Women’s Sports Seizes a Prime Moment to Shine Thanks to Math, Gravity and the Perfect Storm Around March Madness (Column)

A man is due to face court after being charged with possession of a firearm in Salford. Greater Manchester Police arrested Fatjon Sadikaj on Friday, April 19.

Manchester City players will rest up at home for two days before reuniting for their next Premier League game.

Roughly 27 million worker in the UK will see a significant change to their April payslips this week. Many workers will see their national insurance contributions go down as the government's cuts take effect.

Charlie Puth is FINALLY reacting to being name-dropped in Taylor Swift‘s new album!

Tom Sandoval isn’t buying Rachel Leviss’ lawsuit.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor NBCUniversal is looking to wring more money out of Peacock subscribers, with the streamer set to raise prices this summer — one year after its last fee hike. Beginning in mid-July, the price for Peacock Premium (with ads) will increase by $2 to $7.99 per month and Peacock Premium Plus (mostly ad-free) is also going up by $2 to $13.99 per month. Peacock Premium’s annual price will increase from $59.99 to $79.99, while Premium Plus is going from $119.99 to $139.99 per year. The new prices will be effective starting July 18 for new Peacock customers and for existing subscribers with their next billing date on or after Aug.

Lexi Carson The Sundance Institute, a mentorship program dedicated to providing a space for artists and storytellers to create media, has selected 16 fellows for this year’s Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Labs. Spanning over four decades, the Sundance Institute’s labs have provided new filmmakers a hands-on experience to create their own work with the help and guidance of creative advisers. This year’s Native Lab fellows include Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, Ryland Walker Knight, Charine Pilar Gonzales and Lindsay McIntyre.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jerry Seinfeld said in an interview with The New Yorker while touting his feature directorial effort “Unfrosted” that “P.C. crap” and the “extreme left” is making television comedy go extinct. Seinfeld is a sitcom icon thanks to his eponymous NBC sitcom that ran between 1989 and 1998, but he says viewers no longer flock to their television sets in order to get their comedy fix like they did for decades.

Mark Sutherland It’s not often that a new venue dominates U.K. music industry conversation, but that’s certainly been the case with the opening – or not – of Oak View Group’s new Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Anthony Hemingway has boarded the Netflix series adaptation of the Judy Blume novel “Forever” to direct multiple episodes, Variety has learned exclusively. The series stars Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. and hails from creator Mara Brock Akil.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Vietnamese French director and screenwriter Tran Anh Hung has been named as president of the jury for the upcoming Shanghai International Film Festival. The festival, which runs June 14 to 23, said that his works “blend the expressions of Eastern and Western cultures, with sensitivity, delicacy, and a romantic style.” His films include: 1992’s “Scent of the Green Papaya”; 1995’s “Cyclo,” starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai; 2009 English-language thriller “I Come With the Rain,” starring Josh Hartnett; and “The Taste of Things,” which earned him the best director prize at Cannes last year. The jury president role marks a return and a promotion for the director. He was previously on the Shanghai festival’s jury in 2011, when he also screened his “Norwegian Wood.” SM Cinema, the largest exhibitor in the Philippines, is to open giant screen Imax cinemas in three new venues.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. After an impressive box office run at the end of 2023 and winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Film earlier this year, Hayao Miyazaki‘s “The Boy and the Heron” is coming to streaming. The epic animated film — starring Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh and Willem Dafoe (in the English dubbed version) — is available to rent and purchase digitally in 4K Ultra HD on Prime Video and Apple TV starting on Tuesday, June 25.

Former eOne and Pathé UK marketing executive Chris Besseling has joined True Brit Entertainment, the UK distribution company run by Zygi Kamasa. 

EXCLUSIVE: T. J. Newman, the flight attendant who hung up her wings to become the bestselling author of the movie-bound action thriller novels Falling and Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421, is catching her next flight with Little Brown.

