to boost U.S. maritime industrial capacity. This includes plans for the establishment of a fifth government-owned naval shipyard, sourcing new ships from foreign shipbuilders and otherwise increasing cooperation with them, improvements to the management of spare parts for submarines, and a broad overhaul of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

The section on the catapults and weapons elevators is brief, but stands out as a particularly significant development. It reads, in full:

“Within 60 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of War, in consultation with the Secretary of the Navy, shall provide to the President, through the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), a plan on the required measures to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic systems for the construction of CVN-81, including timelines and resourcing requirements.”

The Wall Street Journal‘s report said that the expectation is that this redesign would carry over to all future Ford class carriers, but that the first three examples would retain their EMALSs and the AWEs. Currently, the USS Gerald R. Ford, hull number CVN-78, is the only ship in the class in operational service. The future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is currently undergoing another round of sea trials ahead of its expected official delivery to the Navy later this year. The future USS Enterprise (CVN-80) is also now under construction, having been laid down in 2022.

Beyond Doris Miller, the Navy has assigned names to two more future Ford class carriers – USS William J. Clinton and USS George W. Bush – but has not yet placed formal orders for those ships. The service has stated plans to acquire at least 10 members of the Ford class, in total.

The Navy also has 10 older Nimitz class aircraft carriers, all of which are equipped with steam-powered catapults and hydraulic weapons elevators.

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) Flight Deck Operations

TWZ has reached out to the Navy for comment on yesterday’s memo from the White House.

As noted, Trump has railed against the EMALS and AWEs for years now, tracing back to his first term in office. In 2017, he publicly said he would order the Navy to abandon those features, but never followed through. During a visit to the Nimitz class carrier USS George Washington in Japan in October 2025, he again said that he would force the Navy to go back to using steam and hydraulics on future carriers.

“They had steam, which worked so beautifully, and it has for 50 years, right? So we’re gonna go back. Seriously, fellas, I want to make that change. I’m gonna do an executive order,” Trump said last October. “I’m not going to let them continue to do this thing. They’re trying to make it work, they’re trying so hard, and they have something that’s perfect. So we’re going to go back on that and the magnets.”

As we have written in the past:

“In principle, EMALS, together with the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), is supposed to give Ford class carriers a significant boost in capability over their predecessors when it comes to the speed at which they can launch and recover aircraft. The software-controlled EMALS and AAG, the latter of which has also faced issues over the years, have lower reset times than the steam-powered systems found on Nimitz class carriers.”

Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS)

“The EMALS and AAG can also be more fine-tuned in terms of the forces they exert on aircraft during launch and recovery, expanding the range of types they can accommodate and adding additional margins of safety. This notably helps open the door for embarking smaller and more fragile types on Ford class carriers in the future. This flexibility could be particularly critical for supporting carrier-based drone operations down the line. Wear and tear on individual aircraft can also be reduced.”

“The electromagnetic AWEs are intended to further help improve the overall efficiency of flight operations on Ford by reducing the time it takes to get ordnance and other stores to where they need to go.”

Watch the Advanced Weapons Elevators on the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford

At the same time, as we have repeatedly pointed out, Trump’s criticisms are grounded in very real problems that have plagued the catapults and weapons elevators on the Ford over the years. TWZ has covered the issues with both of these systems, as well as other long-troubled aspects of the ship’s design, in detail. The Navy has been working to mitigate these problems, but has continued to face hurdles. Maintenance demands and heavy reliance on contractors to perform that work remain particular challenges.

“The reliability and maintainability of CVN 78’s EMALS and AAG continue to adversely affect sortie generation and flight operations, which remains the greatest risk to demonstrating operational effectiveness and suitability in IOT&E [initial operational test and evaluation],” the Pentagon’s Office of the Director of Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) stated in an annual report covering developments in the 2025 Fiscal Year (FY25), which was released in March. “Data collected during CVN 78’s FY25 pre-deployment workup cycle indicate that EMALS reliability remains consistent with developmental and operational test data collected in FY23 and FY24. Engineering upgrades to hardware and software have produced gradual improvements in cumulative reliability and availability. Reliance on off-ship technical support remains a challenge. NAVAIR is continuing development on improvements.”

When it comes to the AWEs, “the Ford class has yet to build and transfer ordnance to the flight deck at rates reflective of the Design Reference Mission. DOT&E expects the sustained SGR [Sortie Generation Rate] live demonstration to be the first operationally representative demonstration of high ordnance throughput,” the report, which has since been taken offline, also said. “Of note, the crew is still reliant on off-ship technical support for correction of AWE hardware and software failures.”

The video below shows flight deck operations aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford in March 2026 while the carrier was supporting Operation Epic Fury against Iran.

