Month: July 2025

Hello! I’m Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

Our colleagues at De Los ran a thoughtful and provocative interview this week with Patricia Riggen, director of “Under the Same Moon,’ which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Andrea Flores spoke to Riggen about the film’s legacy and how it might be different trying to make the film today.

“Under the Same Moon” traces the journey of 9-year-old Carlitos (Adrián Alonso) as he heads from Mexico to Los Angeles to find his mother Rosario (Kate del Castillo), an undocumented worker. He is aided along the way by another migrant, Enrique (Eugenio Derbez). Also featuring America Ferrera in a small role and an appearance by the band Los Tigres del Norte, the movie is currently available for rent on multiple digital platforms.

Adrián Alonso in the 2007 movie “Under the Same Moon.”

(Twentieth Century Fox)

At the time, the film broke box-office records for a Spanish-language film in the U.S., audiences resonating with its heartfelt emotions and focus on the bond between and mother and son.

“If I made ‘Under the Same Moon’ right now, I would not make it like that,” said Riggen. “It would be dark as hell.”

Riggen added, “I wanted to make a movie that the Latino audience connected with and immigrants could watch. But the tone would be different. I would do a deep dive into the problem. I stayed away from making the movie political and concentrated more on the love story with the mother-son relationship. … Now I feel like it’s time to have more of a political angle. Half the country still believes that immigrants are criminals, but being able to feed your loved one is a human right.”

Riggen said she and “Same Moon” screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos have been working to adapt the story into a series.

“I find Hollywood, my industry, to be a little bit responsible for the hostility that Latinos and immigrants find as a community in the U.S.,” Riggen said. “Our representation of Latinos has rarely been positive. We have to turn things around and represent the community in a positive light, not just the negative way that is prompting hostility by half of the country.”

Fireworks and more for the Fourth

Sasha Jenson, left, and Matthew McConaughey in the 1993 movie “Dazed and Confused.”

(Gabor Szitanyi / Gramercy Pictures)

Maybe it’s just me, but this year the Fourth of July is feeling extra emotional: fraught and complicated as America as a concept, an ideal and a current practical reality that feels so imperiled and fractured. It’s difficult not to be in a mode of reflection rather than celebration. Local theaters are coming through with an array of films to help you meditate on the state of the nation, get away from all that or maybe a bit of both.

The New Beverly Cinema will be screening “Dazed and Confused,” Richard Linklater’s 1993 ode to hanging out as a pathway to figuring yourself out, on Friday afternoon. “The Return of the Living Dead,” Dan O’Bannon’s horror-comedy, set over the Independence Day holiday, will play in the evening on Friday and Saturday.

Steven Spielberg’s 1981 “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” still a rousing action-adventure delight, will be at Vidiots on Friday. Tim Burton’s 1985 “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” will play Friday and Saturday. Vidiots will also be showing John Carpenter’s painfully prescient 1988 sci-fi-action classic “They Live” on Saturday in 35mm.

Harrison Ford and Karen Allen on the set of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1980.

(Lucasfilm Ltd.)

The American Cinematheque will screen Robert Altman’s “Nashville,” which, with all its contradictions, might sum up America about as well as any movie can. It plays at the Egyptian on Friday. I recently spoke to one of the film’s stars, Ronee Blakley, about the film’s enduring impact. “It was just a bunch of talent put together by a bunch of great people,” she said.

The Cinematheque will also screen the original Cannes cut of Richard Kelly’s 2006 “Southland Tales” at the Los Feliz 3. With a ridiculously huge cast including Dwayne Johnson and Sarah Michelle Gellar, a convoluted conspiracy plot and a musical number with Justin Timberlake, the film captures something about 21st century America that few others manage. I spoke to Kelly about the film in 2019, ahead of when the Cannes cut played for the first time in the city.

“It was this really incredibly ambitious, sprawling film,” Kelly said. “I was writing graphic novel prequels and it was just too much. We really didn’t have the technology or the resources to finish it. It was that the ambition was just overflowing. I didn’t have the discipline at the time to reign myself in. So we knew we were going into a situation where we had to just put our best foot forward. I think it was my lawyer who said at the time that getting into the competition at Cannes was the best thing and the worst thing that ever happened to ‘Southland Tales.’”

Roy Scheider in the 1975 movie “Jaws.”

(Universal Pictures)

On Saturday at the Hollywood Bowl will be a 50th anniversary screening of Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” with a live performance of John Williams’ score by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by David Newman.

The Frida Cinema will be showing Brian De Palma’s “Blow-Out,” which contains an astonishing sequence set against a fireworks display, along with a whole week of other Fourth of July-themed movies, including “Nashville” and “Dazed and Confused.”

70mm festival returns

Tom Hulce as Mozart in the 1984 movie “Amadeus.”

(Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn.)

The American Cinematheque is launching the latest edition of its 70mm festival this week and it is (again) such a warm confirmation of why this is such a special moment for moviegoing in Los Angeles. The intersection of a specific print of a certain title at an exact time and theater leads to experiences that simply cannot be repeated.

This year there are a handful of new titles and prints to the selection. Among those being promoted as playing the series for the first time are Mel Brooks’ “Spaceballs,” David Lynch’s “Dune,” Milos Forman’s “Amadeus,” Joel Schumacher’s “Flatliners,” John McTiernan’s “Die Hard,” and Ivan Reitman’s “Ghostbusters”

George Wyner, left, Rick Moranis and Mel Brooks in the movie “Spaceballs.”

(Peter Sorel / MGM)

Also among the films playing will be Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey,” David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia,” Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” and “Vertigo,” John Ford’s “The Searchers,” Sam Peckinpah’s “The Wild Bunch,” Jacques Tati’s “Playtime,” Paul Verhoeven’s “Total Recall,” James Cameron’s “Aliens,” Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise’s “West Side Story,” Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X,” Tony Scott’s “Top Gun” and Robert Altman’s “Short Cuts.”

Keke Palmer in Jordan Peele’s 2022 horror movie “Nope.”

(Universal Pictures)

Filmmaker Willard Huyck will be present for a screening of his “Howard the Duck.” Director Margaret Honda will be there for 70mm screenings of the experimental films “Spectrum Reverse Spectrum” and “Equinox.”

More recent titles have also been programmed: Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights” and “The Master,” Jordan Peele’s “Nope,” Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” and Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist.”

Points of interest

‘In the Mood for Love’ 25th anniversary

Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung in Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 movie “In the Mood for Love.”

(Janus Films)

To commemorate the film’s 25th anniversary, Wong Kar-wai’s “In the Mood for Love” is back in theaters along with the rarely seen short film, “In the Mood for Love 2001” that reunites the film’s stars, Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung.

In the 2022 Sight & Sound poll of the greatest films of all time, “In the Mood for Love” was the highest-ranking film released during the 21st century. The story of two people in 1962 Hong Kong, each married to others yet feeling an intense connection, unsure of how to act on their emerging bond, the film is an overwhelming emotional experience in which every slight nuance or touch takes on cascading impact.

In his original review, Kenneth Turan wrote, “A swooningly cinematic exploration of romantic longing, both restrained and sensual, luxuriating in color, texture and sound, this film raises its fascination with enveloping atmosphere and suppressed emotion to a ravishing, almost hypnotic level.”

‘Sinners’ on streaming

Michael B. Jordan, center, in the movie “Sinners.”

(Warner Bros. Entertainment)

Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” starts streaming today on Max. Whether you are just catching up to the movie or checking it out again, it’s nice to have it so easily accessible. (And a 4K disc will be available next week.)

The story of twin brothers Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan, as they return to their hometown in 1930s Mississippi to open a juke joint nightclub only to be beset by roving vampires, “Sinners” is an astonishing horror film and a thoughtful treatise on legacy. And makes for a fine Fourth of July movie as well.