This Town – featuring Self Esteem, Olivia Dean and various original songs – has been released.Including classic covers and brand new, original compositions from the hit Steven Knight drama, ‘This Town (Music From The Original BBC Series)’ is out now via Polydor Records. You can stream the LP on all streaming platforms and purchase the vinyl pressing here.The soundtrack for the series brings together the show’s genre-wide mix of timeless anthems, original songs, and iconic hits set in the world of ska and two-tone in the early ’80s.‘This Town (Music From The Original BBC Series)’ features Self Esteem’s reimagining of Jimmy Cliff’s 1970’s track ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ as well as Ray Laurél’s cover of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’.It also includes Olivia Dean’s rework of the reggae classic ‘The Harder They Come’ and Celeste’s cover of ‘Blue Moon’.The tracks performed by Fuck The Factory – the band at the heart of This Town – were created by producer Dan Carey (Fontaines D.C, Wet Leg, Been Stellar and founder of the seminal Speedy Wunderground label). Carey also collaborated with singer-songwriter ESKA and musician, novelist and poet Kae Tempest in work that adds another chapter to this vital story.1. Self Esteem: ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’2. Ray Laurél: ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’3. Fuck The Factory: ‘Estella’4. Olivia Dean: ‘The Harder They Come’5. Fuck The Factory: ‘Birdsong’6. Fuck The Factory: ‘Pelicans’7. Celeste: ‘Blue Moon’8. Fuck The Factory: ‘Farewell To Matty And Her Flowers’9. Gregory Porter: ‘The World’s Going Up In Flames’10. Fuck The Factory: ‘This Town’11. Sekou: ‘Wonderful World, Beautiful People’“It has been a privilege to be working with Paul Whittington, Steven Knight and the entire

subreddit community with more than 47K members – while even drawing press attention from publications like The Guardian and Rolling Stone – internet sleuths were unsuccessful in tracking down the elusive song.The original poster claimed they found the song snippet amongst files in an old DVD backup.During the years-long search, users eventually narrowed the song down to a series of rights holders from the mid-1980s.One user, called south_pole_ball, discovered that one listed songwriters called Christopher Booth had created works for porn films.They then proceeded to watch through his entire body of work until finding ‘Everyone Knows That’ exactly one hour, seven minutes and 31 seconds into 1986’s ‘Angels of Passion’.Booth himself has since reacted to the discovery, writing on Instagram: “Well today, my mind has officially been blown:) WOW! #ulteriormotives #ekt”.A post shared by Christopher Saint Booth (@christophersaintbooth)The full version of the song can only be heard alongside the NSFW sound effects from the movie – or fan-edited versions – prompting new-found listeners to request the original version.Booth, who is credited on the song along with his brother Philip, has since taken to TikTok to tease: “Shall we release it?”One moderator of the r/everyoneknowsthat subreddit has reflected on the “rollercoaster ride” of the search as part of the Lostwave community, which identifies and spotlights forgotten music.

Moby has responded to Lana Del Rey‘s claim that he has “a mind like a steel trap” after he recalled a date between the pair in his memoir.In 2019, Moby shared the revelation that he once dated Lana Del Rey pre-fame in his memoir Then It Fell Apart.The excerpt detailed a brief romance, revealing that the pair had their first date at a vegan restaurant in 2006. Moby said his evening with Del Rey – known then as Lizzy Grant – concluded with the singer visiting his five-floor New York penthouse where they shared a kiss.“She was beautiful, smart, and charming,” he wrote of the ‘Summertime Sadness’ singer.In a subsequent interview with The New York Times, Del Rey confirmed that the pair had indeed been on a date, sharing: “I don’t know how he [expletive] remembers.

Chase & Status and Swedish DJ and producer Eric Prydz were booked to headline, and other performers included Jamie Jones, Marco Carola, LF System, Dennis Ferrer, Hannah Wants, Groove Armada (DJ Set) and Low Steppa.Now, the organisers of the Dagenham festival have confirmed that the event has been forced to be cancelled due to the weather conditions, and set to return in 2025 instead.Taking to Facebook this afternoon (April 29), the official page shared an update, explaining that the decision was made by the local council and organisers were left “devastated” by the news.“Last year, when we were looking for a new home, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham offered us the beautiful Central Park and we worked with them to create detailed plans for how the Festival would work this year and be better than ever before,” the update read.“We had invested time and money into the new site, new stages and brought in a new Creative Team to bring the weekend to life with immersive experiences and large art installations, alongside the already fantastic lineup, which we couldn’t wait to share with you.An Important Update Regarding We Are FSTVL 2024.Posted by We Are FSTVL on Monday, April 29, 2024“Sadly, and just days before we were due to attend on-site to start the build, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham accepted that they could not deliver a safe event space that was fit for the purpose of allowing us to stage We Are FSTVL 2024.”The post continued, adding how it was forced to cancel the event due to putting punters’ health at the forefront: “London Borough of Barking and Dagenham say that the difficult decision to cancel has been made for health and safety reasons after record levels of rainfall this year.“We are heartbroken

