List of All Articles with Tag 'ties'

Singer Taylor Swift turned down Meghan Markle’s personal request to appear as a guest on her now-cancelled podcast Archetypes. When they stepped down as working members of the royal family in January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle soon found other roles that kept them busy. Through their podcast production company, Archewell Audio, they brokered a deal with Spotify, through which Markle launched her own podcast series, Archetypes. The first episode was released in August 2023, but the podcast series was axed after just one season, despite high-profile guest stars such as tennis legend Serena Williams and pop icon Mariah Carey. But, even with her vast connections, Markle was unable to secure Taylor Swift who declined her invitation to appear on the podcast after she had sent her a hand-written letter. According to the Wall Street Journal, singer Swift turned Markle’s personal request down to appear on Archetypes via a representative, for unknown reasons. In the podcast series, Markled discussed the history of negative stereotypes used to label women with her celebrity guests. It won the top podcast award at the People’s Choice Awards, but despite this, it was cancelled by Spotify in June after airing 12 episodes. The cancellation comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly struggled to come good on the $20 million Spotify deal, leading to its collapse. Bill Simmons, Spotify’s head of podcast innovation and monetisation, called the pair "f**king grifters”. 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.

Elton John performed at Glastonbury last night and people were very excited. Addressing the huge crowd at the Pyramid stage as he took to the stage, the headline star said: "I never thought I’d play Glastonbury and here I am. It’s a very special and emotional night for me as it may be my last ever show in England, so I better play well and entertain you as you’ve been standing there so long." Before his performance, there were rumours he would bring out guests to perform with him, and fans wondered if he would bring Britney Spears given they have a song together, Hold Me Closer. But she was a no-show. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Elton brought out Jacob Lusk as guest number one. He was followed by Stephen Sanchez as the second guest, and then Brandon Flowers who performed the Britney hit with Elton. Rina Sawayama was the fourth and final singer that Elton brought out. People on social media raged about Britney's absence: You can't satisfy everyone. 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.

Brandon Flowers sported a drastically different look to what fans were used to as he took to the stage with Sir Elton John for the final night of Glastonbury festival on Sunday. The Killers frontman, 42, wore a bright red suit and a blue shirt, while fans pointed out that he also sported a glowing tan, neatly styled hair and gleaming white teeth, in a look which has been compared to Alan Partridge. He joined Sir Elton to perform his 1971 hit 'Tiny Dancer' during the pop legend’s final UK show of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Journalist Nooruddean Choudry tweeted: “Did Brandon Flowers stick his head in a beehive?” Another person said: “Enjoying Brandon Flowers with Elton John,” with a picture of Alan Partridge in a similar outfit. One commenter added that Flowers looked like “an android televangelist”. The performance saw Sir Elton perform some of his biggest hits, including 'Rocket Man', 'Tiny Dancer' and 'Crocodile Rock'. He thanked his fans for “52 years of amazing love and loyalty”. He told the crowd: “I want to thank you for all dressing up in your costumes and your glasses and your outfits ... it makes me feel so happy. Thank you for your love. And I want to thank you, also, for 52 years of amazing love and loyalty that you've shown me.” Despite some people commenting on Flowers’ appearance in his guest role, others were quick to defend him. Some posted videos of The Killers’ memorable performance of their hit 'Mr Brightside' when they headlined Glastonbury in 2019. Others shared a screenshot of a message, apparently from another social media website, which said: “God forbid he takes good care of his skin, god forbid he has white teeth, god forbid he likes his hair to look a certain way”. Another person posted a picture of the two embracing at the end of the performance, saying: “I’m not crying, you are.” 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.

Mr Obama said last week that India may "start pulling apart" if minority rights weren't protected.

Elvis Presley's stepbrother believes the singer died by suicide over the guilt of having many young lovers. In a new documentary called Elvis’ Women on Prime, David Stanley alleged that Elvis "premeditated taking the medications that killed him," and he "just couldn't go on." Stanley, who was a part of the star's entourage throughout the seventies, was at Graceland on the day of Elvis' death in August 1977. He died from a heart attack due to a drug overdose. The 85-year-old claimed it was down to "love, hurt, pain, exposure — he just couldn’t take it any more" after believing it was down to his fears of reported relationships with young girls that could have been exposed in a book. "His taste for young girls, aged 15 or 16, made me sick," his stepbrother said in the series, adding that it was a "miracle" he wasn't "busted". "He got away with things most people didn’t because of his money, fortune, fame and power, charisma and magnetism. Elvis could talk the socks off you," he continued. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The series includes interviews with women who claimed to be involved with Elvis at a young age, one of which being Jackie Rowland, who went to see Elvis in concert at the age of 13. She said her mother realised she had a crush on the star and made a pact that if she lost weight, she would be taken to the concert. "I went on the Elvis Love Diet and lost 80lb in a year," she said, which prompted her mother to write to Elvis to explain the effect he had on her. The star allegedly invited them to meet him with his own parents, Gladys and Vernon Presley. Elvis allegedly started nibbling her ear and licking her neck. She claimed: "I told him to stop,’ and he said: ‘Oh Mrs Rowland, what is the matter with your daughter? She is not normal.'" Indy100 reached out to Elvis' estate 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.

