Lil Nas X is single again.

The ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ singer has confirmed he’s no longer dating his mystery boyfriend because he “didn’t want to” see him anymore, though he declined to share any further details.

During an appearance on Sirius XM’s ‘Andy Cohen Live’, the presenter asked Nas about his relationship and if he could share any details.

However, his guest replied: “I was seeing someone. Um, I kind of decided I didn’t want to anymore.”

Andy said: “All right. OK. Well, I have to, I have to, uh, assume that there are thousands of people applying for the job of a Lil Nas X’s boyfriend.”

But the 22-year-old star insisted he isn’t looking for a relationship at the moment because he wants to focus on his career.

He replied: “There are definitely a couple of people for sure. A couple of people out there…I don’t want to ruin anybody’s perception of [‘That’s What I Want’], but I don’t think I want any guy right now.

“Maybe I’m floating around right now. I just want to work on music and every now and then, you know, maybe I’ll kiss a guy, every blue moon, you know.”

Just a month ago, Nas gushed about how “effortless” his romance with his mystery boyfriend, who he met in May, was.

He said: “I feel like this is one of the best [relationships] yet. I’m really happy about it, and it all just feels natural. It’s effortless.”

The ‘Old Town Road’ hitmaker had previously suggested that his boyfriend could be “the one”.

He said: “I’ve had some good boyfriends and some bad ones. A lot of them were emotionally unavailable or had a lot of insecurity and whatnot.

“I’ve found someone special now. I think this is the one. I can’t explain it – it’s just a feeling.”

Cher thinks Britney Spears can embark on “a new life” after a judge suspended her dad’s position as conservator of her estate.

The 75-year-old pop icon has taken to Twitter to express her joy and relief at the news, which came after a judge concluded that Jamie Spears’ position in charge of his daughter’s affairs had become “untenable”.

Cher wrote on the micro-blogging platform: “Thank God [sparkles emoji] I’ve Talked & [prayer emoji] ‘d About This 4 YEARS [clapping emoji] . IM MORE THAN THRILLED 4 HER [cake emoji] BLESS OUR SUPER [star emoji] #FREEBRITNEY (sic)”

The ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ hitmaker now believes Britney can begin a new chapter in her life, having been under a conservatorship since 2008.

Cher tweeted: “[prayer emoji] THIS WILL [bee emoji] THE START [footprints emoji] OF A NEW LIFE,BRIT [kissing emoji] Me (sic)”

Bette Midler has also expressed her support for the chart-topping pop star.

The 75-year-old singer observed that Britney has spent the last 13 years “in the wilderness”.

She tweeted: “#BritneySpears is free. Congratulations to everyone who helped bring this about, especially Britney, who, after 13 years in the wilderness, never gave up until she was finally heard. (sic)”

Elsewhere, La Toya Jackson has also offered her congratulations to Britney after the court ruling.

She wrote on the micro-blogging site: “A huge congratulations to Britney Spears!!! #FreeBritney #freedom #BritneySpears (sic)”

Dionne Warwick posted a similar message, observing that Britney can now “breathe” and enjoy her life after being under a conservatorship for so many years.

She wrote online: “This is wonderful news. She can now breathe. Congratulations, Britney. Enjoy your life!”

Britney’s lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, hailed the ruling as a “monumental” moment for the 39-year-old singer.

He added: “This is a substantial step toward her freedom.

“It’s been a lot of hard work. It’s been intense. I’m proud. Britney’s proud.”

The attorney also credited the Free Britney movement for being “instrumental” in moving the ‘Circus’ singer’s case along, including having him come in to replace her court-appointed attorney, Sam Ingham, in July.

He added: “And to the extent that it allowed my firm to carry the ball across the finish line, I thank them as well.”

Mathew’s next step is to file a petition outlining plans to terminate the conservatorship completely, and he’s optimistic Britney – who hasn’t had control of her own affairs since 2008 – has got a “great future ahead of her.”

Sir Ridley Scott will begin working on the ‘Gladiator’ sequel after shooting ‘Kitbag’.

