‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Celebrates Friendship, Ryan Reynolds Says

Canadian-US actor Ryan Reynolds (L) and Australian actor Hugh Jackman pose on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the UK sneak peek event for "Deadpool & Wolverine", at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, west London on July 11, 2024. (AFP)
Canadian-US actor Ryan Reynolds (L) and Australian actor Hugh Jackman pose on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the UK sneak peek event for "Deadpool & Wolverine", at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, west London on July 11, 2024. (AFP)
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‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Celebrates Friendship, Ryan Reynolds Says

Canadian-US actor Ryan Reynolds (L) and Australian actor Hugh Jackman pose on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the UK sneak peek event for "Deadpool & Wolverine", at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, west London on July 11, 2024. (AFP)
Canadian-US actor Ryan Reynolds (L) and Australian actor Hugh Jackman pose on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the UK sneak peek event for "Deadpool & Wolverine", at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, west London on July 11, 2024. (AFP)

The global promotional tour for "Deadpool & Wolverine" touched down in London on Thursday, with stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman bringing their bromance to the movie's UK sneak peek event.

The two have entertained fans with their humorous, high-energy appearances at previous stops in Shanghai, Seoul and Berlin.

The third installment in the "Deadpool" movie franchise sees Jackman's Wolverine return from retirement to help wise-cracking Deadpool (Reynolds) save his world.

"It's about friendship," said Reynolds, who also co-wrote and produced the film.

"There's so many moments in the movie where it's hard to tell if Deadpool's talking to Wolverine, Wolverine talking to Deadpool, or it's Hugh and Ryan talking to each other. And I'm really proud of those moments."

Jackman had not planned to reprise the role of the gruff, clawed X-Man Wolverine. But the Australian actor said his mind started changing after he watched the first "Deadpool" film.

"It was something in here," he said, pointing at his heart. "I really thought I was done. And then, five or six years later, I was driving and I just knew in my bones I wanted to do that."

"I knew for fans it would be the thing they'd waited for, I knew it'd be a kind of dynamic that we've never seen before. I had no idea how hard it would be physically at age 55 to do it but it's absolutely worth it. I have loved every second."

Secrecy surrounds the film's plot details. Respecting the characters and their legacy was at the heart of the writing process, said director and co-writer Shawn Levy.

"But then we pushed them into areas that other movies haven't," he said. "I think you're going to see some aspects to both their performances that are quite different than what we've seen in their prior films."

The only Marvel-Disney movie released this year, "Deadpool & Wolverine" is expected to be a box office hit when it begins its global cinematic rollout on July 24.

"There is a lot riding on it but we've worked really hard to deliver the goods," said Levy.

"I focus on the opportunity, not the expectation. The creative opportunity to connect with a huge global audience in a new way, in a surprising and fresh way, that was delicious," he said.

For Reynolds, 47, releasing the film to the world comes with other concerns.

"I feel like I've waited my entire life to do this one movie. The only problem that poses is I don't know what the hell we're supposed to do next."



Spotify Rolls Out Badge to Distinguish Human Artists from AI

02 December 2025, Saxony, Dresden: The logo of the music streaming provider Spotify can be seen on a smartphone in Dresden. (dpa)
02 December 2025, Saxony, Dresden: The logo of the music streaming provider Spotify can be seen on a smartphone in Dresden. (dpa)
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Spotify Rolls Out Badge to Distinguish Human Artists from AI

02 December 2025, Saxony, Dresden: The logo of the music streaming provider Spotify can be seen on a smartphone in Dresden. (dpa)
02 December 2025, Saxony, Dresden: The logo of the music streaming provider Spotify can be seen on a smartphone in Dresden. (dpa)

Spotify on Thursday unveiled a new verification system designed to help listeners distinguish human musicians from AI-generated content, as artificial intelligence floods streaming platforms with a growing volume of synthetic tracks.

The Swedish streaming giant said its "Verified by Spotify" badge -- marked by a green checkmark -- will begin appearing on artist profiles and in search results in the coming weeks, signaling that a profile has been reviewed and meets the platform's standards for authenticity.

Profiles that primarily represent AI-generated music or AI-created personas will not be eligible for the badge, the company said in a blog post.

"In the AI era, it's more important than ever to be able to trust the authenticity of the music you listen to," Spotify said.

To earn verification, artists must demonstrate sustained listener engagement over time, comply with Spotify's platform rules and show signs of a genuine presence both on and off the platform, such as concert dates, merchandise and linked social media accounts.

The company said more than 99 percent of artists that listeners actively search for will be verified at launch, representing hundreds of thousands of musicians -- the majority of them independent -- spanning genres and geographies.

The initiative arrives amid mounting concern across the music industry over AI-generated content overwhelming streaming catalogs.

Deezer, a competing platform, disclosed last week that synthetic tracks now make up 44 percent of all new music uploaded to its service each day.

Major labels have also pushed back. Sony Music said recently that it had sought the takedown of more than 135,000 AI-produced songs that mimicked its signed artists across streaming services.