Eminem has replaced Matt Damon as the brand-new Crypto.com celebrity spokesperson.The legendary rapper – real name Marshall Mathers – took to his official social media on April 26 to share the new advert, which features a boxing training montage and Eminem providing a voiceover which includes crypto terms like “proof-of-work” and the phrase “Fortune favours the brave.”In the caption, Eminem wrote: “You know what it’s always been”. According to a statement shared by Crypto.com, the ad is set to “Premiere Saturday during the Lakers NBA Playoff game held at the Crypto.com Arena.” The ad will also be shown at other high-profile sporting events, including the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and an upcoming UFC event.You know what it’s always been.

Billie Eilish has announced a ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’ 2024-2025 UK, North America, Europe and Australian world tour. Check out dates and ticket details below.In support of her upcoming third studio album ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT‘ – which is set for release on May 17 and available for pre-order / pre-save here – Eilish will embark on a massive world tour.Kicking off on September 29 at the Centre Videotron in Québec, the ‘Bad Guy’ singer will make her way across North America through the end of December 2024.

Google is strengthening advertising ties with major media companies amid a broader push into ad-supported streaming.

Britney Spears has claimed that there is “no justice” after being left to foot the bill of $2million in legal fees following her conservatorship battle.A judge ruled that Spears should be made to pay the legal fees of her estranged father, Jamie, following the battle around her conservatorship – with the costs amounting to the equivalent of £1.6million.The period ranges between 2008 and 2021, when the pop star was under her father’s strict conservatorship, and the judge’s ruling brings an end to the long-running dispute.

EXCLUSIVE: Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise) and Zoë Chao (Nightbitch) will lead the cast of Let’s Have Kids!, a feature comedy from MRC that’s heading into production this week.

EXCLUSIVE: Dreamscape Productions’ creature feature comedy Round the Decay has finalized its cast – with The NeverEnding Story actress Melody Kay returning to film and Breaking Bad actor Phil Duran tapped for a key role.

Jean de Florette and Cyrano de Bergerac, was summoned for questioning by French police today (April 29) regarding allegations from two separate women dating from 2014 and 2021.Depardieu is yet to comment on the allegations, though has previously denied other accusations of sexual assault.The 2021 complaint that the actor is being questioned about was filed earlier this year, with the woman – a set designer – claiming that Depardieu assaulted her while working on 2022’s Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).According to her lawyer, the actor was “passing through a corridor where Mr Depardieu was sitting” when he “grabbed her, trapped her between his legs and touched her body up to her breasts” (via BFMTV and BBC News).“She felt completely powerless, incapable of escaping this trap,” they added.The second woman, who filed a police complaint earlier this year, claimed that while she was working as an assistant on 2015’s Le Magician et le Siamois (The Magician and the Siamese), Depardieu grabbed her body all over and made “inappropriate” comments.Depardieu was placed under formal investigation over the alleged rape and sexual assault of actor Charlotte Arnould in 2020, with the case remaining open.

Sundance Institute announced today the fellows selected for the 2024 Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Labs. The Native Lab in New Mexico will support four fellows and two artists in residence, and the Directors Lab in Colorado will support the development of eight projects with nine fellows, with an additional three fellows also joining for the online Screenwriters Lab held immediately after.  

Deadline on Monday launched its streaming site for Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted, showing off the full panels of all 20 shows that participated in Saturday’s all-day showcase of the year’s best in nonfiction, unscripted and late-night programming as Emmy season ramps up.

EXCLUSIVE: Noomi Rapace is set to star in psychological thriller Reckoner, written and directed by Nissar Modi (writer of feature Z For Zachariah) who will be making his movie directorial debut.