Lance Armstrong has been accused of staggering hypocrisy after wading into a public debate about transgender representation in sport. The disgraced former cyclist, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in 2012 after being found guilty of multiple doping offences, boasted on Twitter that he was “uniquely placed” to speak about divisive subjects. Announcing the launch of a special series of his podcast ‘The Forward’, he tweeted: “Of all the controversial and polarizing subjects out there today, I'm not sure there are any as heated as the topic of Trans athletes in sport. “Is there not a world in which one can be supportive of the transgender community and curious about the fairness of Trans athletes in sport yet not be labelled a transphobe or a bigot as we ask questions? Do we yet know the answers? And do we even want to know the answers? “I do. Hence these conversations… a special series of The Forward, beginning Monday, where I dive into this issue with an open mind in an attempt learn as much as possible from all sides of the debate.” He ended his thread: “I hope that for those who have been reluctant to have this conversation, this somehow feels safe. Be fearless.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter His announcement has not gone down well with fellow social media users, countless of whom have picked up on his eyebrow-raising choice of wording. Here’s what they had to say about his so-called curiosity about the “fairness” of trans sportspeople’s inclusion in competitive events: The furore comes just weeks after World Athletics (WA) announced a banon transgender athletes who have been through male puberty from female category events, following similar codes to those of rugby and swimming. At the end of March, the organisation’s president, Lord Sebastian Coe, said that the decision was driven by the need to “protect the female category”. “We cannot in all consciousness leave our transgender regulations as they were,” he said. Elsewhere, Alun Williams, Professor of Sport and Exercise Genomics at Manchester Metropolitan University, agreed that athletics’ previous approach of allowing transgender women to compete in female events with reduced levels of testosterone did not equate to fairness. He told the PA news agency: “There are key biological differences that appear predominantly during male puberty due to elevated testosterone while growth is still going on. “Those differences seem to persist whatever happens for the rest of someone’s life, including if they then lower testosterone down to what is the typical female range. “The biological effects that are related to sport – like an increase in skeleton size, having larger muscles that are stronger, increase in the size of organs like the heart that help in all sorts of activity – those persist. “On that basis, the choice for the authorities like World Athletics is to make a decision – do they prioritise fairness or do they prioritise inclusion, but there’s no evidence at the moment that those two can be met at the same time.” However, critics of a blanket ban argue that not enough research has been done to draw such a conclusion. Liz Ward, director of programmes at Stonewall, which campaigns for LGBTQ+ rights and equality, said: “It is so disappointing to see World Athletics announce a unilateral ban on trans women in track and field events. “Their own statement recognises that there are no trans women competing at an international level and that they have no specific evidence to justify the ban. “It is vital that decisions about trans participation are based on robust evidence, specific to the sport played and the athletes competing at that level of the sport. “We stand with trans people who now have the door closed on their chance to compete in athletic sports at an international level.” 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.

Dave Grohl surprised fans with a third appearance at Glastonbury on Saturday (24 June), as he joined Guns N' Roses on stage for their closing track. The band performed a two-hour-plus set with tracks including 'Live And Let Die', 'Knocking On Heaven’s Door', 'Sweet Child O’ Mine and November Rain'. Festival-goers were delighted as guitarist Slash performed the opening riff to their 1987 hit song 'Welcome To The Jungle.' Switching up the lyrics, Axl Rose sang: "Do you know where you are? You’re in the jungle, Glastonbury!" The lead singer later invited Foo Fighters frontman Grohl onstage to help them close out the show with an explosive performance of 'Paradise City'. Grohl had appeared earlier on Saturday as a guest for The Pretenders, having previously performed a secret slot with Foo Fighters on Friday (23 June). Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It didn't take long for fans to turn to Twitter, with one writing: "Wow! Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Guns N' Roses rocks the house with Dave Grohl for an electrifying performance of Paradise City!" "Ohh Dave Grohl and Guns ‘n’ Roses at #Glastonbury. Actually Dave Grohl at anything," another added. Meanwhile, a third poked fun at his multiple appearances, writing: "David Grohl sure gets around, doesn’t he? I’m fully expecting him to come up in the piano in Elton Johns set tonight." It comes after Grohl was spotted on the train to Glastonbury earlier in the day after posing with a member of staff for a photo. A GWR spokesman said: ""Even rock royalty knows that there is no better way to travel to Glastonbury than by train! You never know who is going to churn up on board our trains!" 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.