The 83-year-old director is currently focused on his new Joaquin Phoenix-led project about Napoleon Bonapart, but Ridley subsequently intends to start work on the long-awaited sequel to ‘Gladiator’, his award-winning historical drama.

He told Empire: “I’m already having [the next] ‘Gladiator’ written now. So when I’ve done Napoleon, ‘Gladiator’ will be ready to go.”

‘Kitbag’ is expected to be released in 2023, meaning that the ‘Gladiator’ sequel might not hit cinema screens until 2024 at the earliest.

Ridley has been tentatively working on the concept for years, but Russell Crowe – who starred in the original movie – will not be returning for the sequel, as his character met his demise in the 2000 hit.

Russell, 57, won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius in the acclaimed historical drama.

And the Hollywood star previously admitted that he feels incredibly proud of the film’s enduring legacy, explaining that it has achieved something rare in the film industry.

He said last year: “The standout thing with this film, and 20 years later I can say with confidence that somewhere in the world, today, tonight, that movie will be played on prime-time. And it’s 20 years since it came out. Not every movie lasts in that way.”

Ridley also regards the movie as one of his career highlights.

The acclaimed filmmaker – whose credits also include ‘Alien’ and ‘Black Hawk Down’ – shared: “I think ‘Gladiator’ would have to go up near the top one, two or three, and after nearly 30 movies, that’s crazy.”

By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department’s internal watchdog on Thursday said he had uncovered “widespread non-compliance” with the FBI’s domestic surveillance program, dealing the bureau another setback and raising questions about the accuracy of the information underpinning its wiretap warrants.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s findings mark the latest problem uncovered since 2019, when his office first discovered https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia/mistakes-but-no-political-bias-in-fbi-probe-of-trump-campaign-watchdog-idUSKBN1YD11L the FBI had made numerous errors in its warrant applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as part of the early probe into contacts between President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.

Horowitz’s report on Thursday entailed an audit of the FBI’s so-called “Woods Procedures” – rules the bureau follows to ensure FISA applications to the court are “scrupulously accurate.”

“A failure to adhere to the Woods Procedures … could easily lead to errors that do impact probable cause — and therefore potentially call into question the legal basis for the government’s use of highly intrusive FISA warrants,” Horowitz said.

In a statement, National Security Division Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark Lesko said the FBI “has already implemented numerous reforms” and that the department is committed to “meet the highest standards of accuracy.”

In 2019, the inspector general revealed the FBI had severely botched applications to continue monitoring the communications of Carter Page, a former adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign.

The errors prompted a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge to issue a rare public ruling https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-fbi/u-s-judge-blasts-fbi-over-handling-of-wiretap-applications-of-ex-trump-campaign-adviser-idUSKBN1YL2FX ordering the FBI to detail how it would correct its policies and procedures.

Horowitz’s findings led Special Counsel John Durham to later file charges against FBI Attorney Kevin Clinesmith for falsifying a document used in a FISA application to monitor Page. Clinesmith pleaded guilty https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-clinesmith/ex-fbi-lawyer-pleads-guilty-to-doctoring-email-in-russia-probe-of-trump-campaign-idUSKCN25F16S in August 2020.

The ACLU, which has long expressed concerns about the FISA process, said in a statement on Thursday that Horowitz’s report shows “yet more evidence that FISA surveillance is in need of reform.”

The FBI’s efforts since the Page debacle “have not gone nearly far enough,” ACLU attorney Ashley Gorski said.

Thursday’s audit is an extension of an earlier report from Horowitz from March 2020 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-justice-fbi-surveillance/justice-department-cites-more-flaws-in-fbi-handling-of-surveillance-warrants-idUSKBN21I29U in which he found 209 errors in 29 applications.

Since then, he said his office had uncovered an additional 200 errors or lack of supporting documents in those applications – and he accused the FBI and the National Security Division of displaying “a tolerance for error.”

Jason Jones, the FBI’s general counsel, disagreed with that assertion in his response. He said the FBI has implemented reforms and that its “commitment to emphasize the importance of scrupulous accuracy will continue unabated.”