The Wolfe Tones‘ frontman Brian Warfield has spoken to NME about their upcoming final shows and long-lasting legacy. Check out footage from the show above and our interview with the band below.The legendary Irish rebel band have chosen to commemorate their 60th anniversary as a band by formally calling an end to their career with a run of final concerts.Their final ever shows will take place in Dublin’s sold out 3Arena on October 11 and 12, and before that they will play to their biggest ever audience at London’s Finsbury Park on July 5 – you can get your tickets for that here.They warmed up for those huge shows with a surprise intimate performance in Finsbury Park pub The Faltering Fullback last night, when NME caught up with frontman Brian Warfield to discuss coming to terms with the end of the band, their legacy to “the Irish diaspora” and their impact on the current boom in Irish guitar music.NME: Hello Brian – 60 years of the band you formed as a teenager are coming to an end. Have you come to terms with it?Brian Warfield: “Yeah, we more or less have.

Liam Neeson‘s recent film In The Land Of Saints And Sinners has topped the Netflix film charts.The little-known Irish action thriller, which first premiered last year, comes from director Robert Lorenz and follows a hitman (played by Neeson) who comes out of retirement when an IRA bomber arrives in his small village.After being released on Netflix last week, the film is currently (as of April 29) sitting at Number One on the Top 10 film chart, ahead of titles such as Jurassic World: Dominion, Forrest Gump and Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver.As well as Neeson, In The Land Of Saints And Sinners also stars The Banshees Of Inisherin‘s Kerry Condon, Game Of Thrones‘ Jack Gleeson, Star Trek‘s Colm Meaney and Belfast‘s Ciarán Hinds.The film, which sits at 82% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, first premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year, and was released in US cinemas last month.In other news, earlier this year it was confirmed that Neeson’s Naked Gun reboot, which will reportedly see him play the son of detective Frank Drebin, is set to premiere on July 18, 2025. The film will be co-produced by Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins, with The Lonely Island‘s Akiva Schaffer set to direct.Speaking previously about the project, Neeson joked in 2022: “I’ve been approached by Seth MacFarlane and Paramount Studios to maybe resurrect the Naked Gun films.

Mufasa, the prequel to 2019’s The Lion King, has been released, confirming that Beyoncé and Donald Glover will be back.The new Disney film, which was confirmed a few years ago following the success of the remake, tells the origin story of King Mufasa, and is directed by Moonlight‘s Barry Jenkins, while 2019 film scribe Jeff Nathanson returns as a screenwriter.“This story begins far beyond the mountains and the shadows, on the other side of the light,” Rafiki (John Kani) narrates in the clip, which showcases the photorealistic style used in the 2019 film.“A lion was born without a drop of nobility in his blood. A lion who would change our lives forever.

Meghan Markle will not be joining Prince Harry for his upcoming UK visit, it has been confirmed.The news, which ends months of speculation, was confirmed by Royal correspondent Chris Ship on X, formerly known as Twitter. In his post, he wrote: "Additional confirmation this morning that Meghan will not be joining Harry for the Invictus Anniversary service at @StPaulsLondon in London.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary by sharing an unseen photo of their wedding day from 2011. The royal couple married on Friday 29 April 2011 at Westminster after eight years of dating and have since welcomed three children, George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 6.The couple's wedding photographer on the day was Hugh Burnand, but Millie Pikington, who took an unseen photo, was hired as a private photographer.To celebrate their landmark anniversary, Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding portrait was posted on the royal social media pages with the caption "13 years ago today!" And many royal fans rushed to congratulate them.

With almost 2,000 guests in attendance, a million fans camped outside and over 36 million viewers watching from home, people were eager to catch the first glimpse of Kate Middleton ’s bridal gown. Already renowned for her simple yet elegant style, royal experts had been speculating for months over what type of dress Kate would opt for.

Prince Harry is set to return to the UK in less than a fortnight for the Invictus Games and it is believed King Charles has "left the door open" for a reconciliation with his estranged son. However, the offer reportedly does not extend to Harry's wife Meghan Markle, who is expected to remain in Montecito, California, with their two children, Archie and Lilibet. And even if she was planning on accompanying her husband, the King may not welcome her over fears she would "overshadow the message of the service".

This Morning's Michelle Elman has split from her fiancé after finding out that he cheated on her – as she opened up about her shocking discovery.The body confidence coach and author took to Instagram to share a video in which she confirmed that she was no longer engaged to her partner. Michelle was engaged for just one day, before she found out about her partner's infidelity. Her video on Instagram saw her wearing a brightly-coloured cardigan as she held a cup of tea and bared her soul.