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Comic-Con Kicks off with Marvel’s Return

A Marvel logo in the exhibition hall during the opening day of Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, US, July 23, 2026. (Reuters)
A Marvel logo in the exhibition hall during the opening day of Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, US, July 23, 2026. (Reuters)
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Comic-Con Kicks off with Marvel’s Return

A Marvel logo in the exhibition hall during the opening day of Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, US, July 23, 2026. (Reuters)
A Marvel logo in the exhibition hall during the opening day of Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, US, July 23, 2026. (Reuters)

Comic book fans returned to San Diego, California on Thursday for the latest Comic-Con, with convention-goers buzzing about this year's return of Marvel.

The studio skipped last year's event, but will be back at the coveted Hall H on Saturday to promote "Avengers: Doomsday," which is slated to premiere in December.

Under the Russo brothers' direction, the latest superhero flick will pick up where 2019's "Endgame" left off, bringing together heroes and villains from X-Men, the Avengers, Black Panther and the Fantastic Four to duke it out once more.

But surprises are often a major draw for the 130,000 fans who flock to the annual event, expecting to be wowed by movie previews and actor announcements.

Actor Johnny Depp stunned passersby Thursday when he appeared on a street near the convention center, decked out in full costume for the miserly Scrooge character of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" to promote "Ebenezer," due in theaters in November.

Later, the famed "Pirates of the Caribbean" swashbuckler burst into a panel, asking the audience, "Have you no lives? No responsibilities?" before sharing a preview for his new holiday movie.

- 'Barbarian' prequel -

"Barbarian" director Zach Cregger confirmed a script is in the works for a prequel to the hit film that's "got a lot of twists and turns and mysteries and crazy things" to tell the origin story of the terrifying Aunt Gladys character.

The filmmaker also offered a first look at "Resident Evil," his adaptation of the video game that is expected to hit the big screen in September.

"About five or six minutes in, he hits that woman in his car, and I wanted to see if I could just put my foot all the way down on the gas pedal and not let up until the end of the movie. That was the challenge," Cregger said.

"Game Night" directing duo Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley shared teasers of Apple TV's Cold War comedy "Mayday," starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh.

- Calling all vampires -

Fans began lining up around noon on Wednesday for Thursday's events in coveted Hall H, with sisters Adelaide and Delaney Hall heading up the queue.

"I'm gonna be camping out tonight so that I'm in there first thing tomorrow, I'm really excited," said 21-year-old Adelaide.

Her sister had tried to line up near dawn but "there was no line, and so she was like, okay. She came home, she rode her bike, and then she grabbed me, and we came down around noon, and then we got in line."

The San Diego native is eager to see the panel for "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," a fantasy TV series with its third season due out November 20.

Fans shrieked over another Thursday morning panel titled "Bite Me: Calling All Vampires," which brought together K-pop sensation ENHYPEN and some cast members from 2008's teen vampire blockbuster film "Twilight."

Since the pop culture festival began in 1970, it has grown into a major event, with thousands of sometimes-costumed fans gathering in San Diego to buy memorabilia, see their idols and celebrate beloved stories.

On Friday, DC Studios will also grace Hall H to preview its HBO series "Lanterns," starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as small-town Nebraska detectives, which debuts August 16.

The flesh-and-blood narrative offers a new take on 2011's "Green Lantern," a Ryan Reynolds-led space adventure movie.

On Friday, fans will see the hotly anticipated preview for "Spaceballs: The New One," a long-awaited sequel to Mel Brooks's legendary space comedy.

Weeks before its opening in Los Angeles, the Lucas Museum will be on hand to share new details about its exhibits.

Comic-Con runs through Sunday, July 26.

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Entertainment

It’s All Coming Back: Celine Dion Fans Gear Up for Paris Return

Canadian singer Celine Dion waves to fans as she exits Hotel Le Royal Monceau in Paris on September 3, 2026, ahead of a series of concerts in the French capital. (AFP)
Canadian singer Celine Dion waves to fans as she exits Hotel Le Royal Monceau in Paris on September 3, 2026, ahead of a series of concerts in the French capital. (AFP)
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It’s All Coming Back: Celine Dion Fans Gear Up for Paris Return

Canadian singer Celine Dion waves to fans as she exits Hotel Le Royal Monceau in Paris on September 3, 2026, ahead of a series of concerts in the French capital. (AFP)
Canadian singer Celine Dion waves to fans as she exits Hotel Le Royal Monceau in Paris on September 3, 2026, ahead of a series of concerts in the French capital. (AFP)

Fans of Canadian superstar Celine Dion are gearing up for an onstage comeback many feared might never happen, with just a day to go until her opening concert in Paris following a years-long battle with a rare neurological disorder.