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Stephanie Grisham listens as then president Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One in 2019

Washington (AFP) – An aide dubbed the “Music Man” was tasked with playing calming tunes for Donald Trump when he went into rages, according to a scandal-filled book by a former press secretary.

Stephanie Grisham, notorious for not giving a single televised press conference while serving as Trump’s chief spokeswoman, writes in “I’ll Take Your Questions Now” that her boss went into “terrifying” rants.

The former president and his wife Melania have vociferously condemned the book, excerpts of which appeared Tuesday in The New York Times and Washington Post.

Current Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington branded Grisham a “disgruntled former employee” and said the book is “full of falsehoods.”

However, as a longtime insider in the tumultuous Trump years, Grisham’s book is attracting attention ahead of its publication next week.

One frequent target of Trump’s anger, the Times quoted the book as saying, was chief White House lawyer Pat Cipollone because he’d warn Trump that he was looking to do things that “were unethical or illegal. So (Trump would)… scream at them.”

Sometimes, Trump’s displeasure took bizarre turns, Grisham was quoted saying.

On one occasion, she was summoned on Air Force One to hear Trump push back against the unflattering description of his penis as resembling a “mushroom” by pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels.

To calm Trump’s moods, a handler known to White House staff as the “Music Man” would play him Broadway tunes, including “Memory” from the long-running hit show “Cats,” the book claims.

According to Grisham, the Trump White House revolved around the boss’s outsized ego, even when that meant lying to the public or stirring damaging rumors.

An example was Trump’s mysterious visit to the presidential hospital at Walter Reed Medical Center in 2019.

The White House’s refusal to explain the nature of the visit led to speculation that he was hiding a serious health problem.

Grisham says the visit was merely for a “very common procedure,” which she hints was a colonoscopy. However, Trump refused to go under sedation because that would have meant handing power for a short time over to his vice president, Mike Pence, and he believed this would be “showing weakness,” the Times quoted her as writing.

As for her own much criticized performance while holding the office of press secretary — she was often unresponsive to journalists and killed off the traditional daily briefing — Grisham claims she was just trying to stay out of trouble.

“I knew that sooner or later the president would want me to tell the public something that was not true or that would make me sound like a lunatic,” she wrote.

The Olsen twins have launched a gender-neutral kids’ clothing range for fall.

Mary-Kate and Ashely Olsen, 35, have unveiled their brand The Row’s first line of knitwear for youngsters

The former child stars said: “The items have to have a sense of practicality, ease, and comfort … We think of this for our main collections, but it’s even more important for kids. Over the past 10 years, we’ve personalised cashmere onesie and blanket sets for our clients and friends who have had kids. We wanted to explore that in a bigger way.”

On their decision to make the capsule collection genderless, Ashley added to W Magazine: “Kids are the heart of creativity… They should be able to pick and choose what they want to wear, no matter what.”

The extensive collection includes cashmere sweaters, trousers, cardigans, beanies, and velvet shoes, suitable for children aged two to 10.

The prices range between $390 to $790, and the pieces are available to purchase via The Row website.

The famous twins launched their fashion brand when they were just 18 in 2006, and the ‘New York Minute’ stars recently admitted they didn’t want it to be a celebrity brand.

Ashley explained: “We didn’t want to be in front of it, we didn’t necessarily even want to let people know it was us. It was really about the product, to the point where we were like: ‘Who could we get to front this so that we don’t have to?’”

The ‘Two of a Kind’ actresses insisted they were “raised” to be “discreet.

New York (AFP) – United Airlines will dismiss nearly 600 employees who refused to comply with a requirement to be vaccinated for Covid-19, company officials said Tuesday.

Besides the 593 workers who refused to get vaccinated, another 2,000 employees have also requested a medical or religious exemption to the vaccine requirement, company officials said. That is about three percent of United’s 67,000-person workforce.

The big US carrier said it was pleased with the overall impact of the policy. In early August, United announced that all US employees would be required to receive the vaccine and upload their vaccine card into the company’s system.

More than 99 percent of the remaining US staff complied with the requirement, according to a memo to employees from United Chief Executive Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart.