Beyond the badge, Spotify is adding a new information section to all artist pages -- whether or not they hold verified status -- displaying career highlights, release patterns and live performance history. The company compared the feature to nutritional labeling for food, giving listeners a way to quickly gauge an artist's track record on the platform.

The announcement followed Spotify's first-quarter 2026 earnings report, in which the company said its paying subscriber base had reached 293 million.


King Charles Boosts His Charity Fundraiser with First Appearance at Gala Joined by Lionel Richie

 Lionel Richie speaks during a cultural reception with Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in New York. (AP)
Lionel Richie speaks during a cultural reception with Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in New York. (AP)
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King Charles Boosts His Charity Fundraiser with First Appearance at Gala Joined by Lionel Richie

 Lionel Richie speaks during a cultural reception with Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in New York. (AP)
Lionel Richie speaks during a cultural reception with Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in New York. (AP)

Spring gala season tends to draw celebrated artists and fashion icons to star-studded black-tie fundraisers around New York City. With a guest list boasting Lionel Richie and Anna Wintour, The King's Trust Global Gala looked no different Wednesday evening.

But one distinguished guest — even if his fleeting stop consisted of a three-and-a-half-minute speech — brought a buzz that had some members of high society lining up along velvet ropes and craning their necks inside Christie's New York auction house. That would be King Charles III, who made his first appearance in the five-year history of the event supporting his nonprofit that helps young people find work.

The buzz was evident from the red carpet. Charlotte Tilbury, the British cosmetics entrepreneur, asked Martha Stewart, who wore a sparkling blue dress, if she would tell Charles that she wore “royal blue just for you.” Natasha Poonawalla — the executive director of the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer — said “everyone's been waiting for him."

“I think the fact that he’s here is going to strengthen the presence of the foundation so much more," Poonawalla said.

It appears so. Organizers reported a record fundraising total exceeding $3 million, affirming hopes that the arrival of the monarch and Queen Camilla might boost the sum collected Wednesday as the nonprofit tries to establish an endowment for its work in the United Kingdom and deepen its relationships in more than two dozen countries.

Charles is wrapping up the first visit to the US since his coronation, a four-day trip intended to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence from Britain and strengthen the countries' fraying relationship.

The King's Trust counts 1.5 million people worldwide who have been reached in some way by its education and employment programs. In brief remarks before guests sat for dinner, Charles noted that many of their beneficiaries return to support disadvantaged young people much like themselves.

“Only now do quite a lot of them actually admit they were started (here),” he joked.

Edward Enninful, the former editor-in-chief of British Vogue and a co-chair of the gala, has seen the trust's impact in West London. He said his cousins and brothers have been able to make something of their lives despite being classed by society as “not worthy.”

He described Charles' appearance as the nonprofit's “glory moment."

“He’s set the example that philanthropy matters," Enninful told The Associated Press. "No matter how well you are doing, you’re not doing enough unless you’re passing it on to a newer generation.”

The event was more intimate than previous years with just about 160 guests. There weren't musical performances either; Richie informed guests from the get-go that he wouldn't be singing. Other attendees included supermodels Karlie Kloss and Iman, actors Leo Woodall and Meghann Fahy as well as designers Donatella Versace and Stella McCartney.

Stewart recalled her own luck as she built a multi-million-dollar media empire centered around cooking, entertaining and homemaking. The lifestyle entrepreneur said she paid for her “fine education” through scholarships. And she was fortunate that all of her jobs were “excellent.”

“But I know today there’s a big challenge in getting a good job, a big challenge in getting a good education,” she said. "And we’re here to help those people.”


Spotify Reaches 761 Mn Active Users

The Spotify logo is pictured at the 77th Frankfurt book fair, the world's biggest trade fair for books, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on October 17, 2025. (AFP)
The Spotify logo is pictured at the 77th Frankfurt book fair, the world's biggest trade fair for books, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on October 17, 2025. (AFP)
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Spotify Reaches 761 Mn Active Users

The Spotify logo is pictured at the 77th Frankfurt book fair, the world's biggest trade fair for books, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on October 17, 2025. (AFP)
The Spotify logo is pictured at the 77th Frankfurt book fair, the world's biggest trade fair for books, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on October 17, 2025. (AFP)

Music streaming giant Spotify said Tuesday that first-quarter revenue rose as its number of monthly active users reached 761 million at the end of the quarter, with the number of paying subscribers hitting 293 million.

The result was just above the company's guidance of 759 million monthly active users (MAU), while the number of paying subscribers was in line with its guidance.

"We surpassed 760 million MAU, delivered on the subscriber growth we aimed to achieve, and saw healthy engagement from existing users, reactivations and new users alike," co-chief executive Alex Norstrom said in a statement.

Spotify founder Daniel Ek left the role as CEO at the start of 2026, handing over the reins to co-CEOs Norstrom and Gustav Soderstrom.

But Ek retains an active role as executive chairman.

Revenue for the first quarter came in at 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion), up eight percent from a year earlier.

Operating income meanwhile rose 40 percent to 715 million euros.

Looking forward, the company said it expected to reach 778 million MAUs and 299 paying subscribers by the end of April.