USS Gerald R Ford Continues Epic Fury On Iran • (MAR 2026)

The SGR live demonstration mentioned here was conducted in February of this year.

“While the Navy is still analyzing the data, preliminary reports from the Sortie Generation Rate test program show that the flight deck design in conjunction with EMALS and AAG have contributed to an increased sortie generation rate compared to that of a Nimitz class carrier,” the Navy subsequently declared. “As of today, these systems are operating as designed, and the Ford continues with scheduled mission tasking.”

“While operating in the Southern Command area of responsibility CVN 78 completed a successful four-day sustained Sortie Generation Rate demonstration in February,” according to a Modernized Selected Acquisition Report (MSAR) on the Ford class program that the Pentagon produced in April, but which was only released publicly more recently. “The event resulted in the collection of over 40,000 data points to support the modeling and simulation of the full 30-day Key Performance Parameter.”

“As of March 2026, 36,863 EMALS launches have been completed aboard CVN 78,” that same report also noted. “Logistics products are maturing and are being prioritized for high use components to support phased depot stand-up which commenced in FY 2022. Logistics contracts are in place with General
Atomics for EMALS sustainment support and interim spares.”

USS Ford Launches, Recovers Fighters With Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS)

In April, then-Secretary of the Navy John Phelan also confirmed that a major review of the Ford class program, centered on planning for the future USS William J. Clinton and the USS George W. Bush, was underway. Questions were raised at that time about whether major changes could be on the horizon, including the potential cancellation of planned orders for more carriers in the class or a transition to a new design.

“Trust me, we measure and monitor a lot of things in the Navy, including that – the airframes and how that works. So I think it’s a function of just understanding it, for example, is the sortie rate generation that much greater? And then what are the cost implications of this electric catapult, and did it really generate the savings?” Phelan told TWZ and others at a roundtable on the sidelines of the Navy League’s Sea Air Space 2026 exposition. “You know, the Navy would like to say we’ve saved $5 billion in terms of savings in number [sic] of men and maintenance. I just need to check that back up, and that’s what I mean by that.”

“I think, like anything, it’s both understanding the cost-benefit analysis of it, because we really want to make sure we’ve got a good handle on the costs,” he added. “I think one of the things we have to do a better job of in the Navy is kind of what I call total cost of ownership. So what does it really cost to sustain and maintain these things? I think we do a reasonable job at that, to be honest. But the infrastructure needs on these are also costs you have to understand going in.”

Trump fired Phelan unexpectedly just days after he made these and other remarks at Sea Air Space 2026. There have been reports that disagreements over separate plans for new Trump class battleships, specifically, as well as other more general friction within the Trump administration, factored into his sudden dismissal.

As mentioned, any plans now to eliminate the EMALS catapults and AWEs from the Ford class design, even just on future carriers like Doris Miller, would be a major undertaking. The core physical structure of the ship, as well as its power generation requirements and other key elements of the design, are heavily rooted in these features. All-new steam piping and the large piston systems, among other elements, would have to be installed in spaces not currently designed to accommodate them. The ship’s flight deck would have been reconfigured, as well.

As a result of the base design decisions, the nuclear reactor plant on the Ford class is also notably set up to generate less steam overall compared to the one on the Nimitz class, according to a past report from the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), an independent non-profit. All of this, in turn, raises additional questions about how much time and effort it would take to retrofit future Ford class carriers to use steam catapults, in particular.

General Atomics, the prime contractor behind the EMALS and the AAG, has unsurprisingly already come out against Trump’s new directive.

“The decision will have broader implications for carrier readiness, national security, and U.S. technological superiority, potentially creating opportunities for adversaries to close the capability gap,” the company said, according to The Wall Street Journal. “It also comes at a time when strengthening the U.S. supplier industrial base is a national priority, making workforce stability, production capacity, and the ability to sustain critical technologies more important than ever.”

It is worth noting here that China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) now has two ships with electromagnetic catapults, the Type 003 carrier Fujian and Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan. The U.S. government previously approved the transfer of EMALS technology to India, which could make it way into the country’s future carrier INS Vishal. Other nations have also been considering EMALS-type catapults for future carriers and other naval vessels.

Huntington Ingalls Industries, which builds the Ford class carriers through its Newport News Shipbuilding division in Virginia, said it would “work closely with the Navy to implement any potential changes to ships under construction,” according to that outlet. At the same time, there are serious questions now about that yard’s ability to meet current timelines for delivering new carriers, which have already been delayed repeatedly.

