Thing

• Actor David Harbour has publicly responded for the first time since his ex-partner, Lily Allen, released a scathing breakup album last fall. • The pair originally met via the celebrity-focused dating app Raya and were married in 2019. • This response marks a significant development in the public fallout following Allen's musical critique of their failed relationship.

• Yahoo Sports has launched a "Soccer Pick 'Em with Fox One" contest allowing users to predict the winners of the 12 group stages for the 2026 World Cup. • Current data shows a strong consensus among participants, with at least 70% of users agreeing on the favorite in 11 of the 12 groups. • This engagement highlights the anticipation surrounding the tournament's opening match, which is scheduled for a Thursday.

• A trailer for "The Social Reckoning," a sequel to the 2010 film "The Social Network," was released on Wednesday. • Actor Jeremy Strong will portray Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, stepping into the role previously played by Jesse Eisenberg. • The project aims to explore the evolution of Zuckerberg's public image and the ongoing impact of his social media empire.

Iran says US attacks make ceasefire ‘practically meaningless’. Plus, Trump says ‘I love the inflation’ when asked about jump to 4.2%Good morning.Has the ceasefire collapsed yet?What is the status of negotiations? Talks to turn the ceasefire into a durable peace deal have stalled for weeks, with periodic flare-ups as both sides continued to launch limited strikes and trade blame for violating the truce.What do the two side want? Iran seeks the lifting of international sanctions, the unfreezing of billions of dollars in assets, and control over the strait of Hormuz. Trump has said any future peace deal must prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran denies it is seeking to do.This is a developing story. Follow our live coverage here.What did Gates say? “I support the release of all the Epstein files and sincerely hope that, through your efforts and those of others advocating on their behalf, the survivors of Epstein’s crimes can get the justice that they deserve.” Continue reading...

• FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the pricing of World Cup tickets, stating the average cost is below USD 500. • He argued that these prices are consistent with broader trends in U.S. sports, citing high ticket fluctuations seen in NBA Finals matchups. • The comments address growing public frustration over ticket accessibility and costs ahead of the 2026 tournament.

Vice-president says he expects war to end in a week or few months with ‘a deal that is good for US economically’. Plus, get ready for start of Fifa men’s World CupGood morning.US forces have launched strikes against Iran in response to the downing of an Apache helicopter near the strait of Hormuz a day earlier, and Iran has retaliated by hitting American airbases in the Middle East. The exchange of fire came as the US vice-president, JD Vance, was vague on the possible timeframe for ending the Iran war, saying it could conclude in a week or a few months.What did Vance actually say? “Right now, I feel that we are in a position to get a deal that is good for the United States economically and that really does deal with the Iranian nuclear program. Not just now, not just while Donald Trump is president, but for the long term, to where my kids can say when they’re adults: ‘Iran is not going to have a nuclear weapon.’”Who is Steve Hilton? Since arriving in the US 14 years ago, he has had stints as an entrepreneur, a policy analyst and a Fox News host after years of working in the background of Conservative party politics in Britain.Who has been supporting him? Hilton has assembled a broad coalition spanning working-class voters, Latino small-business owners, religious conservatives and Silicon Valley tech tycoons. He has managed to turn his British accent into an asset, priding himself on being a legal immigrant as opposed to the undocumented kind derided by the Republican establishment. Continue reading...

• Singer-songwriter P!nk hosted The 79th Tony Awards on Sunday at Radio City Music Hall in New York. • The event celebrated excellence in live Broadway theater, featuring a mix of awards and performances. • This annual ceremony serves as a critical industry benchmark for recognizing the best in theatrical production and performance.

The theatrical prequel to the Duffer Brothers’ smash-hit Netflix series is to shut down in the West End and on Broadway this winter, after selling more than 1.5m ticketsThe London and New York productions of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the theatrical prequel to Netflix’s TV blockbuster, are to both close this winter. The stage spectacular will have run for just over three years in the West End, where it won two Olivier awards, and for just over 20 months on Broadway, where it won four Tony awards. The final performance at the Phoenix theatre in London will be on 27 December and the last show at the Marquis theatre in New York will be on 3 January.The announcement, made on Tuesday, comes as a surprise considering the TV series’ phenomenal continued success. The November launch of the fifth and final season broke viewing records for an English-language series on Netflix, with 59.6m views in the first five days, and even caused the streaming service to crash within minutes of the episodes first becoming available. In February, it was widely reported that the New York stage production was being filmed for future release, but Netflix has made no such official statement. Continue reading...