The airline is working on its policies for employees who have requested exemptions, citing a pending court case on the matter.

“This is a historic achievement for our airline and our employees as well as for the customers and communities we serve,” said the memo. “Our rationale for requiring the vaccine for all United’s US-based employees was simple –- to keep our people safe –- and the truth is this: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated, and vaccine requirements work.”

United said it would follow the requirements of agreements with unions as far as employee dismissals for people who refused vaccines.

“For the less than one percent of people who decided to not get vaccinated, we’ll unfortunately begin the process of separation from the airline per our policy,” the memo said. “This was an incredibly difficult decision but keeping our team safe has always been our first priority.”

Will Smith dreamed of having a harem of girlfriends including Halle Berry and Misty Copeland.

The ‘Men In Black’ actor – who is married to Jada Pinkett Smith – discussed his fantasy with intimacy coach Michaela Boehm and even had her work on the list with him and planned to contact the women, but ultimately realised the idea was “horrific”.

He said: “I don’t know where I saw it or some s*** as a teenager, but the idea of travelling with 20 women that I loved and took care of and all of that, it seemed like a really great idea.

“And then, after we played it out a little bit, I was like, ‘That would be horrific. That would be horrific.’ I was like, ‘Can you imagine how miserable?’”

However, Will still found it helpful to discuss his fantasy in depth.

He explained to America’s GQ magazine: ““What she was doing was essentially cleaning out my mind, letting it know it was OK to be me and be who I was.

” It was OK to think Halle is fine. It doesn’t make me a bad person that I’m married and I think Halle is beautiful.

“Whereas in my mind, in my Christian upbringing, even my thoughts were sins. That was really the process that Michaela worked me through to let me realise that my thoughts were not sins and even acting on an impure thought didn’t make me a piece of s***.”

Last year, Will and Jada candidly discussed the actress’ “entanglement” with singer August Alsina but the ‘Aladdin’ star admitted to the publication that his wife wasn’t “the only one engaging in other sexual relationships” outside of their marriage.

However, he declined to go into detail, particularly because his mindset has changed in recent years.

He explained: ““It may seem hard to believe, but I would lose sleep over not giving you the answer that I know you could use.

“I want to help you, I want you to succeed, I want you to have a headline.

“But by the same token, I don’t want to deal with the backlash of that in the world. To say I don’t want to talk about that three years ago would have been f****** excruciating for me.”

The 53-year-old star admitted Jada never “believed in conventional marriage” so they spent a long time figuring out their relationship boundaries.

He said: “Jada never believed in conventional marriage.… Jada had family members that had an unconventional relationship.

“So she grew up in a way that was very different than how I grew up. There were significant endless discussions about, what is relational perfection? What is the perfect way to interact as a couple? And for the large part of our relationship, monogamy was what we chose, not thinking of monogamy as the only relational perfection.”

But Will admitted their approach isn’t for everyone.

He said: “We have given each other trust and freedom, with the belief that everybody has to find their own way. And marriage for us can’t be a prison.

“And I don’t suggest our road for anybody. I don’t suggest this road for anybody. But the experiences that the freedoms that we’ve given one another and the unconditional support, to me, is the highest definition of love.”

Andrew Burnap beat Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Hiddleston to the Best Leading Actor in a Play prize, while ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ triumphed at the 2021 Tony Awards.

The prestigious ceremony returned on Sunday (26.09.21) and saw the 30-year-old actor honoured for his role as troubled playwright Toby Darling in Matthew Lopez’s ‘The Inheritance’, a play about AIDS, inspired by the novel ‘Howards End’ by E. M. Forster.

Andrew beat off stiff competition from movie stars Jake and Tom, both 40, who were shortlisted for their respective roles as Abe in ‘Sea Wall/A Life’ and Robert in ‘Betrayal’, as well as Tom Sturridge, who played Alex in the former play, and Ian Barford for ‘Linda Vista’.

‘The Inheritance’ also scooped Best Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (Lois Smith) and Best Direction in a Play (Stephen Daldry).

And Matthew called for more diversity at the theatre awards show.