Around the Yard at NNS: John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) Ship Turn Around

The Navy’s 2027 Fiscal Year budget proposal, released earlier this year, confirmed that the projected timeline for Doris Miller’s delivery had slipped from 2032 to 2034. “The primary schedule driver for CVN-81 is the lack of available shipyard construction space for large assemblies due to delays on CVN-80,” a Navy official told Military Times back in May.

The Navy originally expected to receive Enterprise in 2028, but that timeline has since slipped to 2031. The future USS John F. Kennedy was also originally scheduled to be delivered back in 2022. All of these delays have come along with continued cost growth, as well.

“In December 2025, the Secretary of the Navy notified Congress he was increasing the Cost Limitation Baseline for CVN 79 from $12.936 billion to $13.529 billion,” according to the aforementioned April MSAR report. “The Cost Limitation Baseline for CVN 80 and CVN 81 remain unchanged at $13.529 billion and $14.016 billion respectively.”

As mentioned, Trump’s memo yesterday also focused heavily on further steps to address now long-standing concerns about U.S. naval shipbuilding capacity across the board. America’s specific ability to produce new nuclear-powered surface warships and submarines has now become even more of a focal point in these discussions with the addition of the plans for the Trump class battleships. In May, the Navy confirmed the Trump class warships will have nuclear propulsion using the same type of reactors developed for the Ford class.

The Navy has not acquired a new nuclear-powered surface combatant in decades. Newport News is currently the only U.S. shipyard producing nuclear-powered surface vessels of any kind, and is already heavily strained by current demands, which also include production of new non-nuclear warships. There is only one other yard in the country that produces nuclear-powered vessels of any kind, and is focused on submarine production.

In a time of peace, without all the threats and operational demands the United States is currently facing, or if there was any kind of surplus carrier capacity, making fundamental changes to the Ford class carrier program might very well have been a logical decision. However, all of this also comes at a time when the Navy’s operational carriers are experiencing exceptional pressure. The Nimitz class carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been on a marathon deployment in the Middle East, has become something of a poster child for growing readiness concerns amid reports of severely flagging morale and mental health among the crew. The Navy is now moving to relieve Lincoln.

Still, this is a worrisome situation that has already been building for many years, due in large part to a succession of global crises, and has now been further exacerbated by the ongoing conflict with Iran. Even so, the Navy is trying to keep to its existing schedule for inactivating aging Nimitz class carriers, though the date for when the USS Nimitz is set to leave service has now been pushed back until next year. Retiring existing carriers will only create further strains if the arrival of new members of the Ford class continues to be pushed back.

With the various timelines the Ford class program is looking at now, whether the future Doris Miller or other forthcoming carriers ultimately make the switch back to steam-powered catapults and hydraulic weapons elevators very much remains to be seen. Trump’s current term will end in January 2029, at which point Doris Miller could easily still be in a relatively early stage of construction. Any incoming administration could revert back to the original plan for the ship’s configuration.

Congress could also step in sooner, including to block spending any funds on changing the Ford class design. There is already separate friction emerging between lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle and the White House over the Trump class battleship program, and concerns about how that could impact other naval shipbuilding priorities.

As it stands now, the Navy has roughly two months to at least devise a path forward for returning to steam-powered catapults and hydraulic weapons elevators on the future USS Doris Miller.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

In his first address to the Disney faithful as chief executive, Josh D’Amaro pledged that Walt Disney Co. would create new stories and experiences at the D23 fan event Wednesday night in Anaheim.

D’Amaro was greeted like a rock star during the Burbank media giant’s film and TV presentation as the assembled crowd of more than 12,000 Disney super fans at the Honda Center gave him a rousing round of applause and cheers. He beamed at the audience, while clasping his hands together in front of him.

“I believe that in order to lead this company, you have to understand what it actually feels like to be a fan,” he said onstage. “And, I do. ”

D’Amaro is no stranger to the D23 stage; in his past role as parks chief, he would give updates on the latest news for the experiences division.

But now, as CEO, he said the company would deepen its connection with fans by continuing to develop fresh stories and new experiences.

“We are not here waiting for the future,” he said. “We’re building it … we’re actually building it right now.”

While Disney unveiled several upcoming original stories, including an animated supernatural flick from Pixar called “Ghost Market” set for release in spring 2028 and “Clay,” a Disney Animation film coming later that year about a mentor-mentee relationship, many of its projects are related to existing franchises.

The company unveiled details about Pixar’s “Coco 2” and “Incredibles 3,” both of which got huge applause from the audience, as well as a live-action “Lilo & Stitch 2.” Fans cheered for the return of the Jonas Brothers reprising their original Disney roles in “Camp Rock 3.” Even a teaser from “The Bluey Movie” elicited screams from the largely adult audience.