In her review of the film, Amy Nicholson wrote, “What a blood rush to exit Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ aware that you’ve seen not merely a great movie but an eternal movie, one that will transcend today’s box office and tomorrow’s awards to live on as a forever favorite. If the cinema had a dozen more ambitious populists like Coogler, it would be in tip-top health. The young filmmaker who started his career with the 2013 Sundance indie ‘Fruitvale Station’ had to make three franchise hits — one ‘Rocky’ and two ‘Black Panthers’ — before getting the green-light to direct his own original spectacle. It was worth the wait. Let the next Coogler get there faster.”

A year after a deadly crackdown, Kenya’s streets are alive with protests again, this time after a blogger died in police custody and officers shot a demonstrator at close range. As outrage grows, so do calls for accountability. Why does police brutality persist in Kenya, and how do officers continue to evade justice?

By early spring, Paramount Global was in crisis. President Trump wouldn’t budge from his demand for an eye-popping sum of money and an apology from the company to settle his lawsuit over a CBS News “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris. Journalists at the storied broadcaster were in revolt against the parent company.

Meanwhile, Paramount’s board faced withering pressure, with a settlement widely seen as a prerequisite for getting government approval for the company’s $8-billion sale to David Ellison’s Skydance Media, or the deal would collapse.

Then a new emergency erupted.

On May 4, CBS aired a hard-hitting “60 Minutes” segment that took aim at Trump’s targeting of law firms. Correspondent Scott Pelley anchored the report, which relied heavily on an interview with a leading Trump irritant — former top Hillary Clinton advisor Marc Elias.

Trump was furious. He threatened Paramount with an additional lawsuit alleging defamation, according to people close to the situation who were not authorized to comment.

The behind-the-scenes drama eventually would culminate with Paramount agreeing to pay $16 million to end the president’s battle over edits to October’s Harris interview, which Trump alleged was manipulated to boost the then-vice president’s election chances. Trump’s suit had demanded $20 billion in damages.

The deal resulted from months of back-and-forth among a constellation of power players with competing interests: the president, mogul Shari Redstone, tech billionaire Larry Ellison and his son David, Hollywood super agent Ari Emanuel, CBS News’ ousted leader Wendy McMahon and Jeff Shell, a former NBCUniversal chief now with RedBird Capital Partners, which backs Ellison’s Skydance.

The settlement, which the president approved late Tuesday, included a commitment by Trump to drop his claims and not sue over the May “60 Minutes” broadcast, according to sources and a Paramount statement.

Paramount said it agreed to pay Trump’s legal fees. The remainder of the $16-million settlement will go toward his future presidential library.

But the beleaguered company behind “Mission: Impossible” and “Yellowstone” mustered victories, withstanding the Trump team’s earlier demand for a $100-million payout, the knowledgeable sources said.

The company also refused to apologize for CBS’ reporting or edits, a stance to protect its journalistic ethics and 1st Amendment rights.

“This settlement allows Paramount to focus on its prospective sale, and CBS can maintain its principles,” said C. Kerry Fields, a business law professor at the USC Marshall School. “But principle has its price, and there certainly was one set here.”

The eight-month skirmish with Trump shined a harsh light on Paramount’s vulnerabilities — and deep divisions within the company and its prospective new owners.

Paramount had a narrow window to reach a truce. The company wanted to finalize the settlement before Wednesday, when Paramount held its annual shareholder meeting and three new members joined the board.

“This [settlement] was all about survival — it was that dark,” Fields said. “Paramount has to execute the sale to Skydance in order to survive.”

At first, Paramount’s sale to the Ellison family seemed like a sure bet. Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle Corp., is close to Trump and is also a possible buyer for TikTok, another deal of interest to the president. The landmark Paramount-Skydance deal, struck a year ago, could reshape one of Hollywood’s original studios and the entertainment landscape.

Redstone and her family agreed to part with their entertainment holdings, National Amusements Inc., and controlling Paramount shares. The family’s shaky finances were a catalyst for the sale. Redstone has borrowed heavily to meet debt obligations, including a $186-million term loan from Larry Ellison last year. The family is waiting for the cash from the sale of Paramount and National Amusements to the Ellisons and RedBird, a private equity firm.

But an unexpected blunder altered the deal’s course.

Last fall, “60 Minutes” invited Trump and Harris to participate in preelection interviews. Trump agreed, then backed out. CBS News went forward with a Harris sit-down.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris talks to “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker.

(CBS News)

Correspondent Bill Whitaker asked Harris about the Biden administration’s rocky relations with Israel’s prime minister. Producers used different portions of her answer on two programs: a convoluted response on CBS’ Sunday morning show “Face the Nation,” and a more succinct part on “60 Minutes.”

Trump and his supporters zeroed in on the discrepancy. They accused CBS of doctoring the interview. CBS News denied the allegation, saying the edits were routine.

Days before the election, Trump sued in Amarillo, Texas, ensuring the case would be overseen by a Trump-appointed judge.

His lawsuit alleged the “60 Minutes” edits amounted to election interference — “malicious, deceptive, and substantial news distortion calculated to confuse, deceive, and mislead the public,” in the suit’s words.

President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

(Bloomberg)

1st Amendment experts said the case had no merit; some figured it was a campaign stunt.

Days later, Shell, the RedBird executive who will become Paramount’s president should Skydance take over, held a conference call with top CBS executives. Shell suggested “60 Minutes” release the full Harris interview transcript in a bid for transparency, according to people familiar with the matter.

News executives refused, drawing a clear division between some high-level Paramount executives and Ellison’s team.

Those Paramount executives have bristled over Shell’s involvement, including a comment he reportedly made to McMahon late last year, stating the company eventually would have to settle. Skydance has said it has an agreement with Paramount that gives Ellison and Shell the ability to give input on key business issues — even before acquiring Paramount.

A spokesperson for Shell declined to comment.

The role of Shell, ousted from his previous role running NBCUniversal after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with an underling, has been controversial. Representatives for the creators of “South Park” have accused him of overstepping his authority and meddling with a protracted negotiation over their overall deal and streaming rights to the long-running cartoon. A representative for Shell denied that accusation.

Trump had scored previous victories over media organizations. In December, the Walt Disney Co. agreed to pay him $16 million, including $1 million for his attorney fees, to end a dispute stemming from ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos’ inaccurate description of Trump’s liability in a civil court case. Press advocates howled.

Paramount held firm. But it failed to get Trump’s case dismissed or moved to a court in New York, where CBS and “60 Minutes” are based.

So the company was in a box. Its sale to Skydance requires the approval of the Federal Communications Commission to transfer CBS TV station licenses to the Ellisons, and that consent has been elusive.

In one of his first moves as FCC chairman, Trump appointee Brendan Carr launched an inquiry into whether CBS’ edits of the Harris interview rose to the level of news distortion — the crux of Trump’s lawsuit.

In February, Carr demanded CBS release a raw transcript of the Harris interview and the unedited footage. CBS complied; the material showed Harris had been accurately quoted.

The Texas judge ordered Paramount and Trump’s lawyers into mediation. Talks began April 30.

That weekend, “60 Minutes” ran its report on Trump and the law firms, riling Redstone and others. The Trump team and Paramount were already far apart, the sources said.

Soon, CBS News and Stations President Wendy McMahon was forced out. Knowledgeable sources attributed her departure to months of strife and persistent criticism from Redstone, who serves as Paramount’s chair. McMahon also made missteps, including overseeing an unsuccessful reboot of “CBS Evening News.”

Her exit followed that of Bill Owens, the longtime executive producer of “60 Minutes,” who fought efforts to settle.

The day McMahon was ousted, left-leaning U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) lobbed a salvo at Redstone. In a May 19 letter, they warned that Paramount board members risked possible bribery charges if they paid Trump to settle the lawsuit as a way to win FCC approval for the Skydance deal.

By early June, Redstone and the Ellison team were getting restless.

Emanuel, the agent, stepped in to help get the dealmaking back on track, people familiar with the matter said. Emanuel is Trump’s former talent agent and one of Ellison’s closest allies.

On June 7, Ellison met briefly with Trump at a UFC event in New Jersey. Emanuel is executive chairman of the WME Group and chief executive of UFC’s parent company, TKO.