The Puerto Rican writer said: “This is the 74th Tony Awards and yet I am only the first Latinate writer to win in this category.

“This must change. We are a vibrant community … We have so many stories to tell. They are inside of us, aching to come out.”

‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ scooped the most prizes of the night, taking home a total of 10 trophies.

The musical based on the 2001 movie saw Andrew Tevit take home Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, plus top honours including Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, and Best Direction of a Musical.

And emotional Andrew, who won his first Tony of his 15-year Broadway career said: “We are so privileged to get to do this, to be on Broadway, to perform live theatre.

“Let’s continue to strive to tell stories that represent the many and not the few, by the many and not the few, for the many and not the few.”

Elsewhere, five awards went to ‘A Christmas Carol’, rising star Adrienne Warren won Best Actress in a Musical for playing the legendary Tina Turner in ‘Tina – The Tina Turner Musical’, and ‘Jagged Little Pill’ won Best Book of a Musical.

Audra McDonald and Leslie Odom Jr. hosted the ceremony at New York City’s Winter Garden Theatre.

The 2020 event had to be postponed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An abridged list of the Tony Awards winners:

Best Musical

Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Best Play

The Inheritance

Best Revival of a Play

A Soldier’s Play

Best Book of a Musical

Diablo Cody, Jagged Little Pill

Best Direction of a Play

Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance

Best Direction of a Musical

Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Best Leading Actor in a Play

Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance

Best Leading Actress in a Play

Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside

Best Leading Actor in a Musical

Aaron Tveit, Moulin Rouge!

Best Leading Actress in a Musical

Adrienne Warren, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical

Best Featured Actor in a Play

David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play

Best Featured Actress in a Play

Lois Smith, The Inheritance

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill

BERLIN (Reuters) – Two German politicians from the Greens have made history by becoming the first transgender women to win parliamentary seats in Sunday’s national election.

Tessa Ganserer and Nyke Slawik stood for the Greens party, which came third in the election, increasing its share of the vote to 14.8% from 8.9% in 2017 and is set to play a pivotal role in the building of a new three-way coalition government.

“It is a historic victory for the Greens, but also for the trans-emancipatory movement and for the entire queer community,” Ganserer, 44, told Reuters, adding that the results were a symbol of an open and tolerant society.

Topping the priority list for Ganserer, who was elected to Bavaria’s regional parliament in 2013, is an easier procedure for ratifying a sex change on identity documents.

Ganserer, who has two sons, also wants legislative changes to allow lesbian mothers to adopt children.

Slawik, 27, said the results were unbelievable. She secured a seat in parliament through the Greens list of candidates in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

“Madness! I still can’t quite believe it, but with this historic election result I will definitely be a member of the next Bundestag,” Slawik posted on Instagram.

Slawik has called for a nationwide action plan against homophobia and transphobia, a self-determination law, and improvements to the federal anti-discrimination law.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in Germany in 1969 and same-sex marriage legalised in 2017. But hate crimes against LGBT+ people jumped by 36% last year, according to police figures that highlight a rising trend of homophobia in parts of German society.

(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Washington (AFP) – US authorities on Monday warned Americans to not buy prescription pills online because they increasingly include lethal doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said the advice applied to counterfeit medicine made to look like real Oxycontin, Vicodin and Xanax or Adderall.

Fake pills are widely available on social media and e-commerce platforms.

“Counterfeit pills that contain these dangerous and extremely addictive drugs are more lethal and more accessible than ever before,” said DEA administrator Anne Milgram in a statement.

“In fact, DEA lab analyses reveal that two out of every five fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.”

The rare public advisory — the first since 2015 — comes as US drug overdose deaths soared to 93,000 last year, the highest ever level.

Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid most commonly found in counterfeit pills, is the primary driver of the rise, the DEA said.

Overdoses involving methamphetamine, increasingly found to be pressed into counterfeit tablets, are another factor.

More than 9.5 million counterfeit pills were seized so far this year, more than the last two years combined.

The vast majority were produced in Mexico, with China supplying chemicals for manufacturing fentanyl in Mexico.