Earlier in the day, Disney executives revealed additional plans about its streaming strategy during a series of panels.

The company plans to lean more on creators with its new Verts vertical video feed on Disney+, a new feature designed to increase engagement. So far, it has grown in popularity among users, said Erin Teague, executive vice president of product management at Disney Entertainment and ESPN.

“What we’re seeing is as users are engaging with their vertical video experience, they are actually engaging in the overall product experience, double the amount of time,” she said onstage. “That means that we’re meeting users where we are.”

The company also plans to invest more in local international content to help grow the Disney+ service around the world. Disney has seen its local Korean shows perform well in Asia, as well as Brazil, executives said. And shows that do well in one country can often be remade in other regions.

Over the next three years, Disney plans to roughly triple the number of local original series on Disney+.

Aug. 15 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Friday said he wants the Strait of Hormuz to become U.S. territory.

Speaking at an event in New York, Trump said he plans to declare ownership of the waterway between Oman and Iran once the war is over.

“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz strait a territory of the United States,” Trump said, as reported by the Guardian.

“Essentially, that’s what it is,” he added. “We have the blockade — no ships get through unless we want them to.”

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, on Saturday called the president’s remarks “fanciful delusions.”

“Once and for all, accept the reality: up to this point, you have suffered strategic and heavy defeats,” Gharibabadi said in a statement on X. “The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian.”

“This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command, and as long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and cease your fanciful delusions, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade,” Gharibabadi added.

Traffic through the strait, through which 20% of the world’s oil and gas usually pass, has slowed dramatically since Trump launched the war with Iran on Feb. 28.

Six ships traveled through the strait last weekend, where usually as many as 140 would pass in a single day, The Hill reported.

Both Trump and Iranian officials claim to have control of the strait.

“We have control over it, nobody else, only us,” Trump told reporters earlier this week, The Hill reported. “Our Navy is unbelievable and things are going great for our country.”

Moroccan authorities intercepted dozens of migrants seeking to cross into the Spanish North African exclave of Ceuta on Saturday, reports say.

More than 100 people were blocked trying to make their way to the border on the outskirts of the town of Fnideq, according to Moroccan security sources cited by Spanish media and the Reuters news agency.

It comes a fortnight after roughly 78,000 migrants arrived in the exclave by sea in a matter of hours – 100 of whom died, according to the city’s mayor, who also said the vast majority of arrivals had returned to Morocco.

Security had been stepped up in the area after the influx and amid suggestions on social media of a second mass crossing attempt this weekend.

The security sources said 111 people had been detained in or around Fnideq – known in Spanish as Castillejos – about 3km (1.8 miles) from the border, the majority of whom were from sub-Saharan Africa.

Moroccan police – including some in riot gear – reportedly used tear gas to disperse groups of migrants gathered on nearby hills.

Earlier this week, Rabat said it was monitoring “the circulation of social media posts and messages of unknown origin” calling for a mass crossing Saturday, warning it would prosecute organisers and participants.

Marvel’s new X-Men are ready for their close-up — finally. The cast of the upcoming superhero film took the stage together for the first time Friday night during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige capped off his portion of the presentation by formally introducing Sadie Sink, whose role in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” had been kept under wraps before its release, as Jean Grey. Then, along with “X-Men” director Jake Schreier, they welcomed the rest of the cast.

Joining Sink in “X-Men” are Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue and Maya Boyd as Storm. Adam Driver, who appeared at the event in a recorded video bit, will be playing Nathaniel Milbury, better known to fans as Mr. Sinister.

“X-Men” is expected to hit theaters May 5, 2028.

Held at the Honda Center, the Disney Entertainment Showcase is one of the marquee presentations of the three-day D23 fan event where the various arms of Walt Disney Studios — including Lucasfilm, Pixar and Disney Animation — take the stage to promote their upcoming film and television projects. New CEO Josh D’Amaro received a rock star’s welcome from the more than 12,000 Disney faithful attending this year’s showcase, which was emceed by “Zootopia 2” stars and self-proclaimed “super fans” Ke Huy Quan and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Among the stars tapped to help promote their upcoming projects were Anne Hathaway (“Princess Diaries 3”); Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas (“Camp Rock 3”); Benjamin Bratt (“Coco 2” and “Kingdom Hearts IV”); Kathryn Hahn (“Tangled”); Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell (“Avengers: Doomsday”); Ryan Gosling (“Star Wars: Starfighter”); and Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad (“Frozen III”).

Here are the biggest reveals and takeaways from Disney’s studios showcase.

Marvel’s television future remains unclear

As expected, Marvel Studios turned its spotlight to “VisionQuest,” the upcoming Disney+ series starring Paul Bettany (Vision) and James Spader (Ultron). Picking up after the events of “WandaVision,” the show will see Vision “beginning to ask rather more complicated questions” about his identity and humanity, according to Bettany.

