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Hollywood, Silicon Valley Turn out for the 'Oscars of Science'

Edward Norton arrives at the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP)
Edward Norton arrives at the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP)
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Hollywood, Silicon Valley Turn out for the 'Oscars of Science'

Edward Norton arrives at the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP)
Edward Norton arrives at the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP)

Big names from the worlds of film, technology, music and sports gathered on Saturday in Santa Monica, California for the Breakthrough Prizes, popularly known as the "Oscars of Science."

The awards, co-founded by philanthropists and tech entrepreneurs, recognize the research achievements of leading scientists around the world in three broad categories: Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics and Mathematics.

"These are some of the most heroic and inspiring people we get in the world," actor Edward Norton told AFP.

According to the "American History X" star, it was important to turn out and "to highlight what this kind of work contributes to all of us."

"The United States has the most anti-science administration in US history," the actor said. "It's always important, but if it was ever especially important, the moment is now."

In the last year, the Trump administration has slashed funding for science, halting projects and devastating workforces.

Rock climber Alex Honnold agreed with Norton, adding that he hoped the fluctuations "of the political climate... are short-term compared to the long-term effort required to make these kind of gains in human knowledge."

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the collaboration between his company's artificial intelligence technology and some of the award-winning scientists "is moving things faster and faster, and letting them discover new things and bring them to the world faster than they could before."

"Change this fast is really disorienting. So there will be a lot of big questions that we'll have to sort through as a society," Altman told AFP.

The Breakthrough Foundation was started by Google co-founder Sergey Brin; Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan; science patrons Julia and Yuri Milner; and Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe.

Six prizes worth $3 million each were presented at the 12th edition of the awards.

French mathematician Frank Merle was honored for his work on nonlinear equations describing the behavior of waves, fluids and other systems.

Merle told AFP the funding is "essential" for science.

"Science is one of the foundations of our civilization," he said.

Hollywood A-listers Ben Affleck, Lily Collins, Robert Downey Jr., Gigi Hadid, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Gal Gadot, Naomi Watts and her husband, Billy Crudup, also attended the event, alongside public figures like Bill Gates and Paris Hilton.

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Entertainment

Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and Vince Gill Recordings Enter National Registry

US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)
US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)
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Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and Vince Gill Recordings Enter National Registry

US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)
US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)

Albums and songs from Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and The Go-Go’s are joining America’s audio canon.

The new inductees into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress include Swift’s blockbuster 2014 pop album “1989,” Beyoncé’s era-defining 2008 anthem “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Khan’s genre-blending hit “I Feel for You,” Vince Gill’s emotional ballad “Go Rest High on That Mountain” and The Go-Go’s groundbreaking debut album “Beauty and the Beat.”

They were among the 25 recordings entering the archive in the class of 2026, acting Librarian of Congress Robert Newlen announced Thursday. The selections were chosen for their “cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage”, The Associated Press said.

“Music and recorded sound are essential, wonderful parts of our daily lives and our national heritage,” Newlen said in a statement. “The National Recording Registry works to preserve our national playlist for generations to come.”

Other recordings entering the registry include Ray Charles’ groundbreaking country crossover album “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music,” Reba McEntire’s “Rumor Has It,” Rosanne Cash’s “The Wheel” and Weezer’s self-titled debut known as “The Blue Album.”

Classic singles from Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Byrds, José Feliciano and Paul Anka also earned inclusion.

Among the more unconventional selections are the soundtrack to the influential 1993 video game "Doom" and the radio broadcast of “The Fight of the Century,” the legendary 1971 heavyweight boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

The oldest recording in this year’s class is Spike Jones and His City Slickers’ 1944 single “Cocktails for Two.” The newest is Swift’s “1989.”

This year also marks the first recordings by Swift and Beyoncé selected for the registry. The Library of Congress said more than 3,000 public nominations were submitted for consideration this year.

Entertainment

Madonna, Shakira, BTS to Headline First World Cup Final Half-time Show

Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
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Madonna, Shakira, BTS to Headline First World Cup Final Half-time Show

Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP

Madonna, Shakira and K-pop megastars BTS will headline a Super Bowl-style half-time show at the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, FIFA said Thursday.