The 58-year-old will on Saturday perform her first full concert since revealing she was suffering from Stiff Person Syndrome, an incurable condition that forced her to cancel shows and left her struggling to sing.

Some 30,000 fans of the "My Heart Will Go On" singer are expected to see her reclaim the spotlight each night of her 26-date run in the French capital.

"I'm really, really, really looking forward to it -- and the closer it gets, the more excited I am," said fan Elsa, who is going to one of the October shows with her sister and friends.

"We're always singing her songs at karaoke, and so many of them bring back those memories," said the 39-year-old, who preferred not to give her full last name.

She said she had been due to see Dion once before only for the concert to be cancelled after the singer fell ill -- making her all the more determined not to miss out this time.

"She's one of those artists -- one of the very few -- I really wanted to fight to get a ticket for," she said.

- 'Goosebumps' -

Dion -- whose hits include "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" and "Because You Loved Me" -- has sold around 260 million albums in English and French over a four-decade career.

She kicks off her residency at the Plenitude Arena outside Paris on Saturday evening, with 16 sold-out shows in September and October before returning for another 10 next May.

Resale tickets are scarce, with one site showing just two seats available for her September 26 show listed at an eye-watering 1,035 euros ($1,202) and another at 862 euros.

Hotel prices are also seeing a boost, with holiday booking site Kayak showing a 50 percent bump on some of her concert dates.

Florence Monsellier, a 36-year-old French IT project manager, was "absolutely delighted" to have secured six seats.

"I'll be going with my mum, my sister and my three cousins," said the self-described "lifelong fan", who last saw Dion perform in 2007.

Even those without tickets may still get a chance to see the global superstar.

Admirers have gathered outside the Royal Monceau hotel each day, where Dion has regularly emerged for impromptu exchanges with fans.

Videos posted on social media show Dion singing and dancing with fans, even seemingly taking the phone number of one after being impressed by his rendition of her new single "Bonjour, Pardon, Merci" (Hello, Excuse Me, Thank you).

Stephanie, who works near the Royal Monceau, told AFP she left work early one day last week to make sure she saw the singer after narrowly missing her the night before.

"She put on a show... I got goosebumps," said Stephanie, who declined to give her last name.

- Six-year wait -

Dion's return to the stage caps a comeback that, for years, was far from certain.

The singer revealed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with a rare and incurable autoimmune disorder that can cause severe muscle stiffness and agonizing spasms.

The illness forced Dion to cancel concerts, but she repeatedly vowed to fight her way back to the stage.

"I'm going to come onstage because I'm ready. And my vocal cords will not scare me, because I'm going to be ready, and I'm going to hit those notes," she told NBC two years ago.

She stunned fans with a surprise appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony, belting out the Edith Piaf classic "Hymn to Love" from the Eiffel Tower.

For Elsa, watching Dion retake the stage, however briefly, was emotional.

"By the end of her song, I was crying like a baby," she said.

Now, with her return to a full-length concert just days away, Dion has kept much of the show -- including its setlist -- under wraps, while teasing fans with a few hints and some practical advice.

"Usually I do a one-hour-40-minute show, but this one's longer," she told the crowd one night.

Her tip for those lucky enough to have tickets: "Make sure you wear good shoes."