After several movie announcements at San Diego Comic-Con last month, fans had been anticipating Marvel’s D23 presentation would focus on its series slate. But “VisionQuest” was the only TV show represented at the event. (Marvel’s presentation also included a new “Avengers: Doomsday” clip and a mention of the upcoming game “Marvel’s Wolverine.”)

The lack of new series announcements, along with the recent cancellation of “Wonder Man” Season 2 and reports that Marvel is cutting back on live-action Disney+ shows, has cast a shadow on the MCU’s TV future. “VisionQuest” will premiere Oct. 14.

‘Star Wars’ fans still love Hayden Christensen

Lucasfilm President Dave Filoni brought the cast and creatives of “Ahsoka” Season 2 and “Star Wars: Starfighter” for his portion of the showcase, along with new footage from both projects.

When “Ahsoka” star Rosario Dawson invited Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) and Eman Esfandi (Ezra Bridger) to join her on stage, fans had an especially warm welcome for the prequel trilogy star.

“As always, it is such an honor to get to play Anakin Skywalker,” said Christensen. “In this new season. Anakin continues to advise Ahsoka. He challenges her and pushes her to answer the most important question in her life: Are you or are you not a Jedi?”

“Star Wars: Starfighter” director Shawn Levy, left, and Ryan Gosling, who is showing the symbol of his character Kade on his jacket.

(Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Disney)

Director Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling were on hand to discuss “Star Wars: Starfighter,” which will be set during a time period in the galaxy far, far away that has not yet been shown before. Gosling plays Kade Auberon, a Starfighter pilot (and possible mechanic), in the standalone film that will be set some time after the sequel trilogy.

Disney is leaning on the magic of nostalgia in live-action and animation

Mira Sorvino, right, and Lisa Kudrow appeared onstage as Romy and Michele, respectively, to tease their sequel.

(Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney)

Much of Disney’s studio showcase focused on sequels of franchises past and present. “Romy and Michele 2” (2027) stars Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino showed up in character to tease their upcoming sequel to the much-loved 1997 original, proclaiming they were now Disney princesses.

“Princess Diaries” star Anne Hathaway made an appearance to reassure fans the team was hard at work to make sure “Princess Diaries 3” was getting done right, while “Camp Rock” stars Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas came to plug “Camp Rock 3” and its new stars. A brief first-look teaser for the live action “Tangled” (2028) concluded on a shot of Kathryn Hahn as Mother Gothel calling out to Rapunzel, right before the “Agatha All Along” star took the stage.

Even one of Disney’s oldest characters is getting a revival, thanks to filmmaker Jon Favreau. The “Mandalorian and Grogu” director shared a first look at his miniseries, “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit,” a hybrid live-action and hand-drawn 2D animated show expected to hit Disney+ in February.

On the animation side, Pixar’s Pete Doctor came armed with news about “Incredibles 3” (2028) and “Coco 2” (2029), while Disney Animation’s Jared Bush announced “Zootopia 3” before turning it over to “Frozen III” (2027).

According to Benjamin Bratt, who is returning to voice Ernesto de la Cruz, “Coco 2” is set some time in the future, where a teenage Miguel is sent back to the land of the dead for another adventure. “Frozen III,” meanwhile, will see Anna and Kristoff finally get married before the sisters meet a mysterious stranger who also wields ice magic. Olaf is also expected to find love.

The event also featured teases for “Ice Age: Boiling Point” (2027), “The Bluey Movie” (2027) and a “Kingdom Hearts” anime series.

But don’t worry, Pixar and Disney are still making original movies

Billie Doe (Hailee Steinfeld) and Beef Roger Crummchuk (Walton Goggins) in “Hexed.”

(Disney)

Fans of animated originals can rest assured that both Pixar and Disney Animation have new stories on the way. In addition to “Hexed,” a magical coming-of-age adventure about a young girl named Billie who discovers she’s a witch that will hit theaters Nov. 25, Disney Animation announced “Clay” for 2028. According to Jared Bush, “Clay” is a story about a mentor and student named Flip and Mushi.

“I believe that new stories, new characters, new worlds are vital to the future of Disney Animation,” said Bush.

Pixar, meanwhile, announced “Ghost Market” will hit theaters in 2028. Set in Hawaii, “Ghost Market” will follow a young content creator named Kyle who encounters hungry ghosts. The studio also has “Gatto,” from “Luca” director Enrico Casarosa, on deck for 2027.

Aug. 14 (UPI) — About 200 young people representing 34 countries gathered in Seoul on Wednesday to launch an international network supporting peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula, hours after North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea.