According to a source, Emanuel associate Dana White, the Trump-supporting UFC chief executive, helped facilitate the Ellison meeting with the president, which occurred steps away from the fighters’ octagon.

People close to Ellison and Emanuel declined to discuss Ellison’s interactions with the president. Representatives of Skydance, Redstone and Emanuel declined to comment for this story.

Finally, a breakthrough came when Trump offered support for Ellison and the Skydance deal, though he continued to blast Harris and CBS News.

“Ellison is great,” Trump said from the White House lawn on June 18. “He’ll do a great job with it.”

Meanwhile, the clock was ticking. Redstone and others wanted the board to handle the settlement before the shareholder meeting, when one director stepped down, and three new members joined the board.

Redstone recused herself from voting but made her wishes known.

The settlement was finally reached about 10 hours before the Paramount board switched.

One person close to the legal effort said the agreement “got over the finish line” due to a sweetener for Trump. His team anticipates that Paramount networks eventually will run millions of dollars worth of free commercials, or public service announcements, in support of Trump causes, including combating antisemitism and increasing border security.

Paramount denied this.

“Paramount’s settlement with President Trump does not include PSAs,” the company said in a statement. “Paramount has no knowledge of any promises or commitments made to President Trump other than those set forth in the settlement proposed by the mediator and accepted by the parties.”

Skydance declined to comment. Emanuel did not respond to messages.

The settlement does contain another provision championed by Trump.“60 Minutes” will release transcripts of interviews with eligible U.S. presidential candidates after those interviews air, “subject to redactions as required for legal or national security concerns,” Paramount said.

1st Amendment advocates were discouraged by the deal. So were Trump’s enemies, including the senators who had vowed to investigate the deal for bribery.

Paramount’s move to “settle a bogus lawsuit with President Trump over a 60 Minutes report he did not like is an extremely dangerous precedent,” Sanders, the U.S. senator, said in a statement. “Paramount’s decision will only embolden Trump to continue attacking, suing and intimidating the media.”

NEW YORK — Famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut reclaimed his title Friday at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot-dog eating contest after after skipping last year’s gastronomic battle in New York for the coveted Mustard Belt.

Chestnut, 41, consumed 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, falling short of his record of 76 wieners and buns set on July 4, 2021. It marked the 17th win in 20 appearances for the Westfield, Indiana, eater at the internationally televised competition, which he missed in 2024 over a contract dispute.

Defending champion in the women’s division, Miki Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won her 11th title, downing 33 dogs, besting a dozen competitors. Last year, she ate a record 51 links.

A large crowd, many wearing foam hot dog hats, braved high temperatures to witness the annual eat-a-thon, held outside the original Nathan’s Famous restaurant in Coney Island, Brooklyn, since 1972. Many show up to see Chestnut’s much-awaited return to an event he has called “a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.”

Chestnut bested 14 fellow competitors from across the U.S. and internationally, including Australia, the Czech Republic, Ontario, England and Brazil.

Last year, Major League Eating event organizer George Shea said Chestnut would not be participating in the contest due to a contract dispute. Chestnut had struck a deal with a competing brand, the plant-based meat company Impossible Foods.

Chestnut told The Associated Press last month that he had never appeared in any commercials for the company’s vegan hot dogs and that Nathan’s is the only hot dog company he has worked with. But Chestnut acknowledged he “should have made that more clear with Nathan’s.”

Last year, Chestnut ate 57 dogs — in only five minutes — in an exhibition with soldiers, at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He said that event was “amazing” and he was pleased to still have a chance to eat hot dogs — a lot of them — on July Fourth.

“I’m happy I did that, but I’m really happy to be back at Coney Island,” he said.

Last year in New York, Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago gobbled up a 58 to earn the men’s title.

Haigh writes for the Associated Press.

Dutch prosecutors have dropped charges against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans after CCTV footage showing violence towards Muslim women last November was erased. Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen is in Amsterdam, where the decision has sparked controversy over alleged double standards.

Paul Kagame gives cautious welcome to US-brokered agreement, but says success depends on goodwill from warring parties.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has cautiously welcomed a United States-brokered peace deal with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while suggesting Kigali will retaliate if provoked.

Speaking at a news conference in Kigali on Friday, Kagame said Rwanda remained committed to the agreement but questioned whether Kinshasa would uphold its part of the deal.

“If the side that we are working with plays tricks and takes us back to the problem, then we deal with the problem like we have been dealing with it,” Kagame said.

The agreement, backed by the administration of US President Donald Trump, was signed last week and calls for Rwandan troops to withdraw from eastern DRC within 90 days.

The region has seen intense fighting this year, with M23 rebels seizing major towns. The United Nations has accused Rwanda of backing the group with thousands of troops – an allegation Kigali denies.

While the peace deal is seen as a turning point, analysts do not believe it will quickly end the fighting because M23 – a major belligerent in the conflict – says the agreement does not apply to it.

US ‘not to blame’ if deal fails

Rwanda insists its military presence in eastern DRC is a response to threats from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group made up of ethnic Hutu fighters linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Kagame said Kinshasa must act to dismantle the FDLR if the deal is to succeed.

“We are grateful to the Trump administration for its efforts,” he said. “If it doesn’t work, they aren’t the ones to blame.”

There has been no official response from Kinshasa, which has consistently accused Rwanda of fuelling the conflict.

Rwanda-backed M23 is the most prominent armed group in the conflict in eastern DRC, and its major advance early this year left bodies on the streets. With 7 million people displaced in DRC, the UN has called it “one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth”.

M23 has not been involved in the US-mediated efforts, although it has been part of other peace talks. On Thursday, both the Congolese government and M23 representatives agreed that they would return to Qatar for further discussions aimed at ending the conflict.

Meanwhile, Washington has proposed a separate investment plan that could allow Western companies to tap into the region’s rich deposits of tantalum, copper, and gold – resources that have long fuelled violence in eastern DRC.

Kagame’s appearance on Friday marked his first public remarks since June 6, prompting speculation during his absence about his health. Dissidents abroad, including former adviser David Himbara, claimed the president was seriously unwell.

Kagame dismissed the rumours with a joke. “Some of my personal health problems might originate from managing you people,” he said, sparking laughter.

“What is the problem? What would people want me to account for? That I am not human?” he added. The president appeared in good health throughout the briefing.

Linda Henry, Shaun Williamson and Rula Lenska are just some famous faces set to make a guest appearance on Sky’s Mr Bigstuff alongside Danny Dyer, Ryan Sampson and Harriet Webb

Danny Dyer’s EastEnders mother Linda Henry is joining him for the second series of Mr Bigstuff.

Soap icon Danny, Brassic favourite and series creator Ryan Sampson and Big Boys star Harriet Webb return in series two of the comedy, premiering this July on Sky and NOW.

Series one earned Danny his first-ever BAFTA TV award for his performance as Lee Campbell, the estranged brother of Glen, played by Ryan.

Set in suburban Essex, the series was a huge hit with audiences, becoming Sky Max’s highest-rated new original comedy in three years.

Series two picks up two weeks after the shock news that the brothers’ dad’s not actually dead, and Lee and Glen are handling it very differently.

But, with chaos mounting and questions piling up, the brothers unite on a mission to track him down.

Meanwhile, Kirsty’s taking charge in the bedroom and the boardroom, but one badly timed kiss – and a mysterious blackmailer -threaten to bring it all crashing down.

With secrets spilling and tempers flaring, it’s only a matter of time before the family blows up – again.

The brothers aren’t the only ones bringing chaos – first-look images tease guest stars including Danny’s former EastEnders co-star Linda as Pam.

Known for her portrayal of Shirley Carter in EastEnders, Linda reunites with Danny to play Pam, a no-nonsense, hands-on mechanic at the family haulage firm.

Fellow EastEnders legend Shaun Williamson, who played Barry Evans, will also make a guest appearance as an angry clown in episode five.

Guest-starring in episode two, Rula Lensk, renowned for her roles in Coronation Street and her memorable appearance on Celebrity Big Brothe, delivers high comedy as Rita, an eccentric and flirtatious woman the brothers believe is connected to their missing dad, Don Campbell.

