Council will spend thousands to convince young people to work or go into higher education

EXCLUSIVE: Animation outfit Toonz Media Group has acquired rights to make a feature adaptation of the children’s book Santa on a Panda written by Parker Jacobs (Yo Gabba Gabba) of the Dumb Idea Group with Multi-Emmy Award-Winner Brian A. Miller (Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Primal) signed on to produce.

‘Am I Being Unreasonable?‘ Producer’s Development Boss Joins Sky

The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl last night in dramatic fashion, with Usher delighting millennials worldwide with a mesmerising half-time show – but it was Taylor Swift who proved to be the real headline act of the night Taking to the crowd –in a VIP suite, of course – Taylor cheered on her Chiefs boyfriend Travis Kelce in a themed outfit that screamed both No. 1 Chiefs fan and Red era girlie. Sporting her signature red lip combined with an all-black outfit featuring plenty of subtle detailing, the 34-year-old hitmaker is the talk of everyone's Monday morning.

Louise Thompson took to Instagram to share a picture of herself in a hospital gown as she updated her fans on her health battle. In a long post, she explained she had pushed through to enjoy a holiday in Antigua with partner Ryan Libbey and their son. However she knew she was "really sick" and couldn't pretend she was okay any longer.

Blue-Ivy Carter and her rarely-seen younger sister Rumi posed alongside their famous dad Jay-Z as the Carter family attended the highly-anticipated Super Bowl.The proud dad, 54, posed alongside his daughters, on the field ahead of the game, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22. For the occasion, the Empire State of Mind rapper, who shares his three children with wife Beyonce, donned a black leather jacket featuring the NFL logo and some artsy decorations, which he paired with some black tracksuit bottoms, a pair of sunglasses and a hat.

Alex Ritman “The Dead Don’t Hurt,” the Viggo Mortensen-directed Western in which the three-time Oscar nominee stars alongside Vicky Krieps, has landed a number of international sales for HanWay Films. Newly confirmed territory deals for the film — a Talipot Studio, Recorded Picture and Perceval Pictures production — include France (Metropolitan), Spain (Wanda & Elastica), Scandinavia (Scanbox), U.K. (Signature), Benelux (Imagine), Poland (Galapagos), Middle East (Front Row), Singapore (Shaw) and Airlines/Ships (Cinesky).

Naman Ramachandran U.K.-based sales and distribution company Blue Finch Films has boarded international sales for select territories to Shudder original film “Oddity.” Written and directed by Damian McCarthy (“Caveat”), the supernatural film will have its world premiere at SXSW 2024 as part of the Midnighter section. Blue Finch will introduce the title in advance to buyers at the Berlin European Film Market (EFM). “Oddity” follows Darcy, a blind medium, who uncovers the sinister truth behind her sister’s death with the help of a frightening wooden mannequin.

K.J. Yossman A new model proposing shorter hours in the U.K. screen industry is garnering industry support.

Kanye West appeared to address last year’s controversial Venice boat exposure incident on his new ‘Vultures 1‘ song ‘Fuck Sumn’.West and his partner Bianca Censori caused controversy last year after they were caught in a compromising position on a boat in Italy, with reports later emerging that they were being investigated by police.The pair were photographed on a water taxi in August showing West’s trousers pulled down with Censori’s head in his lap.They were reportedly “banned for life” from using the boat company after the incident.West – who now goes by Ye – and Ty Dolla $ign finally released their much-delayed controversial new collaborative album ‘Vultures 1’ this month, which features Lil Durk, Bump J, Freddie Gibbs, Quavo and more.The 10th song on the album, ‘Fuck Sumn’ featuring Travis Scott and Playboi Carti, appears to make reference to the Venice scandal.In the second verse, West raps: “Hold my coat, hold my drink/ On my own, come with me/ Shawty wanna fuck on somethin’?/ Fuck on me, suck on me publicly.”West announced the release this month by sharing the album artwork, which appears to show him in all-black and a hockey mask alongside by Censori in the nude.West has previously received criticism for sharing photos of his reported wife in either the nude or revealing attire – with System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan telling him to “show some class“, adding: “Your wife isn’t supposed to be your trophy, she’s your place of pride and dignity. This isn’t the way”.The new album has continued to stir up controversy, after Donna Summer’s estate criticised West for using an ‘I Feel Love’ sample without permission.

Emma Stone has responded to critics of her film Poor Things, who have suggested that the film is sexist and exploitative.The recent Oscar-nominated film sees the actress play Bella Baxter, a dead woman brought back to life by a mad scientist in Victorian London after having the brain of an unborn baby put in her head, before going on a journey of sexual discovery.However, some have criticised the film, suggesting that it presents consent issues considering Bella has the brain of a child, while the fact that it is directed by a man – Yorgos Lanthimos – could suggest it is sexist.Speaking to The Times, Stone said: “If it helps, as the person who played it and produced it, I didn’t see her as a child in any of those scenes.”“But even that’s too literal,” Lanthimos added. “If you take a film that literally, where you start discussing it in terms of the brain of a child, then you’re kind of missing the point of storytelling in general.