At the 2026 One Korea Youth Forum, South Koreans, North Korean defectors, ethnic Koreans from the former Soviet Union and young people from overseas formally launched Youth Solidarity for One Korea.

Youth groups including the Korean Dream Crew, the youth group of the Korean Association of Koryo-saram, MuiPansapan and Studec International read the One Korea Youth Declaration, pledging to build an international youth network for peace and reunification based on the Korean ideal of Hongik Ingan, broadly meaning benefiting all humanity, and the values of liberal democracy.

Namsik Yoo, director of youth programs at Alliance for Korea United USA, said young people respond more strongly to hope than cynicism and will organize, create and act when given a vision they can understand, believe in and lead.

Yoo said Korean reunification should not be viewed as something distant or impossible but as “a future young people can imagine and create themselves.”

Young-soon Jung, president of the Korean Association of Koryo-saram, said the division of the Korean Peninsula was not merely a political issue but “a family history that continues today.” She said One Korea could begin when young people from different backgrounds listen to and understand one another’s histories.

During a Peace Innovation Challenge, 20 youth teams proposed projects tied to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. The top award went to a plan to turn the Demilitarized Zone into a national park after reunification and seek UNESCO World Heritage status.

The forum was hosted by Global Peace Foundation Korea, a nonprofit foundation registered with South Korea’s Unification Ministry. It was jointly organized by GPY Korea, Korean Dream Crew, MuiPansapan, the youth group of the Korean Association of Koryo-saram, Alliance for Korea United USA and Studec International, with Global Goals Youth and Loglo participating as partner organizations.

The forum concluded with participants carrying flags from their countries alongside the South Korean flag and declaring, “We Stand for One Korea.”

Twenty-six more bodies have been recovered from the ferry that capsized on a lake in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, increasing the death toll to 72.

Police investigations suggest that the boat was overloaded when it overturned on Lake Kariba. It was carrying an estimated 153 people when it left Kariba town harbour, but its maximum authorised capacity was for just 90 passengers.

Among the victims were at least 18 children, including 16 under the age of 10, according to state broadcaster ZBC. Among the youngest identified victims were one-year-old Wendy Ndandarika and 14-month-old McDonald Nyasha Gumpo and Hailly Tauro, according to local media reports.

The captain, Sign Patsikadova, 59, is also among the confirmed dead.

Search and recovery operations involving police divers, military personnel and local fishermen continued on Saturday, authorities said.

Disaster management officials said 77 people were rescued shortly after the vessel capsized. Many were taken to a nearby island before being transferred to health facilities in Kariba town.

Survivors told reporters that high winds generated choppy waves that flooded the boat shortly after departure. Passengers had urged the operator to turn back towards the shore, but the vessel continued into open water before rolling over.

Some homes have lost more than one relative.

The government has declared a national disaster and deployed welfare agencies to distribute food to affected households.

“It has been difficult to know who to console first, as almost every homestead has lost a relative, and the worst cases more than five relatives at once,” Solomon Machipisa told local outlet The Herald.

The ferry served as a vital lifeline for remote fishing communities along the lake, connecting them to food supplies, markets and essential services. Its loss has already begun affecting food deliveries, with shops that depended on the vessel facing shortages, residents told The Herald.

Accidents on the lake, the world’s largest man-made reservoir by volume, are relatively rare, making the sinking one of the country’s worst maritime disasters in decades.

Lake Kariba lies on Zimbabwe’s border with Zambia, more than 300km (186 miles) northeast of the capital Harare.

Aaron Thiara, who plays Ravi Gulati on EastEnders, has reportedly quit the long-running BBC soap after four years on the show so that he can focus on new projects

Aaron Thiara has reportedly quit EastEnders. The actor, 33, has starred as Ravi Gulati on the long-running BBC soap since 2022 and has been at the centre of several dramatic storylines during that time.

Now, insiders have claimed that Aaron, who appeared in various short films and a string of Shakespeare plays before joining EastEnders, is leaving the programme for pastures new.

A source claimed: “Aaron has been at the centre of the some of the soaps biggest storylines since his arrival as bad-boy Ravi back in 2022. He’s an incredibly popular member of the cast and the fans love him.

Speaking to The Sun, the source went on to claim: “He’s decided to focus on new projects, but will stay on set until the end of the year to see out some juicy storylines his character has in store.”

Since he arrived in Walford three years ago, Ravi has discovered that his biological son of Nish Panesar and that he was the product of an affair. He then went on to kill Ranveer Gulati, the man he thought was his father, in an act of self-defence and was once in a love triangle with Denise Fox and Jack Branning.