By Jan Wolfe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. judge on Monday said he would grant “unconditional release” to John Hinckley, who wounded former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and three other people in a 1981 assassination attempt.

“I am going to, after all these years, grant unconditional release to Mr. Hinckley,” U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said during a court hearing in the District of Columbia.

In 2016, Friedman allowed Hinckley to move out of a Washington psychiatric hospital, where he had lived for three decades, but imposed restrictions on his travel and internet usage.

Friedman said during Monday’s hearing that he planned to lift those remaining restrictions. Hinckley’s mental health problems are “in remission” and that he no longer poses a danger, Friedman said.

Friedman said he would issue a written order later this week memorializing his decision.

A federal prosecutor, Kacie Weston, said during the court hearing that the U.S. Justice Department agreed Hinckley should be given unconditional release. But Weston argued the restrictions should not be formally lifted until June 2022 so that prosecutors can continue to monitor Hinckley as he transitions to living on his own following he death of his mother.

Reagan suffered a punctured lung in the assassination attempt but recovered quickly.

Others wounded included White House press secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and Washington police officer Thomas Delahanty.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity at a 1982 jury trial. That verdict prompted Congress and some U.S. states to adopt laws limiting use of the insanity defense.

The shooting helped launch the modern gun control movement as Brady, who was left permanently disabled, and his wife, Sarah, founded what is now known as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

New York (AFP) – A “once-in-a-generation” music event circled the world Saturday, with a slew of megastars taking the stage in New York and beyond for Global Citizen Live — 24 hours of shows across the planet to raise awareness on climate change, vaccine equality and famine. 

Between star-studded sets of some of the biggest names in music — including Elton John, BTS, Coldplay, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez and Billie Eilish — actors, politicians, company executives, royals, actors and activists made appeals or announced donations to tackle major global challenges.

NGO Global Citizen wants one billion trees planted, two billion vaccines delivered to the poorest countries and meals for 41 million people on the brink of starvation.

After the show ended in Paris and handed off to New York, Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, took to the stage to advocate for Covid-19 vaccine access to be treated “as a basic human right.”

“My wife and I believe the way you’re born should not dictate your ability to survive,” the Duke of Sussex said to cheers from the thousands-strong crowd at Central Park.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex followed pop veteran Cyndi Lauper with a rendition of her “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” dedicated to Afghan women.

As night fell, the crowd swelled and attendees roared for shows from headliners, including Eilish, who bounded around the stage in her staple T-shirt and shorts ensemble.

Between sets, funding announcements poured in and calls to action were hammered home, even from the International Space Station.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced in a recorded message the United States would “contribute more than $295 million to countries around the world to stave off famine and extreme hunger, confront gender-based violence and address the urgent humanitarian needs the Covid-19 pandemic is leaving in its wake.”

Global Citizen co-founder and CEO Hugh Evans urged the audience to “take action” to help raise $6 billion needed by the World Food Programme, tackle vaccine inequality and pressure leaders ahead of the UN COP26 climate change conference in November.

“Charity alone… will never be sufficient to end extreme poverty or tackle climate change,” he said. 

“The actions of a movement of people is needed to drive lasting change.”

‘Honourable cause’

After an appearance by renowned 92-year-old American biologist Edward O. Wilson, the show moved to Los Angeles, opened by pop band 5 Seconds of Summer at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, with Demi Lovato, Adam Lambert and Stevie Wonder, among others, also billed.

Lead vocalist Luke Hemmings celebrated being in their first concert in almost two years “and for an honorable cause.” 

“This is an amazing thing to witness and be part of.”

The broadcast on social media opened with a pre-recorded performance by pop superstars BTS in Seoul before the show kicked off in Paris with Elton John.

The “Rocketman” performed hits including “Tiny Dancer” and “Your Song” in front of the Eiffel Tower in a dazzling green suit. 

“No one should be left behind,” said the 74-year-old pop legend, who appeared despite a hip injury that forced him to cancel the rest of his tour dates this year.

Ed Sheeran was the headliner in Paris alongside Black Eyed Peas and Stormzy.