Also joining series two are Ryan’s Brassic co-stars Tom Hanson and Parth Thakerar, as well as Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street) David Mumeni (Stath Lets Flats) and Alan Ford (Snatch).

Returning cast include Adrian Scarborough (Gavin and Stacey), Fatiha El-Ghorri (Taskmaster), Victoria Alcock (Bad Girls), Ned Dennehy (Peaky Blinders) and and Clive Russell (Ripper Street).

The new series of Mr Bigstuff starts this July on Sky and NOW

Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain face German giants Bayern Munich in FIFA’s Club World Cup quarterfinals.

Who: PSG vs Bayern Munich
What: FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When: Saturday, July 4 at 12pm (16:00 GMT)

How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 9am local (13:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Fresh from lifting the UEFA Champions League for the first time, Paris Saint-Germain will continue their plight for a first FIFA Club World Cup when they face German giants Bayern Munich.

The Parisian lifted both the French league and cup along with their European success this season, while Bayern won their 34th Bundesliga title.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the all-European clash for a place in the final four.

How did PSG reach the quarterfinals?

PSG lost their final group stage match 1–0 to Brazil’s Botafogo, but progressed with earlier wins against Atletico Madrid and Seattle Sounders.

A meeting with former star Lionel Messi awaited in the round of 16, where the Parisians beat Inter Miami 4-0 with Joao Neves netting twice.

How did Bayern Munich reach the quarterfinals?

The Germans opened with a 10-0 thrashing of New Zealand side Auckland City, before confirming their progress with a 2-1 win against Argentina’s Boca Juniors.

Benfica shocked Bayern with a 1-0 win in the final group-stage match, which left the Munich-based club to face Flamengo in the round of 16.

Bayern raced into an early two-goal lead before running out 4-2 winners with a Harry Kane double.

Have Bayern Munich won the Club World Cup?

Yes. Bayern had lifted FIFA’s club competition on two occasions – beating Morocco’s Raja Casablanca in 2013 and UANL of Mexico in 2020.

Who will PSG or Bayern face in the semifinal?

The winner of this match will play the winner of quarterfinal four – between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund – in the last four.

The final quarterfinal match follows the conclusion of the PSG and Bayern tie, and will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Head-to-head

This is the 15th meeting between the sides, with Bayern winning eight and PSG six of the matchups so far.

Their first meeting came in 1994, with PSG winning both matches in the Champions League group stages.

The teams were also pitted together in the 2020 UEFA Champions League final in Lisbon, with Bayern winning 1-0 thanks to a header from former PSG player Kingsley Coman.

PSG team news

PSG could hand Ousmane Dembele his first start of the tournament, following his substitute appearance in the 4-0 win against Inter Miami.

Bayern Munich team news

Jamal Musiala managed 18 minutes after coming on as a substitute in the win against Flamengo and could feature once again as he continues his comeback from injury.

Leroy Sane has left the club, having completed his move to Galatasaray, while Coman could miss out with a knock.

PSG coach Luis Enrique’s pre-match thoughts

“At this stage of the competition, it will be difficult no matter who the opponent is. Now is the time to think about resting, we need to prepare well for the match, but we have the time to do so. We’re very happy.”

Bayern striker Harry Kane’s pre-match thoughts

“We have to believe [we can win the Club World Cup] for sure. We’re going up against a tough opponent in the next round, no doubt, Champions League winners. We have to be ready for that, but we feel like, on our day, we can beat anyone. It would be a dream come true to go all the way and win it, but there’s games before that.”

Possible PSG starting lineup

Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos (C), Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Ruiz, Vitinha; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia

Possible Bayern Munich starting lineup

Neuer (C); Laimer, Tah, Upamecano, Stanisic; Goretzka, Kimmich; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane

Harry Brook scores 158 to give England hope on day three of the second Test against India, before being bowled by Akash Deep to leave the home side on 387-6, 200 runs behind India’s first innings score of 587 at Edgbaston.

FOLLOW LIVE: Test series – England v India

Available to UK users only.

July 4 (UPI) — President Donald Trump said he expects to hear back from Hamas within 24 hours about the latest peace deal in Gaza brokered by the United States.

“We’ll see what happens. We are going to know over the next 24 hours,” Trump told an inquiring reporter Thursday night at a rally in Iowa.

Hamas said Friday it was considering the proposal and consulting other Palestinian groups before issuing a response about a “final decision.” It did not say when that reply might come.

Israel earlier this week agreed to the “necessary conditions” of a U.S.-sponsored plan spearheaded by U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff that would see a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza.

Witkoff’s plan will see a 60-day end to hostilities in the Palestinian enclave, although many of the details remain unknown, including any related to the remaining Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.

“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better – IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this week.

In January, Hamas and Israel signed a deal for a ceasefire that was to take place over three phases and lead to the eventual release of all hostages, both living and dead.

The first phase ended in March with both sides accusing the other of violating the terms of the deal.

In April, Hamas formally rejected further ceasefire plans and the two sides have since been locked in conflict in Gaza.

US and Ukrainian leaders discuss defence capabilities on call after Trump ‘disappointed’ by conversation with Russia’s Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he agreed with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to work to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences, as concerns mounted in Kyiv over US military aid deliveries.

The two leaders had a “very important and fruitful conversation” by phone on Friday, Zelenskyy said.

“We spoke about opportunities in air defence and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies,” he added in a post on the social media platform X.

The president added that he discussed joint defence production, as well as joint purchases and investments, with the US leader.

Meanwhile, US publication Axios, citing an unidentified Ukrainian official and a source with knowledge of the call, said Trump told Zelenskyy he wants to help Ukraine with air defence after escalating attacks from Russia.

This comes a day after the US president spoke to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, in a conversation he said was disappointing.

“I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there, and I’m very disappointed,” Trump said after the call on Thursday. “I’m just saying I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad.”

Trump said the call with Putin resulted in no progress at all on efforts to end the war, and the Kremlin reiterated that Moscow would keep pushing to solve the conflict’s “root causes”.

Massive drone attack

Hours after the Trump-Putin call on Thursday, Russia pummelled Kyiv with the largest drone attack of the war, killing one person, injuring at least 23 and damaging buildings across the capital.

Air raid sirens, the whine of kamikaze drones and booming detonations reverberated from early evening until dawn as Russia launched what Ukraine’s Air Force said was a total of 539 drones and 11 missiles.

Zelenskyy called the attack “deliberately massive and cynical”.

Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.

A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia’s air strikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems to bridge the gap.

Trump spoke with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, according to Spiegel magazine, citing government sources. The two leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine, including strengthening its air defence, as well as trade issues, Spiegel reported on Friday.

In Zelenskyy’s post on X on Friday after his call with Trump, he said the two had “a detailed conversation about defense industry capabilities and joint production. We are ready for direct projects with the United States and believe this is critically important for security, especially when it comes to drones and related technologies.”

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainians are “grateful for all the support provided”, as it helps protect lives and safeguard their independence.

“We support all efforts to stop the killings and restore just, lasting, and dignified peace. A noble agreement for peace is needed,” he said.

It’s July 4, and the country is gearing up to celebrate 249 years of independence from British rule with fireworks, beer and hot dogs. The month of July also marks nearly six months since President Trump took office and embarked on — among many other pursuits — a project to remake arts and culture in America into a set of ideas and ideals more closely resembling his own.

So many steps were taken so quickly toward a MAGA agenda for the arts that it is both helpful and worthwhile to look back on all that has happened since Jan. 20, when after being sworn in Trump issued a raft of executive orders including one titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which prompted the National Endowment for the Arts to review its grants in order to ensure that funds were not being used for projects deemed to promote “gender ideology.”

That same day Trump signed another executive order, “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing,” that resulted in the Smithsonian Institution shuttering its diversity offices. After that, the administration was off and running toward the end zone.

