India Star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Coronavirus-Positive, Joining Father in Law, Husband

Indian film actor Abhishek Bachchan, his wife Aishwarya Rai and their daughter Aaradhya in a 2019. (Reuters)
Indian film actor Abhishek Bachchan, his wife Aishwarya Rai and their daughter Aaradhya in a 2019. (Reuters)
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India Star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Coronavirus-Positive, Joining Father in Law, Husband

Indian film actor Abhishek Bachchan, his wife Aishwarya Rai and their daughter Aaradhya in a 2019. (Reuters)
Indian film actor Abhishek Bachchan, his wife Aishwarya Rai and their daughter Aaradhya in a 2019. (Reuters)

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter tested positive for the new coronavirus on Sunday, a day after her father-in-law and top Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan and her husband and actor Abhishek were hospitalized for COVID-19.

Maharastra state health minister Rajesh Tope said in a tweet that Aishwarya and her eight-year-old daughter had tested positive for the virus that causes the disease.

It was not clear whether had been admitted to hospital, as Amitabh and Abhishek were on Saturday, when they said they had mild symptoms.

Hospital officials and government health authorities said earlier on Sunday that Amitabh and his Abhishek were in stable condition.

Aishwarya, 46, a former Miss World who often features on “most beautiful” lists, has worked on several Bollywood and Hollywood films. She is a brand ambassador for several multinational companies.

India on Sunday registered a record increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases taking the total number of affected people in the country to nearly 850,000 forcing authorities to re-impose partial lockdown in some densely populated areas.

Federal health ministry data showed that more than 27,100 new cases reported in the last 24 hours while the death toll increased to 22,674, after 551 people succumbed in a day.

The 77-year-old legendary actor Amitabh said in a tweet on Saturday night that he had tested positive for the infectious virus.

Within minutes, his actor son Abhishek Bachchan, 44, tweeted that he had also tested positive.

Both were moved to the Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai despite showing only mild symptoms and the father-son duo appealed to their millions of fans to stay calm.

Authorities launched a massive sanitizing drill at Bachchan’s upscale residence in Mumbai, spraying disinfectant in the large compound and on cars parked there.

Amitabh Bachchan has been a prominent figure in the fight against the coronavirus by appearing in public service advertisements in which he urges people to wear a mask, wash hands frequently and maintain social distance in his trademark baritone.

India’s film industry recently resumed film shoots after a months-long hiatus following the imposition of a nationwide lockdown in late March.

But actors over 65, such as Amitabh, are banned from the sets because of their vulnerability to the virus.



In Partial Victory, Blake Lively Wins Legal Fees from Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively has been in a lengthy legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP/File
Blake Lively has been in a lengthy legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP/File
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In Partial Victory, Blake Lively Wins Legal Fees from Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively has been in a lengthy legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP/File
Blake Lively has been in a lengthy legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP/File

US actor Justin Baldoni must pay legal fees but not damages to "It Ends with Us" co-star Blake Lively, a New York judge ruled Friday, settling a years-long legal battle.

The decision marks a partial victory for Lively, who was fighting a defamation suit brought by Baldoni and his production company, which Lively claimed was retaliation for sexual harassment allegations she made, said AFP.

The pair settled their dispute in May, avoiding a costly civil trial, though no settlement figure was disclosed.

Lively's initial complaint said Baldoni -- who also directed "It Ends With Us" -- had spoken inappropriately about his sex life and sought to alter the film to include sex scenes that were not in the script.

It further said that Baldoni waged a PR campaign to wreck Lively's reputation.

Baldoni and the studio Wayfarer in turn countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds with claims of extortion and defamation.

Federal judge Lewis Liman, who issued Friday's judgment, dismissed Baldoni's claims in June 2025 and struck down parts of Lively's complaints this April.

Based on a best-selling novel by US writer Colleen Hoover, "It Ends with Us" made more than $350 million at the box office in 2024, making it one of the biggest hits of the year.