The concerts required Covid-19 vaccination proof or negative tests.

Pressuring governments

Pre-recorded performances were also delivered by Green Day in Los Angeles, DJ superstar Alok in Rio, Kylie Minogue in London and Andrea Bocelli in Tuscany.

This week’s comeback gig by The Fugees in New York — their first in 15 years — was also billed as part of the event.

Global Citizen has been behind other high-profile charity events, including a concert earlier this year that called for global Covid-19 vaccinations.

The organization describes itself as a movement with a mission to end extreme poverty by 2030.

Its app uses incentives such as concert tickets to encourage users into pressuring governments on issues around sustainability and equality.

The New York event included tributes to other major benefit concerts, with Chinese global superstar pianist Lang Lang performing a medley of Queen’s famed Live Aid performance in 1985.

The weekend event also brought charitable pledges from international companies such as Lego, Cisco, Verizon and Pepsico.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Ghebreyesus lent his support to the campaign, urging vaccine equality. 

“We now face a two-track pandemic of haves and have-nots,” he said ahead of the event. 

“We cannot disregard this gross inequity or become complacent.”

By Silke Koltrowitz

ZURICH (Reuters) -Switzerland agreed to legalise civil marriage and the right to adopt children for same-sex couples by a nearly two-thirds majority in a referendum on Sunday, making it one of the last countries in Western Europe to legalise gay marriage.

According to results provided by the Swiss federal chancellery, 64.1% of voters voted in favour of same-sex marriage in the nationwide referendum that was conducted under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy.

“We are very happy and relieved,” said Antonia Hauswirth of the national committee “Marriage for All”, adding supporters would celebrate in Switzerland’s capital Bern on Sunday.

Amnesty International said in a statement that opening civil marriage to same-sex couples was a “milestone for equality”.

However, Monika Rueegger of Switzerland’s right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and member of the referendum committee “No to Marriage for All” said she was disappointed.

“This was not about love and feelings, it was about children’s welfare. Children and fathers are the losers here,” she told Reuters.

The amended law will make it possible for same-sex couples to get married, and to adopt children unrelated to them. Married lesbian couples will also be allowed to have children through sperm donation, currently legal only for married heterosexual couples.

It will also make it easier for foreign spouses of a Swiss individual to get citizenship.

Swiss Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter told a media briefing the new rules would likely come into force on July 1 next year.

In a separate referendum, 64.9% of Swiss voters rejected a proposal to introduce a capital gains tax.

(Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Kirsten Donovan and Raissa Kasolowsky)

Molly Bernard has got married.

The ‘Younger’ actress tied the knot with her partner Hannah Lieberman – who she got engaged to in January 2020 – in a “perfect” ceremony at The Boathouse in Brooklyn, New York and admitted it is a “surreal joy” to have wed her “treasure”.

Molly took to Instagram to share a photo from her big day, which showed her walking down a set of wooden stairs in a stunning wedding gown from WRAY NYC, while Hannah, wearing a Bindle & Keep suit, held her hand.

She captioned the post: “WIVES! Perfect day, perfect party. Perfect photo by @lesloups perfect couture dress by @wraynyc perfect custom suit for H by @bindleandkeep perfect fleurs by @fleurotica WHAT A SURREAL JOY TO BE MARRIED TO MY TREASURE!”

Molly had previously announced her engagement on Instagram, when she showed off her new ring, which featured a central diamond and a half halo.

Molly shared a photo of herself with Hannah and their dog Henry and captioned the post: “We said YES! [ring emoji] (sic)”

The 33-year-old star portrays pansexual publicist Lauren in ‘Younger’ and previously admitted the role helped her understand her own sexuality.

She said in 2017: “Her confidence has helped me a lot. It helped me in a few different ways: Her confidence helped me with my own kind of nervous and self struggles, but she’s also helped me with my sexual identity.

“I don’t identify as straight.”

At the time, she admitted she mainly dated men but felt it would be “perfectly possible and wonderful to have a [relationship with a] woman or trans person.”

She added: “I’ve always felt this way, but now it’s part of the conversation, we can talk about it. There’s language for it.”