Here is timeline of Trump’s biggest, boldest, most controversial moves in American arts and culture:

Jan. 20: Trump dissolves the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, established by President Ronald Reagan in 1982 to advise on issues of cultural and artistic import. This surprised almost no one (Lady Gaga was its chair, and George Clooney and Shonda Rhimes were members), but it was an early sign of bigger changes to come.

Feb. 7: Trump takes to Truth Social to post the Truth that shook the arts world and broke the internet: “At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture. We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!”

Feb. 12: Trump’s newly appointed Kennedy board members make good on Trump’s Truth Social promise and appoint Trump chairman after firing its longtime president, Deborah F. Rutter. Trump names a former ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, as interim executive director and promises to make the Kennedy Center “a very special and exciting place!” TV producer Shonda Rhimes, musician Ben Folds and opera star Renée Fleming all step away from roles working with the center.

Feb. 20: Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon told a CPAC crowd in Washington, D.C. that the J6 Prison Choir — composed of men jailed after the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — would perform at the Kennedy Center. A rep for the center said, not so fast.

Feb. 26: The Washington Post reports on a pair of cancellations resulting from Trump’s orders that raise red flags for arts groups across the country. One is the cancellation of a U.S. Marine Band performance featuring high school students of color. The other is an exhibit featuring Black and LGBTQ+ artists at the Art Museum of the Americas.

Week of March 3: The Trump administration moves to fire workers with the General Services Administration, who were tasked with preserving and maintaining more than 26,000 pieces of public art owned by the federal government, including work by Millard Sheets, Ed Ruscha, Ray Boynton, Catherine Opie, M. Evelyn McCormick, James Turrell and Edward Weston. The future care and preservation of these artworks is cast into doubt.

March 14: Trump’s executive order, “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” proposes the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which also threatens museum libraries.

March 17: Trump pays his first visit to the Kennedy Center as chairman. He trashes the former management, saying the center has fallen into disrepair. He also expresses his distaste for the musical “Hamilton,” (which canceled its upcoming run of shows at the center after Trump’s takeover) and praises “Les Misérables.”

Late March: A Kennedy Center contract worker strips nude in protest of Trump’s takeover and is promptly fire, and prominent musicians, including Hungarian-born pianist András Schiff and German violinist Christian Tetzlaff, cancel shows in the United States. Tetzlaff told the New York Times that while in America he felt “like a child watching a horror film.”

March 27: Trump issues an executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which directs Vice President JD Vance to remove “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian’s 21 museums and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and vows to end federal funding for exhibitions and programs based on racial themes that “divide Americans.”

April 2: Under the orders of Elon Musk’s DOGE, the National Endowment for Humanities begins sending letters to museums across the country canceling grants, some of which had already been spent.

April 29: Trump fires U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum board members picked by former President Joe Biden, including former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Early May: Arts organizations across the country begin receiving news of grant cancellations issued by the National Endowment for the Arts. The emails read, in part, “The NEA is updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President.”

May 30: Trump announces on Truth Social that he’s firing Kim Sajet, the longtime director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery — and the first woman to hold the role — for being “a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI.” Critics quickly respond that the president does not hold that power since the Smithsonian is managed by a Board of Regents and is not under the control of the executive branch. A little more than a week later, the Smithsonian asserts its independence and throws its support behind its secretary Lonnie G. Bunch. A few days later, Sajet steps down from her role of her own accord.

I’m arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, still reeling from just how much has happened in six short months. Here’s this weekend’s arts and culture roundup.

Best bets: On our radar this week

Mary Pickford, one of the many stars featured in the Hollywood Heritage Museum’s exhibition, “From Famous Players-Lasky to Paramount: The Rise of Hollywood’s Leading Ladies.”

(Associated Press)

From Famous Players-Lasky to Paramount: The Rise of Hollywood’s Leading Ladies
The movie industry was built on star power, and women were at the forefront from the earliest days. A new exhibit at the Hollywood Heritage Museum celebrates actors such as Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson and Pola Negri, who blazed a trail for those who followed, leveraging their fame and gaining creative control over their careers within studio mogul Adolph Zukor’s growing cinematic empire. The show includes costumes, props, personal items and ephemera used by the stars. The museum building, the Lasky-DeMille Barn, was the birthplace of Jesse L. Lasky’s Feature Play Company, which merged with Zukor’s Famous Players Film Company in 1916 before evolving into Paramount Pictures.
Open Saturdays and Sundays. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Hollywood Heritage Museum, 2100 Highland Ave. hollywoodheritage.org

Michael Frayn’s madcap backstage comedy “Noises Off” plays the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego starting July 6.

(Ben Wiseman)

‘Noises Off’
James Waterston, Michelle Veintimilla and the virtuoso Jefferson Mays star in the Old Globe Theatre’s revival of Michael Frayn’s classic backstage comedy. The play, the forerunner of such slapstick stage works as “The Play That Goes Wrong,” revolves around a British theater’s touring production of a fictional sex romp called “Nothing On,” in which anything that can go badly does. As modern farces go, Times theater critic Charles McNulty wrote that Frayn’s play is “not only one of the funniest but may also be the most elegantly conceived.” Popular among regional theaters, the play was staged earlier this year at the Geffen Playhouse.
Sunday through Aug. 3. Opening night, July 11. Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego. theoldglobe.org

Paul Simon, shown here performing in Central Park in New York in 2021, plays the Terrace Theater in Long Beach and Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown L.A.

(Evan Agostini / Invision)

Paul Simon
Though a recent back injury required surgery and resulted in the cancellation of two shows, America’s troubadour is scheduled to bring his “A Quiet Celebration” tour to the Terrace Theater in Long Beach and downtown L.A.’s Walt Disney Concert Hall next week. Simon has been opening recent shows with a performance of his 2023 album “Seven Psalms,” a 33-minute song suite on aging and mortality, before turning to his diverse six-decades-plus catalog of music. In reviewing the then-76-year-old singer-songwriter’s 2018 Hollywood Bowl show, Times music critic Mikael Wood presciently noted that, despite it being billed as a “farewell show,” this did not seem like someone who was ready to hang up their guitar. “It was Simon’s searching impulse, still so alive in this show, that made it hard to believe he’s really putting a lid on it. Start saving for the comeback tour now.”
8 p.m. Tuesday. Terrace Theater at the Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach;
8 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, 12, 14 and 16. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. tour.paulsimon.com

Patrons enjoy an evening at the Hollywood Bowl.

(LA Phil)

Prokofiev and Pride at the Bowl
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has two shows at the Hollywood Bowl next week that demonstrate the ensemble’s eclectic range. On Tuesday, Thomas Søndergård conducts Prokofiev’s Fifth, preceded by Coleridge-Taylor’s “Ballade in A minor, Op. 33” and “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” by Rachmaninoff. Two days later, the group, conducted by Oliver Zeffman, celebrates Classical Pride with a program curated by Zeffman. It opens with Bernstein’s “Overture to ’Candide’” and closes with Tchaikovsky’s “Francesca da Rimini,” but the heart of the show brings together contemporary LGBTQ+ artists including vocalists Pumeza Matshikiza, Jamie Barton and Anthony Roth Costanzo for the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s song cycle “Good Morning, Beauty,” featuring lyrics by Taylor Mac; a performance of Jennifer Higdon’s “blue cathedral”; and a set of comedy, music and reflection from violinist and drag performance artist Thorgy Thor of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Prokofiev’s Fifth, 8 p.m. Tuesday; Classical Pride, 8 p.m. Thursday. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. hollywoodbowl.com

Culture news

Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber of the Soraya will step down in 2026.

(Luis Luque)

Thor Steingraber, executive and artistic director of the Soraya, announced he is stepping down after 12 years following the end of the 2025-26 season. In a letter to patrons, Steingraber wrote, “I’m not stopping, but rather am pivoting to new opportunities.” He previously directed opera for many years at L.A. Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lincoln Center and venues around the world, and he held leadership roles at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Music Center. Steingraber went on to thank his Soraya and CSUN colleagues, the many artists he’s worked with and supporters of the Soraya, including Milt and Debbie Valera and to the Nazarian family. No successor has been named.

