Pope Francis says he is suffering from acute and infectious bronchitis

Asian shares are mostly lower after China reported weaker growth than forecast in the last quarter

Watch live as Antony Blinken and his Finnish counterpart speak in Helsinki on Friday, 2 June. The US secretary of state and the Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto will sign a joint statement and make short remarks. Mr Blinken has made a trip to Europe to "deepen transatlantic cooperation on top national security and economic priorities." He is visiting Helsinki to highlight the US's relationship with Nato's newest ally. So far he has visited Lulea, Sweden, where he co-chaired the fourth meeting of the US-EU Trade and Technology Council, holding discussions on technology, holding Russia accountable, and supporting Ukraine. Mr Blinken met with Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson and Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billström. The US secretary of state's trip to Helsinki comes after he departed Norway, where he participated in an informal meeting of Nato foreign ministers to discuss the alliance's Vilnius summit which will be held in July. Read More US reopens embassy in Seychelles after 27-year absence France, Germany urge new elections in Kosovo following flare-up in ethnic tensions White House imposing sanctions as Sudan's warring sides fail to abide by cease-fire deal

'I love this city just like I love the whole state,' said Janet Mills

MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 26, 2023--

Rapper Offset has teased new music with a hilarious spoof skit featuring the actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Offset made the announcement of new music with a viral clip posted across his social media pages, that featured Curtis playing the role of a news presenter and himself parodying a musical legend. It appears the rapper took inspiration from the funk performer James Brown and his infamous 1988 CNN interview after he was released on bail for alleged assault on his wife. Curtis, as the news reporter, could be heard asking Offset: “Your fans are saying that there's a lot of drama between you and your beautiful wife, Cardi B.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Offset simply laughed in response, and Curtis’ reporter character replied: “You’re not going to answer my f**king question, are you?” Curtis continued, saying, “She seems upset, Offset”. Offset ended the video, stating, “Let’s talk about some music” before the words “July 28th” appeared on the screen. The video parodied the Brown interview in which reporter Sonya Friedman attempted to ask the singer about his relationship and the charges, but Brown evaded the question by laughing, singing and veering the conversation to his tour. On Twitter, the clip has been viewed 2.5 million times and people have commented on the creativity of the announcement. “The James Brown reference got me cackling!!!” one person said. Someone else wrote: “I wanna know what the call to Jamie was like for this one.” “Got queen Jamie Lee Curtis to help re-enact one of the greatest interviews of all time. This is art,” wrote another Twitter user. Someone else said: “Amazing promo.” The hilarious promo comes after Cardi B publicly warned her husband Offset amid cheating accusations. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

New ick unlocked: People are paying for blue ticks on Instagram. Avid Instagrammers will have noticed the surge of blue ticks taking over the platform, leaving people confused as to how their friend become an overnight internet sensation. As exciting as that would be, it's sadly not the case. Instead, people are using their hard-earned money for a blue badge. For the blissfully unaware, Instagram followed in the footsteps of Twitter recently by offering a monthly subscription service from £9.99 a month. Let's break this down: Public figures Instagram offer free blue tick verification to public figures including professionals, journalists, influencers, celebrities and brands who meet the platform's account and eligibility requirements. Their accounts must be authentic, unique, complete and notable, meaning they "must represent a well-known, highly searched for person, brand or entity". "We review accounts that are featured in multiple news sources, and we don't consider paid or sponsored media content as sources for review," Instagram said. Once verified, public figures, celebrities and brands that meet certain account and eligibility requirements may not change their username on their account – nor can it be transferred to a different account. On the flip side, there's 'Meta Verified', the new subscription model that allows any Instagram user to pay monthly for a tick. As it stands, Instagram has used the same colour and design for both paying users and notable figures, making it difficult for users to set the two apart. Whether or not they will make the two more identifiable in the future is unclear. Meta Verified / paying subscribers Now, anyone can apply to be verified using their ID and a spare £10 a month. Meta suggests it's to help people have more protection from impersonation and give them access to a "real person" if they encounter any issues. Indy100 reached out to Instagram for comment. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

West Indies have recalled all-rounder Keemo Paul and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie for the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe...

Aston Villa have opened talks over a deal for Athletic Club winger Nico Williams as they look to lure him to England.

NEW YORK A former FBI agent accused by U.S. prosecutors of working for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska

Katie Taylor’s success has been paving the way for young Irish fighters as women’s boxing gains popularity around the world

Tottenham are confident of finalising the signing of Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson on deadline day.