By Polina Devitt and Dmitry Zhdannikov LONDON Following are facts about oil, gas and grains flows in Russia's

A growing number of people -- many in medical or artistic fields -- have found themselves catapulted into the digital limelight after becoming accidental stars in the ASMR community.

Fans finally got to watch Artic Monkeys' hotly anticipated Glastonbury set after they returned to the biggest weekend in music for the third time. The iconic British band took to the Pyramid stage on Friday night (23 June), playing a wide range of songs from their extensive catalogue, including old classics like 'Mardy Bum' to tracks off of their latest album, The Car. The band came on stage just after 10pm following Royal Blood as well as the mystery band 'The Churnups', who turned out to be The Foo Fighters. However, some were left disappointed by the band's performance. One Twitter user posted a video of the band's set where a man in the crowd is seen yawning with the caption "sums it up". Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Some said the band 'butchered' the show, whilst others nostalgically longed for the time the band was "good". "I'm sorry but I refuse to believe anyone enjoys watching Arctic Monkeys live," wrote one user. "They sound so off beat, slow and lazy." Others called frontman Alex Turner "pretentious": However, many still enjoyed the set and criticised those who were complaining: There were worries that the headliners would pull out before the show, after cancelling a concert in Dublin a few days before the festival. The band were "extremely sorry" for having to cancel their show at Marlay Park, Dublin, after they revealed lead singer Alex Turner was "suffering from acute laryngitis" and "has been ordered to rest." 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.

Two of the richest men are going head to head in a cage fight, but who would win if Elon Musk went toe to toe with Mark Zuckerberg? In case you missed it, the tech billionaires appear to have verbally agreed to a fight after Musk said that he was “up for a cage match” after rumours emerged that the Meta boss was working on a Twitter rival. Zuckerberg responded with a screenshot of Musk’s tweet with the caption “send me location”. A spokesperson for Meta confirmed to The Verge that Mr Zuckerberg’s response was not a joke, saying “the story speaks for itself”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Then, Musk replied to news of the fight on Twitter and appeared to set the location as “Vegas Octagon” – UFC Apex centre in Nevada. So, who would win? We’re going to stick our necks out here – we’re absolutely convinced Zuckerberg could win this one pretty comfortably. First of all, it looks like he’s been spending more time on MMA than developing the metaverse at this point. He previously posted about his martial arts training on Facebook. Back in May, he competed in his first jiu-jitsu tournament, having trained with UFC prospects in the build-up. “Competed in my first jiu jitsu tournament and won some medals for the Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu team,” the 38-year-old wrote on Instagram, alongside some photos of him taking part. He genuinely seems pretty good at it too, despite some confusion over the result of one referee ruling. The 38-year-old actually won gold and silver medals at his first public competition. Referee Lucas Costa, who is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert, previously spoke to bloodyelbow.com about his prowess as a fighter. Speaking about the experience of meeting him, Costa said: “Mark’s fight was a surprise… I was impressed though. “He seemed like a normal guy. Looked me in the eye, gave me a firm handshake and an even bigger surprise was that he fights well.” So, we know that Zuckerberg spends a lot of time on this, he has respect for the form and has a bit of technique to back it up. On the other hand, Musk has admitted that he does not exercise. He wrote on Twitter recently: “I almost never work out, except for picking up my kids and throwing them in the air.” So, even if they had a few months to train, Zuckerberg has the edge on him there. There is however the issue of size. Musk is comfortably six foot and weighs around two and half stone more than Zuckerberg – and this is something Musk has already talked about potentially exploiting with a specialist move. “I have a move called ‘The Walrus’, which I used on a friend of mine who’s very agile,” he told the Full Send podcast, going into his hypothetical fight plans. “But I was like, let me explain to you why there are weight classes in MMA. I’m going to use a move called ‘The Walrus’, where I just lie on you and you can’t get away. Zuckerberg is also 12 years Musk's junior, but there is a potential flaw in his fighting style which Musk could look to exploit: if Musk does end up training and has been offered to be coached by former kickboxer Andrew Tate, he could look to exploit Zuckerberg’s overly attacking style Discussing the Meta CEO’s fighting style, referee Lucas Costa also added: “He goes forward a lot. He attacks more. With very little defence.” Perhaps this would give Musk a game plan – but, honestly, there’s something about Zuckerberg’s cold, vacant stare that would put us off ever wanting to fight him in a ring. He’s got this fight behind the eyes, for sure – if the fight ever ends up happening, our money’s on him. 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.

Adipurush, with all the elements of a blockbuster, was expected to rule the Indian box office - but it didn't.