For the first time since the 1912 Salon d’Automne in Paris, a rare Diego Rivera portrait is on exhibit, and fortunately for us, it’s at the Huntington Art Museum in San Marino. The painting is of Señor Hermenegildo Alsina, a Catalan bookbinder, photographer, publisher and close friend of Rivera. “This is a rare, early Rivera, from his European years, before he returned to Mexico and became synonymous with the muralist movement,” said the Art Museum’s director, Christina Nielsen, in the press release. “It’s elegant, formal, and very unlike the Rivera most people know.”

“Initial H: The Nativity,” a 15th century Italian manuscript leaf recently gifted to the J. Paul Getty Museum.

(Getty Museum, Gift of T. Robert and Katherine States Burke)

The J. Paul Getty Museum announced a gift of rare Italian manuscript illuminations last week. The collection of 38 manuscript leaves were donated by T. Robert Burke and Katherine States Burke. The works were made by the most prominent artists of the 14th and 15th centuries, including Lorenzo Monaco, Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci, Lippo Vanni, Giovanni di Paolo and Sano di Pietro. They depict religious scenes primarily drawn from the lives of Jesus, Mary and the saints and largely originated from Christian choir books. The donation also includes “Initial H: The Nativity,” made around 1400 by the prolific Don Simone Camaldolese. “The exceptional quality of the Burke Collection will radically change the Getty Museum’s ability to tell the story of Italian illumination,” said Elizabeth Morrison, senior curator of manuscripts at the Getty Museum, in a press release. The new pages will be available through the Getty Museum’s collection online once they are digitized.

The SoCal scene

Kamasi Washington, right, performs in the David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art held its first event Thursday night inside the Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries last week. The new building may still be empty, but jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington and more than 100 musicians filled it with a sonic work of art. Times classical music critic Mark Swed was there and found the experience captivating: “Washington’s ensembles were all carefully amplified and sounded surprisingly liquid, which made walking a delight as the sounds of different ensembles came in and out of focus. … The whole building felt alive.” Times photographer Allen J. Schaben was also there to capture the visuals.

The new David Geffen Galleries building was built in a Brutalist style.

(Christopher Knight / Los Angeles Times)

As far as the building itself, Times art critic Christopher Knight is less than enthusiastic, writing, “Zumthor and LACMA Director Michael Govan pronounce the new Geffen building to be ‘a concrete sculpture,’ which is why it’s being shown empty now. The cringey claim is grandiose, and it makes one wonder why being architecture is not enough. If it’s true, it’s the only monumental sculpture I know that has a couple of restaurants, an auditorium and a store. Apparently, an artistic hierarchy exists, with sculpture ranked above architecture.”

Jake Brasch’s “The Reservoir,” currently at the Geffen Playhouse, is about a queer Jewish theater student back home in Denver while on medical leave from NYU. Josh, the protagonist, is also battling alcoholism, trying to fix himself by attending to his four grandparents. In his review, Times theater critic Charles McNulty wrote that his patience ran thin with the play, “not because I didn’t sympathize with [Josh’s] struggles. My beef was that he sounded like an anxious playwright determined to string an audience along without forced exuberance and sitcom-level repartee. (Compare, say, one of Josh’s rants with those of a character in a Terrence McNally, Richard Greenberg or Jon Robin Baitz comedy, and the drop off in verbal acuity and original wit will become crystal clear.)”

— Kevin Crust

And last but not least

She Thought Lady Gaga Bought Her Art. Then Things Got Strange.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has weighed in publicly for the first time since the passage of President Donald Trump’s signature piece of budget legislation, commonly known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill“.

On Friday, Musk took to his social media platform X to once again float the possibility of a third party to rival the two major ones — the Democrats and the Republicans — in United States politics.

“Independence Day is the perfect time to ask if you want independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system! Should we create the America Party?” Musk asked his followers, attaching an interactive poll.

Musk has maintained that both major parties have fallen out of step with what he describes as the “80 percent in the middle” – a number he estimates represents the moderates and independents who do not align with either end of the political spectrum.

His desire to form a new party, however, emerged after a public fallout with Trump over the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, a sweeping piece of legislation that passed both chambers of Congress on Thursday.

Yet again on Friday, Musk revisited his objections to the bill, albeit indirectly. He shared Senator Rand Paul’s critique that the bill “explodes the deficit in the near-term”, responding with a re-post and the “100” emoji, signifying his full agreement.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill” has long been a policy priority for Trump, even before he returned to office for a second term on January 20.

His aim was to pass a single piece of legislation that included several key pillars from his agenda, allowing him to proceed with his goals without having to seek multiple approvals from Congress.

But the “One Big Beautiful Bill” has been controversial among Democrats and even some Republicans. The bill would make permanent the 2017 tax cuts from Trump’s first term, which critics argue disproportionately benefit the wealthy over middle- to low-income workers.

It also raises the debt ceiling by $5 trillion and is projected to add $3.3 trillion to the country’s deficit, according to a nonpartisan analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.

Further funding is earmarked to bolster Trump’s campaign to crack down on immigration into the US. But to pay for the tax cuts and the spending, the bill includes cuts to critical social services, including Medicaid, a government health insurance programme for low-income households, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps.

Fiscal conservatives opposed the debt increase, while several other Republicans worried about how Medicaid restrictions would affect their constituents.

But in recent weeks, Trump and other Republican leaders rallied many of the holdouts, allowing the bill to pass both chambers of Congress by narrow margins.

Senator Paul of Kentucky was one of only three Republicans in the Senate to vote “no” on the bill. In the aftermath of its final passage on Thursday, he wrote on social media: “This is Washington’s MO: short-term politicking over long-term sustainability.”

Trump is slated to sign the bill into law in a White House ceremony on Friday.

The debate over the bill, however, proved to be a tipping point for Trump and Musk’s relationship. In late May, during his final days as a “special government adviser”, Musk appeared on the TV programme CBS Sunday Morning and said he was “disappointed” in the legislation, citing the proposed increase to the budget deficit.

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful,” Musk told a CBS journalist.

By May 30, his time in the Trump administration had come to an end, though the two men appeared to part on cordial terms.

But after leaving his government role, Musk escalated his attacks on the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, warning it would be disastrous for the US economy.

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk wrote on June 3.

Musk went so far as to suggest Trump should be impeached and that he had information about the president’s relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, though he did not offer evidence. Those posts have since been deleted.

Trump, meanwhile, accused Musk on social media of going “CRAZY” and seeking to lash out because the bill would peel back government incentives for the production of electric vehicles (EVs).

On June 5, Musk began to muse about launching his own political party. “Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?” he wrote.

In follow-up posts, he noted that his followers appeared to agree with him, and he endorsed a commenter’s suggestion for the party’s potential name.

“‘America Party’ has a nice ring to it. The party that actually represents America!” Musk said.

As the world’s richest man and the owner of companies like the carmaker Tesla and the rocket manufacturer SpaceX, Musk has billions of dollars at his disposal: The Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates his net worth at $361bn as of Friday.

But experts warn that third parties have historically struggled to compete in the US’s largely two-party system, and that they can even weaken movements they profess to back, by draining votes away from more viable candidates.

Musk’s estimate about the “80 percent in the middle” might also be an overstatement. Polls vary as to how many people identify as independent or centrists.

But in January, the research firm Gallup found that an average of 43 percent of American adults identified as independent, matching a record set in 2014. Gallup’s statistics also found a decline in the number of American adults saying they were “moderate”, with 34 percent embracing the label in 2024.

Still, on Friday, Musk shared his thoughts about how a potential third party could gain sway in the largely bifurcated US political sphere. He said he planned to take advantage of the weak majorities the major parties are able to obtain in Congress.

“One way to execute on this would be to laser-focus on just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts,” he wrote.

“Given the razor-thin legislative margins, that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people.”

Bronny James stood with his back to the wall with both hands buried in his workout shorts, his practice with the Lakers summer league team complete, his voice sounding more confident now that he’s entering his second season in the NBA.

He had to endure the outsized pressure and criticism of playing last season with his superstar father, LeBron James, a season in which Bronny and his dad made history by becoming the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game.