Usher has paid tribute to the late drummer Aaron Spears during his Halftime show at the 2024 Super Bowl.The moment took place in Las Vegas last night (February 11), as the R&B star performed during the iconic Halftime show at the 58th instalment of the Super Bowl. Held at Allegiant Stadium, the event saw the San Francisco 49ers face off against defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs, with the latter ultimately taking the victory.During the show, Usher brought out a number of famous friends to join him as surprise guests, however, one frequent collaborator was missing from the night – his longtime drummer Aaron Spears.The musician – who also worked with the likes of Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and more – died in October last year.

Adele has given a shoutout to Rachel Chinouriri during her Las Vegas residency.The moment took place while the iconic London singer was on stage at The Colosseum Theatre at Caesars Palace, as part of her ongoing ‘Weekends With Adele’ residency in Las Vegas.Midway through her set, she spoke directly to the audience to recall her love of 25-year-old British singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri, and declare that she would be going to see her perform live next month.“Someone sent me a song, I actually can’t remember the name, [but] I’m going to remember her name for next week so I can give her a shoutout,” Adele said while seated next to her pianist on the night.“There’s a new artist, she’s British, her name is Rachel [Chinouriri] and she does like indie music. She’s absolutely amazing, she has a show in LA in March and I’m going to go on my own.

NME cover story.The New York band feature on The Cover this week (February 12) as we renew our commitment to supporting emerging talent across the globe on a weekly basis. Every week, a rising artist will feature on The Cover, and the full interview with Lip Critic can be read here.To celebrate, Militarie Gun have curated a playlist titled ‘What The Heck Goin’ On In New York’ featuring songs from Prize, Sunbloc, Trip Villain and more – acts they deem to be at the forefront of NYC’s contemporary underground scene.Listen to the full playlist below on Spotify, and here on Apple Music.In this week’s The Cover interview, frontman Bret Kaser discusses the four-piece’s wild live show, which received a five-star review from NME late last year.

Cillian Murphy has revealed he sent a text to Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight that helped him land the role of Tommy Shelby.The actor played the part of the Birmingham gangster across seven series of the BBC crime drama, which came to an end in 2022.Appearing on Desert Island Discs over the weekend (February 11), Murphy recalled going for the role of Shelby over a decade ago.“I wasn’t the obvious choice physically,” he admitted. “I hadn’t up to that point played anyone who had that sort of physical presence.“I don’t know if I convinced [Knight] in the meeting – I don’t know if this is apocryphal or he’s just made it up because it’s a good story, but apparently afterwards I sent him a text saying: ‘Remember Steve, I am an actor.’“And I do believe that.

Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds, a documentary about the creation of Death Stranding, now has an official date for its release on Disney+.After a screening at the Tribeca Film Festival last June, Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds is heading to Disney+ on February 23.The 60 minute film offers “a journey into the creative mind of the most iconic video game designer in the world,” according to the official description, with the documentary following Kojima as he launches his own Kojima Productions studio and creates Death Stranding.“This visually captivating documentary gives a rare insight into Hideo Kojima’s creative process [and] explores the power and potential of video games as an art form through the work of an influential talent revered by millions worldwide.”Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds also features appearances from a number of collaborators and famous fans, including Guillermo del Toro, Nicholas Winding Refn, Grimes, George Miller, Norman Reedus, Woodkid and CHVRCHES. A trailer released last year saw Reedus compare Kojima to Willy Wonka.Kojima started working at Konami in 1986 and went on to design the likes of Metal Gear Solid before launching Kojima Productions in 2011.

Blossoms headlined the second instalment of the relaunched Club NME with Ladbrokes LIVE this weekend (February 10) at Club Academy Manchester.In a rare intimate appearance from the Stockport band, who are set to headline the 30,000 capacity Wythenshawe Park this August, Blossoms treated fans to a set packed with all their classic hits, from 2015’s ‘Charlemagne’ to latest single ‘To Do List (After The Break Up).’Thanks to Ladbrokes LIVE, the sold-out crowd was treated to an aftershow DJ set from Leigh rockers The Lottery Winners, playing all the quintessential indie disco tracks into the early hours of the morning. Radio X DJ Sunta Templeton opened the night, warming up a crowd that had been queueing round the block since the late afternoon.Tickets were once again free to punters, after Club NME relaunched in style last September at east London’s EartH, where Courteeners headlined alongside a surprise DJ set from The Libertines’ Carl Barat and Gary Powell.

Taylor Swift reunited with Paul McCartney at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas last night (February 11).Swift was spectating at the Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday where boyfriend Travis Kelce beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 with his Kansas City Chiefs teammates.She cheered on Kelce alongside Ice Spice, Lana Del Rey and Blake Lively, while new photos from the event also reveal that the ‘Midnights‘ star spent some time with the Beatles legend at the sporting event.Photos show the pair standing together on stairs at the stadium as McCartney met spectators in Kelce’s camp.The pair have connected several times over the years, performing ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ as well as Swift’s hit single ‘Shake It Off’ at Saturday Night Live‘s 40th anniversary afterparty in 2015.They also spoke about their respective careers in a Rolling Stone ‘Musicians On Musicians’ series together in 2020.During the conversation, McCartney revealed that he wanted to invite Swift on stage with him at Glastonbury 2020 to play ‘Shake It Off’ together.This year’s Super Bowl saw Usher take to the stage for the Halftime show where he brought out Alicia Keys for the performance.The R&B star also welcomed a host of other guests throughout the set, including H.E.R. on guitar during ‘U Got It Bad’ and will.i.am for ‘OMG’.