The character is also known for his relationship with Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy), with whom he has a son, Nugget and a daughter, Avani.

Just over a year ago, Ravi partnered with Nicola Mitchell to set up a drugs empire but six months later, she spiked his drink as an act of revenge and he ended up putting his son into a coma.

Much of 2026 has revolved around Ravi’s mental health and PTSD, and, ahead of the storyline, Aaron pleaded with fans to “see the person” and “not the villain”. Some fans had been struggling to be sympathetic towards the character following his actions towards Harry.

Aaron said that he hopes fans can look past Ravi’s history amid his upcoming storyline, which EastEnders worked with mental health charity Samaritans on.

He said: “In these moments, I hope the audience can simply see a human being in crisis. Some may hold his history against him, but I hope people will see, not the villain, not the history, but the person underneath it all.”

Aaron won Villain of the Year at the now-defunct British Soap Awards in 2023 and was also nominated for Serial Drama Performance at the National Television Awards around the same time. When he joined the programme a year earlier, he spoke of how thrilled he was to get the chance to be part of such a television staple.

He said: “My heart is filled with immense gratitude to be joining such an iconic show, working alongside a stellar cast and a remarkable production team. It’s a very proud moment for me and my family. This is a wondrous opportunity to approach as an actor, and I can’t wait for people to meet Ravi on screen and witness his roller-coaster of a journey!”

A spokesperson for EastEnders declined to comment

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The last time Real Madrid went two consecutive seasons without a major trophy (2008-2010), they eschewed Galacticos and brought in Jose Mourinho who built the team from the back.

So after the last two trophyless seasons, they brought Mourinho back.

That means ultra-conservative tactics, plus a slew of central defenders and outside backs, not something that would normally excite Madridistas.

But even a superstar-studded attack does not work without a solid, veteran back line.

Welcome, then, Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate. But Real Madrid President Florentino Perez did not forget about scoring goals.

He also added Yan Diomande and Bernardo Silva to an attack featuring Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, along with Brahim Diaz, Endrick, Arda Guler and Rodrygo.

Recent failures aside, Real Madrid remains ambitious. Los Blancos expect to compete for both the Champions League title and La Liga.

Perez is not going to easily give in to Paris Saint-Germain’s newfound Champions League pre-eminence, or Barcelona’s attempt at a La Liga three-peat.

Real Madrid tops the Champions League charts with 15 titles, and has won La Liga 36 times, seven more than Barca.

Al Jazeera takes a look at the key questions before the new season for Real Madrid.

Second time a charm at Real Madrid for Jose Mourinho?

Mourinho’s first Real Madrid stint followed a two-year trophy drought, and the solution worked, sort of. The Portuguese won La Liga once and reached three Champions League semifinals from 2011-13.

Improvement, but not what the Merengues were looking for when Mourinho arrived on the heels of capturing the 2010 Champions League with Inter Milan.

These days, Mourinho’s stock has not exactly risen, and he is still looking for another Champions League success. But after last season’s coaching fiasco – Xavi Alonso being replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa mid-season – Perez is apparently hoping conservatism and discipline will bring out the best in the most expensive roster in La Liga.

The preseason presented a preview of Mourinho-ball, with Real Madrid winning the Trofeo Teresa Herrera last week. So, Los Blancos carried off a rather bulky trophy, though not a major one.

And the 1-0 victory over Deportivo A Coruna was classified as a preseason friendly, complete with 19 substitutions. They were, though, playing to win at all costs, judging by Antonio Rudiger’s first-half hip-check that sent Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang flying.

Good transfer business for Real Madrid?

Madridistas expected the arrival of a high-profile transfer, such as Alessandro Bastoni, Achraf Hakimi, Michael Olise, or Vitinha – not to mention Rodri. That did not happen, but the newcomers provide upgrades that could make a difference.

Cucurella, replacing Ferland Mendy, brings guile and tactical savvy, supporting Vinicius Junior on the left. He also happens to be Real Madrid’s only World Cup winner with Spain’s national team.

Dumfries might not compare with Hakimi, but he presents an alternative to Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Dutch defender is a dependable, physical right back, who captured two Serie A scudetti and reached two Champions League finals with Inter.

Silva contributes composure, and his ability to settle the midfield fills a need lacking since the departure of Luka Modric. Konate provides physicality and recovery ability in central defence, and could challenge Dean Huijsen and Rudiger for a starting spot.

Diomande burst onto the scene with Red Bull Leipzig and starred for Ivory Coast in the World Cup. Diomande was “discovered” in northern Florida in the United States by Leganes last year, after being passed over in Major League Soccer tryouts.