Now, Bronny is more assured about his talents and he’ll get to showcase what he’s worked on when the Lakers play the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic on Saturday in San Francisco.

The Lakers will play three games there and then head to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League.

That is where the most anticipated summer game could take place because the Lakers open the action against Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft, and the Dallas Mavericks on July 10.

Like all last season, James knows a lot of people will pay attention to that game — to him, still, and to Flagg.

“Last year it was a crazy environment for me to step in and produce right off the rip, like being nervous too,” Bronny said. “So, I feel like this year, I’ll be able to go out and play freely and know what I’m gonna go out and do for me and my teammates. So, yeah, I’m just really excited to be able to play nervous-free.”

Dalton Knecht got some extra shots up after practice Wednesday, his stroke looking just as impressive as it did last season when he shot 37.6% from three-point range during his rookie season with the Lakers.

Knecht, too, is especially looking forward to playing in Las Vegas.

“Vegas, I mean, I feel like all of us didn’t care who we played [last summer],” Knecht said. “It was just go out there and play. Our fans always show up. We go out there all the time and it’s pretty much Laker fans that sell out that arena and show us so much love. We’re just trying to go out there and try to put on a show no matter who we are playing.”

Lakers rookie Adou Thiero, their second-round pick (36th overall) out of Arkansas whom they acquired in a trade with the Timberwolves, is dealing with a left knee injury and will not play this summer. The Lakers said Thiero is in the final stages of his return to play and expected to be fully cleared for training camp.

For James, one year of playing in the NBA has made a difference as he approaches this summer.

He appeared in 27 games last season, starting once, and averaged 2.3 points per game on 31.3% shooting, 28.1% from three-point range.

“Yeah, it’s definitely some more excitement than nervousness, for sure,” James said. “I’m just ready to go out there and play and be better than I was the last time I was playing. Just having that mindset of being ready to play and ready for whatever’s thrown at me, no matter the role, what I gotta do on defense, offense, everything. Being a good teammate for my new summer league team, stuff like that.”

Besides skill work, James said his plan for the summer is to be in “elite condition” and to “be disruptive on the defensive end.”

“So that’s my main focus, probably why I’m getting a little leaner,” he said. “But I still got 215 [pounds] on me still. So, I’m just running a lot, getting a lot of conditioning in. And then just staying on top of my diet, eating healthy, being a professional. It’s just Year 2, so I gotta lock in on the things that I didn’t know before my rookie year and being better and excel with that. Yeah, my main focus is this year, or this summer, has been being in elite condition. That’s what I’ve been talking to my coaches about.”

Knecht played in 78 games last season, averaging 9.1 points over 19.2 minutes per game.

As the season progressed, Knecht said the game slowed down for him and that allowed him to improve.

When the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Timberwolves, Knecht said he went to work right away. In his eyes, there was no time to waste.

“Right after the [playoff] loss, I pretty much started right away. Didn’t take much time off,” he said. “So I was getting in the gym, starting at 6 a.m., going with the guys at 10 and then coming back later at night just to get as many shots as I can, just working on my game and my cuts.”

Disneyland Paris has iconic rides, attractions and plenty of fun for the whole family – but there’s one little-known pass that could help you skip the queue

Disneyland Paris is on most families’ bucket lists thanks to its iconic rides (Peter Pan or It’s A Small World, anyone?), incredible fireworks shows and of course those all-important character meet and greets.

Like most theme parks, during the peak school holidays there can be busy queues at Mickey Mouse‘s Parisian home. There are ways you can cut down wait times for example by buying fast passes – dubbed Premier Access – but if you’re on a tight budget these aren’t always the way to go.

However, there’s one little-known Disneyland Pass that not only lets you skip the queues for rides and characters, but also gets you easier access to some of the best spots for seeing the fireworks shows and parades. Dubbed the ‘Bambi pass’ by those in the know, it’s completely FREE of charge. Another perk? Those who hold it can bring up to FOUR people along to the front of the queue too.

The only catch? You’ll need to be pregnant if you want to use it. The ‘Pregnant Woman bracelet’ (we prefer the name Bambi Pass) is a band that you can collect at the information desks, and they’ll give you Priority Access to the majority of what the parks have to offer.

READ MORE: ‘I took my baby to Disneyland Paris and was surprised at the rides he could do’

The pass isn’t actually a secret – in fact, if you know where to look you can find all the details on the Disneyland Paris website. However, it’s one that often gets overlooked by expectant mums who just assume they can’t join in on the fun.

Not only can they join in the fun, but they can bring their family with them – four people on rides, and two for shows or parade viewing spots.

Of course it’s worth noting that there are some rides which you won’t be able to go on if you’re pregnant, so if you are thinking of going, it’s worth checking the theme park website to check exactly which rides and attractions you’d want to do, to avoid disappointment. Still, it could prove useful if you’re thinking of taking your toddlers or older kids to Disneyland before their new sibling arrives – and means you can all still enjoy the bulk of the magic together.

READ MORE: ‘I went to Disneyland Paris and found the hidden attraction most people miss’

A guide to the pass on the Disneyland Paris website explains: “Collect this bracelet on presentation of a medical certificate dated less than 3 months (French or English) at the dedicated counters at the entrance to Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios, at hotel concierge services or at City Hall and Studio Services.

“The Pregnant Woman bracelet allows priority but not immediate access to attractions, shows and meetings with Disney Characters, as well as to the cash desks of our restaurants and shops. Contact our Cast Members.

“You can be accompanied by 4 attendants for the attractions and indoors shows, and 2 attendants for the parades and outdoors shows.

“Please consult the Accessibility Maps for details of how to access our attractions.”

You can find out more on the Disneyland Paris website.

Do you have a story to tell us? Email us at [email protected].

Russia has become the first country to accept the Taliban government in Afghanistan since the group took power in 2021, building on years of quieter engagement and marking a dramatic about-turn from the deep hostilities that marked their ties during the group’s first stint in power.

Since the Taliban stormed Kabul in August four years ago, taking over from the government of then-President Ashraf Ghani, several nations – including some that have historically viewed the group as enemies – have reached out to them. Yet until Thursday, no one has formally recognised the Taliban.

So what exactly did Russia do, and will Moscow’s move pave the way for others to also start full-fledged diplomatic relations with the Taliban?

What did Russia say?

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying that Moscow’s recognition of the Taliban government will pave the way for bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan.

“We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields,” the statement said.

The Foreign Ministry said it would seek cooperation in energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure.

How did the Taliban respond?

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in an X post on Thursday that Russian ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and conveyed the Kremlin’s decision to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

The Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Mr. Dmitry Zhirnov, called on IEA-Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

During the meeting, the Ambassador of Russian Federation officially conveyed his government’s decision to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, pic.twitter.com/wCbJKpZYwm

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Afghanistan (@MoFA_Afg) July 3, 2025

Muttaqi said in a video posted on X: “We value this courageous step taken by Russia, and, God willing, it will serve as an example for others as well.”

What is the history between Russia and Afghanistan?

In 1979, troops from the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to establish a communist government. This triggered a 10-year war with the Afghan mujahideen fighters backed by US forces. About 15,000 Soviet soldiers died in this war.

In 1992, after rockets launched by rebel groups hit the Russian embassy in Kabul, Moscow closed its diplomatic mission to Afghanistan.

The Russian-backed former president, Mohammad Najibullah, who had been seeking refuge in a United Nations compound in Kabul since 1992, was killed by the Taliban in 1996, when the group first came to power.

During the late 1990s, Russia backed anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan, including the Northern Alliance led by former mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Then, on September 11, 2001, suicide attackers, affiliated with the armed group al-Qaeda, seized United States passenger planes and crashed into two skyscrapers in New York City, killing nearly 3,000 people. This triggered the so-called “war on terror” by then-US President George W Bush.

In the aftermath of the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first foreign leaders to call Bush and express his sympathy and pledge support. Putin provided the US with assistance to attack Afghanistan. Russia cooperated with the US by sharing intelligence, opening Russian airspace for US flights and collaborating with Russia’s Central Asian allies to establish bases and provide airspace access to flights from the US.