Chloe Madeley has defiantly hit back at online trolls after receiving backlash over a photograph she shared of her daughter Bodhi during a scary hospital dash. The mum-of-one, 36, rushed her one year old daughter to hospital in the early hours on Sunday (11 February) morning, after she fell ill. Chloe posted a snap of Bodhi eating a packet of crisps hours later, revealing she was in the hospital on Instagram.

Deadpool & Wolverine, the third film in the series of movies led by Ryan Reynolds.Hugh Jackman will reprise the role of Wolverine in the upcoming film and he can be briefly seen in this first look footage.Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni and Matthew Macfadyen are also among thwe cast.Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey, Simon Kinberg and Jonathon Komack Martin serving as executive producers.

Kerry Katona has been on a fitness journey over the past year, dropping an incredible 48lb as she went into 2024. But she hasn't stopped there, with the mother-of-five now down to a size 6-8 as she continues the journey.The former Atomic Kitten star, 43, has taken to her exclusive column to share that she's feeling 'amazing' while continuing her health kick. Set to show off her figure on the beach, Kerry has been whisked away for a romantic trip to Marbella by fiancé Ryan Mahoney this week .

Kelly Brook has branded herself a "wholesome pin-up model" as she opens up about feeling confident in her 40s and her marriage to husband Jeremy Parisi. The model, 44, who shot to fame as a Page 3 girl in the early 2000s, has launched a new weight and wellness podcast, titled Life Gains, in collaboration with Big Narstie, where they will discuss their motivations and experiences from their own journeys.

Taylor Swift was spotted having a blast in her £1.4m Super Bowl suite, where she was seen hugging NFL star Jason Kelce and chatting with rapper Ice Spice.The pop star had travelled over 9,000 miles from Japan to Las Vegas to cheer on her boyfriend Travis Kelce at the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 11. Looking fabulous, Taylor, 34, took off her red Kansas City Chiefs coat to reveal a stylish black cut-out corseted top.

Katie Price has announced that her daughter Princess has qualified in a new career after the teen confessed that she "didn't pass" all of her GCSEs last summer.

Prince Harry will be travelling back to the UK in just a number of weeks after his rush back home to visit his sick father King Charles following the news of his cancer diagnosis.

Sir Richard Branson has been involved in horror cycling accident during one of his recent adventures.

Police are appealing for help to trace a missing Scots woman who was last seen three days ago in Dundee.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Paris-based sales and production outfit Totem Films has closed a slew of sales ahead of the Berlinale premieres of their Competition title “My Favourite Cake,” and the Panorama opening film “Crossing.” Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha‘s “My Favourite Cake” sold to Cherry Pickers for Benelux, Camera for Denmark, Arizona for France, Triart for Sweden, Cineworx for Switzerland and BIR for Turkey. Levan Akin‘s “Crossing” sold to Imagine for Benelux, New Story for France, Lucky Red for Italy, Avalon for Spain and Cineworx for Switzerland. As announced previously, a multi-territory deal was also signed with Mubi.

2 min read Get ready to melt back into the fantastical Land of Oz because the iconic musical Wicked is finally gracing the silver screen! After enchanting audiences for two decades on stage, […]

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan just competed on The Traitors together, but there seems to be trouble in paradise IRL.

Did Usher and his girlfriend Jenn Goicoechea just get married?!

Ryan Reynolds unfortunately did not make it to the 2024 Super Bowl, but his wife Blake Lively did!

If there’s one thing the Love Islanders know how to do, it’s throw a party, and Sunday night’s pink party was no exception, with the Islanders all turning out some of their best Barbie-inspired looks for the night. Back for a second chance at love, last night the All Stars embraced all pink everything at the villa party wearing a whole host of pre-loved looks and designer gems – all from eBay – a second chance too.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were noticeably absent from the Super Bowl last night, despite being invited by American football bosses. The Duke of Sussex was asked to watch the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs after his appearance at the NFL Honours ceremony on Thursday.

It’s no surprise that Princess Andre is taking the showbusiness industry by storm. From securing fashion modelling work to garnering her own social media fame (she has 1.4 million followers across Instagram and TikTok) and, most recently, the launch of a new collection, Sparkle By Princess Andre with Luxe Jewellery, the 16-year-old is off to an impressive start. “There’s so much I want to do and achieve – I’ve got some big plans,” says Princess confidently, while chatting to OK!.

EXCLUSIVE: ArtsEd has been taken to an employment tribunal by a former teacher who was fired after raising concerns about a “culture of fear” at the Andrew Lloyd Webber-backed drama school.

EXCLUSIVE: A+E Networks EMEA is to explore shocking real-life stories of disappearances — from the perspective of the missing people.