Entertainment

Sian Heder Makes ‘Invisible People Visible’ with Toronto Film on Disability Rights

This image released by Apple shows Ruth Madeley, left, with director Sian Heder during the filming of "Being Heumann." (Apple TV via AP)
This image released by Apple shows Ruth Madeley, left, with director Sian Heder during the filming of "Being Heumann." (Apple TV via AP)
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Sian Heder Makes ‘Invisible People Visible’ with Toronto Film on Disability Rights

This image released by Apple shows Ruth Madeley, left, with director Sian Heder during the filming of "Being Heumann." (Apple TV via AP)
This image released by Apple shows Ruth Madeley, left, with director Sian Heder during the filming of "Being Heumann." (Apple TV via AP)

Academy Award ‌winner Sian Heder's feature film "Being Heumann" opened the Toronto festival with a heartfelt tale of how disabled people with an indomitable will, courage and commitment accomplished the impossible.

"Being Heumann" tells the story of Judy Heumann, the late American activist — known widely as the "mother of the disability rights movement" — as she led a group of disabled people in their fight against apathy and discrimination that resulted in the longest occupation of a federal building in US history.

"She led a group of 100 disabled people into a federal building and ‌she held ‌that building until the first legislation was passed ‌around ⁠disability rights. So ⁠she's someone everyone should know," Heder told Reuters on the red carpet ahead of the film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"I think all of her work was about how to make invisible people visible and shine a light, and not just shine a light, but create the hard change of inclusion, ⁠and that's what we're doing here," Heder said.

Writer-director ‌Heder won the Oscar for Best ‌Adapted Screenplay in 2022 for her film "CODA," a coming-of-age story about the ‌only hearing member of a deaf family.

Daniel Durant, who received ‌critical acclaim for his part in that film, jumped at the chance to work with Heder again.

"She is truly a magician and you can see it on screen," he said.

The sit-in in San Francisco ‌in 1977 lasted 26 days and forced the then US Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Joseph ⁠Califano Jr. ⁠to sign regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which ensured access for people with disabilities.

British actor Ruth Madeley plays Heumann while American star Mark Ruffalo portrays Califano. Most of the film's cast are disabled actors.

"I think bringing so many different sides of Judy into the movie... People know her as this fierce activist who changed the world, so to be able to show her fun side, her wild side, her humor, her joy, all of that, is really special and meaningful," Madeley said.

The film will be released in select theaters on November 6 before streaming on Apple TV a week later.

Entertainment

Qiddiya City Signs MoUs with Five Leading Travel and Tourism Companies

The MoUs aim to establish shared frameworks for cooperation with a select group of travel and tourism service providers - SPA
The MoUs aim to establish shared frameworks for cooperation with a select group of travel and tourism service providers - SPA
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Qiddiya City Signs MoUs with Five Leading Travel and Tourism Companies

The MoUs aim to establish shared frameworks for cooperation with a select group of travel and tourism service providers - SPA
The MoUs aim to establish shared frameworks for cooperation with a select group of travel and tourism service providers - SPA

Qiddiya City has announced the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with five major travel and tourism service providers: Al Faris International Travel and Tourism, Travel Destinations Solutions, Al Matar Commercial Services Company, AlMosafer Travel and Tourism Company, and Fursan Travel and Tourism Company.

The agreements form part of a strategic direction aimed at expanding Qiddiya City's network of partnerships in the travel and tourism sector, strengthening its readiness to welcome visitors, and developing more integrated pathways for accessing its diverse destinations and experiences from within the Kingdom and abroad, SPA reported.

The MoUs aim to establish shared frameworks for cooperation with a select group of travel and tourism service providers, contributing to the development of more integrated and flexible solutions for the visitor journey; from planning and booking, through travel and arrival arrangements, to enjoying Qiddiya City's experiences more smoothly and efficiently.

Through these partnerships, Qiddiya City will leverage the specialized expertise, booking infrastructure, and commercial networks of these travel companies. The joint focus will be on delivering integrated and flexible solutions across every stage of the visitor journey, from initial planning and booking to travel arrangements and arrival.

These MoUs reinforce Qiddiya City's ongoing commitment to build quality partnerships with key players in the tourism and travel ecosystem, and form part of its future plans to develop integrated tourism solutions that enhance the readiness of its destinations to welcome visitors from within the Kingdom and abroad.

These partnerships also contribute to expanding the scope of cooperation with sector partners and providing more flexible and efficient options for the visitor journey, supporting the company's objectives in establishing Qiddiya as a global destination that brings together entertainment, sport, and culture, offering inspiring experiences built on the concept of "Power of Play."