In 2003, after the Taliban had been ousted from power by the US-led coalition, Russia designated the group as a terrorist movement.

But in recent years, as Russia has increasingly grown concerned about the rise of the ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) group – a regional branch of the ISIS/ISIL armed group – it has warmed to the Taliban. The Taliban view ISIS-K as a rival and enemy.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, accompanied by the withdrawal of US forces supporting the Ghani government, Russia’s relations with the group have become more open. A Taliban delegation attended Russia’s flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg in 2022 and 2024.

With the ISIS-K’s threat growing (the group claimed a March 2024 attack at a concert hall in Moscow in which gunmen killed 149 people), Russia has grown only closer to the Taliban.

In July 2024, Russian President Putin called the Taliban “allies in the fight against terrorism”. Muttaqi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow in October 2024.

In April 2025, Russia lifted the “terrorist” designation from the Taliban. Lavrov said at the time that “the new authorities in Kabul are a reality,” adding Moscow should adopt a “pragmatic, not ideologised policy” towards the Taliban.

How has the rest of the world engaged with the Taliban?

The international community does not officially recognise the Taliban. The United Nations refers to the administration as the “Taliban de facto authorities”.

Despite not officially recognising the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan, several countries have recently engaged diplomatically with the group.

China: Even before the US pulled out of Afghanistan, Beijing was building its relations with the Taliban, hosting its leaders in 2019 for peace negotiations.

But relations have picked up further since the group returned to power, including through major investments. In 2023, a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) signed a 25-year contract with the Taliban to extract oil from the basin of the Amu Darya river, which spans Central Asian countries and Afghanistan. This marked the first major foreign investment since the Taliban’s takeover.

In 2024, Beijing recognised former Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karim as an official envoy to China during an official ceremony, though it made clear that it was not recognising the Taliban government itself.

And in May this year, China hosted the foreign ministers of Pakistan and the Taliban for a trilateral conclave.

Pakistan: Once the Taliban’s chief international supporter, Pakistan’s relations with the group have frayed significantly since 2021.

Islamabad now accuses the Taliban government of allowing armed groups sheltering on Afghan soil, in particular the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to target Pakistan. TTP, also called the Pakistani Taliban, operates on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and is responsible for many of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan in recent years. Afghanistan denies Pakistan’s allegation.

In December 2024, the Pakistani military launched air strikes in Afghanistan’s Paktia province, which borders Pakistan’s tribal district of South Waziristan. While Pakistan said it had targeted sites where TTP fighters had sought refuge, the Taliban government said that 46 civilians in Afghanistan were killed in the air strikes.

This year, Pakistan also ramped up the deportation of Afghan refugees, further stressing ties. Early this year, Pakistan said it wants three million Afghans to leave the country.

Tensions over armed fighters from Afghanistan in Pakistan continue. On Friday, the Pakistani military said it killed 30 fighters who tried to cross the border from Afghanistan. The Pakistani military said all the fighters killed belonged to the TTP or its affiliates.

Still, Pakistan has tried to manage its complex relationship with Afghanistan. In April this year, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Muttaqi and other Afghan officials in Kabul. Dar and Muttaqi spoke again in May.

India: New Delhi had shut its Kabul embassy in 1996 after the Taliban took over. India refused to recognise the group, which it viewed as a proxy of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.

New Delhi reopened its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban was removed from power in 2001. But the embassy and India’s consulates came under repeated attacks in the subsequent years from the Taliban and its allies, including the Haqqani group.

Yet since the Taliban’s return to Kabul, and amid mounting tensions between Pakistan and the group, India’s approach has changed. It reopened its embassy, shut temporarily in 2021, and sent diplomats to meet Taliban officials. Then, in January 2025, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri flew to Dubai for a meeting with Muttaqi.

And in May, India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar spoke to Muttaqi over the phone, their first publicly acknowledged conversation.

Iran: As with Russia and India, Iran viewed the Taliban with antagonism during the group’s rule in the late 1990s. In 1998, Taliban fighters killed Iranian diplomats in Mazar-i-Sharif, further damaging relations.

But it views ISIS-K as a much bigger threat. Since the Taliban’s return to Kabul, and behind closed doors, even earlier, Tehran has been engaging with the group.

On May 17, Muttaqi visited Iran to attend the Tehran Dialogue Forum. He also met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Massoud Pezeshkian.

After Russia, will others recognise the Taliban?

While each country will likely decide when and if to formally recognise the Taliban government, many already work with the group in a capacity that amounts, almost, to recognition.

“Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries don’t necessarily have much of an option but to engage with the Taliban for both strategic and security purposes,” Kabir Taneja, a deputy director at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, told Al Jazeera.

“Most would not be doing so out of choice, but enforced realities that the Taliban will be in Afghanistan for some time to come at least.”

Taneja said that other countries which could follow suit after Russia’s recognition of the Taliban include some countries in Central Asia, as well as China.

“Russia’s recognition of the Taliban is a geopolitical play,” Taneja said.

“It solidifies Moscow’s position in Kabul, but more importantly, gives the Taliban itself a big win. For the Taliban, international recognition has been a core aim for their outreach regionally and beyond.”

Southwold, in Suffolk, boasts a sandy beach, operational lighthouse, and award-winning pier – but it’s the budget-friendly fish and chips that has made it a must-visit location

Tucked away on the Suffolk coast, the idyllic seaside town of Southwold has been revealed as a hidden gem that deserves a spot on every British staycation bucket list. This charming town, with a population of just over 1,000, boasts an array of beautiful pastel-hued seaside buildings and offers the most affordable fish and chips in the UK, according to Capital on Tap.

Southwold has also been crowned the best seaside town in the UK, with the Camping and Caravanning Club praising it as a “great destination year-round, whether you plan to visit during the summer for an ice cream or in the winter for blustery walks and cosy pub lunches.“

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The town’s attractions include a sandy beach, a working lighthouse, and an award-winning pier. A visit to the Adnams Brewery, located next to the lighthouse, is a must during any stay. After enjoying a drink at the brewery, visitors can indulge in the town’s budget-friendly fish and chips, reports the Express.

According to Capital on Tap, a meal of fish and chips in Southwold costs just 1.06% of the average weekly salary, making it the most cost-effective location for this quintessential British dish.

A typical serving costs £8.35, which is £6 less than at Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire. The publication enthused that “this seaside town proves that quality doesn’t always come at a premium.

Impressively, despite the lower cost, Southwold’s fish and chips boast a rating of 4.5 out of 5, indicating that customers are consistently pleased with their dining experience.

“For those seeking affordability without sacrificing taste or satisfaction, Southwold stands out as a top choice.”

Tourism chiefs at The Suffolk Coast recommend the brewery tours offered throughout the year, noting “there is no shortage of pubs and restaurants at which to sample the variety of Adnams beers on offer”.

Southwold shines with its twin beaches – Southwold Pier Beach towards the north and the more rugged Southwold Denes Beach down south.

The former presents the epitome of a British beach holiday spot, whereas the latter provides an untamed blend of sand and shingle.

More than just sands and waters, Southwold Pier Beach draws visitors with its ice cream stalls, vibrant beach huts along the prom, and has even clinched both Blue Flag status and a Seaside Award for 2024. For reassurance during peak season, lifeguards keep watch from May through September.

To satisfy cravings by the sea, there’s Southwold Pier, Southwold Boating Lake and Tearooms, and Suzie’s Beach Cafe among the ample selection of eateries. Venturing into the town centre reveals a charm-packed mix of cafes and shops.

For little adventurers, there’s an array of activities beyond the beach, such as a maize maze complete with ride-on tractors, sandpits and even the thrill of a zip wire – far more than your average farmyard maze!

A 20-minute lighthouse tour provides a glimpse into its role in guiding ships into Southwold Harbour and includes the charming Edwardian pier, which houses quaint shops, eateries, and traditional amusements including the old-fashioned two penny pushers.