An Astronaut, Movie Stars and a Knight: US Brings Glitz for World Cup Opener

Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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An Astronaut, Movie Stars and a Knight: US Brings Glitz for World Cup Opener

Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

The World Cup arrived in the United States on Friday in a blizzard of celebrity and glamour, with Los Angeles pulling out all the stops for the opening game between Team USA and Paraguay.

The stands at SoFi stadium were a who's who of famous folk in the world's entertainment capital, with movie legends like Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and "Star Wars" director George Lucas joined by the likes of socialite Paris Hilton and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Other Hollywood names included Oscar winner Halle Berry, actor and director Owen Wilson and "West Wing" alum Rob Lowe.

Singer -- and one-time astronaut -- Katy Perry, who performed in the opening ceremony, repaired to the seats to watch the action on the pitch while she cuddled up to former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. The pair have recently gone "Insta-official" with their relationship.

British footballing giant David Beckham was also in the stands -- sitting next to Cruise -- hours after he had been feted with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The honor was the latest in a long line for the former England captain, who was knighted by Britain's King Charles last year to become Sir David Beckham.

Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was also cheering for the USA, who romped to a 4-1 victory over a hapless-looking Paraguay, giving the host nation its highest-scoring World Cup result.

Before the game began, a packed SoFi Stadium was bid a booming "Welcome to the USA" in a glitzy ceremony that kicked off more than five weeks of football in the US, which is sharing the tournament with Mexico and Canada.

The stadium's giant "jumbotron" screen flashed a close-up of the city's famous Hollywood sign, before a marching band struck up and were joined by singers including Future, Tyla, Anitta and K-pop star Lisa.

Costumes and props were designed to evoke Los Angeles street art, and the city's creative industries.

Suspended from the roof of the space-age venue were enormous "FIFA" letters in the gold favored by US President Donald Trump -- who did not attend.

He instead spoke to the team via phone beforehand, telling them "I think you've a really good chance of going all the way. I just want to wish you a lot of luck."

Fellow co-hosts Mexico and Canada have already played their first matches, each featuring a separate opening ceremony on home soil.

Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0, while Canada came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw and their first ever World Cup finals point, against Bosnia-Herzegovina.


Ariana Grande to White House: Don't Use My Music for 'Heinous Nonsense'

US singer-songwriter Ariana Grande (R) and US music video director Christian Breslauer accept the award for Video of the Year for "Brighter Days Ahead" on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
US singer-songwriter Ariana Grande (R) and US music video director Christian Breslauer accept the award for Video of the Year for "Brighter Days Ahead" on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
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Ariana Grande to White House: Don't Use My Music for 'Heinous Nonsense'

US singer-songwriter Ariana Grande (R) and US music video director Christian Breslauer accept the award for Video of the Year for "Brighter Days Ahead" on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
US singer-songwriter Ariana Grande (R) and US music video director Christian Breslauer accept the award for Video of the Year for "Brighter Days Ahead" on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

American pop star Ariana Grande told President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday to stop using her music to promote its policies.

The comment came after the White House shared a video on TikTok earlier this week highlighting its immigration policy. The video, which depicts federal agents arresting and handcuffing people, features the Grammy Award-winning singer's 2024 song "Bye."

"Please ‌do not ‌ever use my music in ‌relation ⁠to this barbaric, inhumane, ⁠heinous nonsense," Grande wrote in a comment posted on the White House video on TikTok on Thursday.

A source close to the singer said her team is looking into how to remove the music from the video ⁠as soon as possible. Responding to Grande, ‌White House spokesperson ‌Abigail Jackson said: "We’ll say this one last time: what’s ‌actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal ‌illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens."

Grande, a singer and Academy Award-nominated actress, was critical of the Trump administration last year after ‌sharing a post on Instagram asking people who voted for Trump if ⁠their lives ⁠had gotten better since he returned to office.

Trump, now in his second non-consecutive term, has an active social media presence. Members of his communications team often post short videos that feature popular songs to illustrate the president's efforts to deliver on his campaign promises. Some of the videos have featured hit songs while depicting images showing Trump's immigration crackdown, US military operations against Iran and the arrest of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.