Coldplay's Chris Martin is curating the show, which is a first for a football World Cup final but has raised concerns about how long half-time will be.

The biggest-ever World Cup, with 48 teams, kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, said AFP.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced in March last year that there would be "the first-ever half-time show at a FIFA World Cup final".

He did not say at the time who would be performing or how long the show would last.

"This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world," he said on Instagram.

The move mirrors the show held during the final of the 2024 Copa America in Miami, when Colombian star Shakira performed at half-time at the Hard Rock Stadium.

There was also a half-time show at last year's FIFA Club World Cup final, also at MetLife Stadium, which stretched the break in excess of the regulation 15 minutes.

Infantino added that FIFA also planned to "take over" New York's Times Square on the final weekend of the World Cup.

The half-time extravaganza will support FIFA's Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100 million for children worldwide during the World Cup.

Shakira last week teased the new official song for the World Cup, releasing a brief video of the track filmed at Brazil's iconic Maracana Stadium.

The singer -- who also created the 2010 World Cup anthem "Waka Waka" -- announced the song, titled "Dai Dai" in a post on her Instagram account.

In the 67-second video, Shakira appears on the pitch at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, where she performed in a free concert at the city's Copacabana Beach before two million people.

Holding the "Trionda", the official match ball of the 2026 World Cup, Shakira performed excerpts of the song in English, joined by dancers dressed in the colors of teams including the United States and Colombia.

The song was produced with Nigerian artist Burna Boy and is set for official release on Thursday. The clip, also shared by the FIFA World Cup account, ends with the message: "We're ready!"

Shakira has a long association with the World Cup, performing at the 2006 and 2014 World Cup finals in addition to producing "Waka Waka" for the 2010 tournament.

Entertainment

‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ Returns to Cannes 20 Years After Record 22‑Minute Ovation

Director Guillermo del Toro poses for portrait photographs for the 20th anniversary of the film "Pan's Labyrinth" at the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP)
Director Guillermo del Toro poses for portrait photographs for the 20th anniversary of the film "Pan's Labyrinth" at the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP)
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‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ Returns to Cannes 20 Years After Record 22‑Minute Ovation

Director Guillermo del Toro poses for portrait photographs for the 20th anniversary of the film "Pan's Labyrinth" at the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP)
Director Guillermo del Toro poses for portrait photographs for the 20th anniversary of the film "Pan's Labyrinth" at the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP)

Mexican director Guillermo del Toro received the longest-ever standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival two decades ago for his historical fantasy "Pan's Labyrinth", which returns this year to the Cannes Classics section.

Speaking to Reuters, del Toro said the 22-minute ovation given to his Spanish-language film 20 years ago produced a "rush of human ‌emotion."

"Alfonso Cuaron ‌was there with me because we ‌produced ⁠the movie together and ⁠he said, 'let it in, man,'" recalled del Toro on Tuesday. "I'm not very good with praise and he said, 'let it in, let love go in' and I experienced it like that."

"Pan's Labyrinth" did not win the top-prize Palme D'Or that year, but del Toro went on to ⁠win the best picture Oscar for his fish ‌monster love story "The Shape ‌of Water" in 2018.

The film, which has been digitally remastered, ‌is set in Spain under the Franco dictatorship and ‌follows a young girl who is enticed by a magical faun to complete three dangerous tasks while also dealing with her ailing pregnant mother and cruel military stepfather.

The concept for "Pan's Labyrinth" came ‌when del Toro was at a low point in his creativity following the September ⁠11 attacks on ⁠the Twin Towers in New York.

"I felt really defenseless," he said, and started to question what the role of a storyteller is in this situation.

"I thought it would be really interesting to have a man of rigidity, a captain, having to face magic - something that seems imaginary, but his own notions of what is right and what is wrong, the captain's notions, are also imaginary," he added.

The cult classic, which will also be shown in 3D, is set to be re-released in theatres later this year.