He earned a 125 million euro ($144.5m) transfer that could be considered excessive, as rival suitors dropped from the scene, leaving Real Madrid to essentially bid against itself. Real Madrid will hope the investment in Diomande pays dividends, as he resembles a dynamic, younger version of Vinicius Junior, and can perform on either wing.

A number 9 for Real Madrid, anybody?

Endrick wears the number 9, but does not fit the profile of a hold-up striker. Nor does Mbappe, though he has made the position his own. Endrick, 20, failed to meet expectations after arriving on a 47.5 million euro ($54.9m) transfer from Palmeiras. He ended up on loan to Olympique Lyon, scoring five times, including a hat-trick against Metz.

At 6-foot-4-inches, Carlos Espi represents Mourinho’s conception of the number-9 role. The 21-year-old lacks experience but showed promise with Levante, converting 11 goals last season.

Perez, though, is sticking with his investment in Endrick. Last year, he let Nico Paz go to Como, and, this year, Gonzalo Garcia to Fulham.

Two go-to guys, but not enough goals?

Few can match Mbappe’s ability to stretch defences and finish.

Last season, Mbappe totalled 42 goals, plus another 10 for France in the World Cup. But should Mbappe be a lone striker, or should he be breaking down defences on the wing?

As for Vinicius Junior, his effectiveness on the left wing is unquestioned. The problem has been capitalising on the talent of Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. Despite Mbappe’s goal explosion, Real Madrid’s La Liga totals declined from 87 in 2023-24 to 78 the next season and 77 last season.

In the past, Mourinho’s forwards have sacrificed scoring to concentrate on defending. Not exactly what Mbappe or Vinicius Junior signed up for, but Mbappe indicated he is ready to go along with the programme in an interview with Real Madrid TV. Mourinho, Mbappe said, “is a coach that knows how to win.”

Time for Bellingham to go on the offensive?

As a 20-year-old, just arrived from Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham converted 10 goals in his first 12 La Liga games in 2023. Bellingham’s scoring tailed off after that, and he’s fallen into a complementary role in midfield. But after a breakout World Cup, maybe Bellingham will reassert himself as an attacking midfielder.

Performing for England, Bellingham ignited the offence, driving through the midfield, setting up teammates, and also converting seven goals. He also displayed leadership qualities, rallying the team in difficult conditions in Mexico City and leading a comeback against Norway.

Bellingham has plenty of midfield support at Real Madrid, playing alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde. But will Mourinho allow Bellingham to go forward at will, as he did prior to the arrival of Mbappe, or have him thinking defence first?

What about Arda Guler?

Guler was a regular from last season’s opener on; his 51 appearances were second on the team to Vinicius Junior’s 53. And Guler is expected to be a sure starter this season. The arrival of Silva, though, could create a squeeze for playing time.

Mourinho favours experienced players, and also appears to be on a wavelength with Silva, partly because of their Portuguese backgrounds. Guler can be spectacular, breaking past opponents on the dribble, sparking the attack. But the threat of a reduced role has led to reports that Guler is considering a return to Fenerbahce.

LIAM Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy has revealed that she’s ‘living her best life’ after making one change since his passing.

The social media star was in a relationship with the 1D singer before his tragic death at the age of 31 in October 2024.

In her latest TikTok video, Kate explained she was putting herself first and said: “Your best life starts when you put yourself first.”

The highlight clip included Kate being carried across a grassy field at a festival and wearing a green halter‑style outfit with a matching scarf as she posed for a selfie.

She was also seen in sunglasses with a friend at a huge gig as they partied with a crowd behind them.

Another showed Kate driving with a friend in a red convertible as they cruised down a sunny street.

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Another image showed her sitting on a huge swing with chain supports, as she leaned back with her arms outstretched.

She accompanied the video clip with the hit tune Stop The Wedding by Ashe.

Fans flocked to comment and one wrote: “Keep glowing babe.”

Another added: “I’ve been a fan for a while and I love too see you keep glowing as the time goes on.”

A third added: “You give me so much hope. May you live happy.”

This comes days after Kate hit back at trolls who accused her of abandoning the dog she shared with the singer.

The influencer and her late One Direction star boyfriend adopted their rescue pup Nala just a month before the singer’s tragic passing.

In a TikTok post, a jubilant Kate revealed she was flying off on another trip.

Sharing a video from the airport, she wrote over the top: “I’ve been flying out of town for some peace of mind.”

However, some fans wanted to know where Nala was, while she went off on her holiday.

But Kate was quick to shut down speculation she had left her dog home alone.

“Nala is literally staying with Anna everyone plzzzz,” she snapped back.

Liam tragically lost his life when he fell from the balcony of the hotel he was staying at in Argentina in 2024.