MagazinAisle

Author: rb809rb

  • Cryptocurrency Analyst Willy Woo Says Bitcoin is Trying to Form a Bottom! He Pointed to This Price Level!

    Cryptocurrency Analyst Willy Woo Says Bitcoin is Trying to Form a Bottom! He Pointed to This Price Level!

    Willy Woo, a closely followed analyst in the cryptocurrency markets, stated in his latest assessment of the Bitcoin price that the market may have entered a bottoming phase.

    According to Woo, Bitcoin is trying to form a “bottom” after its volatile performance in recent weeks, but it is not yet clear whether this process will be successful.

    The analyst specifically pointed out that the $79,000 level is a critical threshold. Woo stated that this level corresponds to the average cost for short-term investors, and emphasized that a sustained break above this region would be a significant test for a new uptrend. However, Woo approached the current recovery attempt cautiously, estimating its success at approximately 30 percent.

    On the other hand, Woo stated that establishing sustained support above the $65,000 level is critical for confirming a stronger bottom formation. He indicated that if this level is maintained, the market could find a more solid foundation, but in the opposite scenario, volatile trading could continue.

    Woo emphasized that the market has not yet given a clear bottom signal, stating that the next three to six weeks will be decisive. He noted that price movements during this period will determine the direction of the medium- to long-term trend, adding that investors should proceed cautiously.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Jon Stewart Blasts RFK Jr. For Abandoning Cheryl Hines During WHCD Shooting: “The Guy Who Outshined You is Stephen F****** Miller”

    Jon Stewart Blasts RFK Jr. For Abandoning Cheryl Hines During WHCD Shooting: “The Guy Who Outshined You is Stephen F****** Miller”

    Jon Stewart tackled the presidential assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Monday’s episode of The Daily Show.

    The comedian’s monologue took the approach of pointing out the litany of absurdities related to the WHCD, including before, during and after the event. “The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is supposed to be an evening of fun and merriment until, like most things in America, it was interrupted by gunfire. This is why we can’t have nice things,” Stewart said. “To be perfectly frank, it’s not even a nice thing. Nobody wanted this dinner in the first place! Nobody needed [this]. We’re so fucked in this country right now. We can’t even pull off a dinner that shouldn’t have existed in the first place. ‘Hey, let’s celebrate the First Amendment with an administration that’s doing everything it can do to destroy it.’ Sounds great!”

    He continued, “Should we hold the dinner in a secure location? Well, we could. Or you know what, why not just the Hilton? You know what, let’s not hold it in a secure location. Let’s go to the Hilton. You know the Hilton slogan, “More hard to defend entry points than rooms.””

    Stewart has long disliked the WHCD, that is sometimes derisively dubbed the “nerd prom,” and has been outspoken critic of the coziness between journalists and politicians that events like this only reinforced. His monologue took shots at some of the attendees who seemed to use the shooting as a chance to create content. “In crisis situations like this, people tend to show you who they really are and who the elite of Washington DC are. Like this influencer, whose caption says, “shooter at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” but whose duck face says “Coachella.” ‘We’re all gonna die, Gucci.’”

    Stewart spent a sizeable chunk of the segment on how people reacted when shots were fired and the Secret Service moved in to remove notable government figures from the ballroom. He reserved most of his incredulity for Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who on video is seen being rushed out of the room, but conspiculously leaves his wife, the actress Cheryl Hines, behind.

    “From JD Vance’s Dancing with the Stars quickstep exit to Pete Hegseth dropping a smoldering ‘Blue Steel,’ to RFK Jr. being whisked away by a Secret Service hive who apparently couldn’t spare one worker bee for, I don’t know, his wife,” said Stewart before freezing the video clip. “Do you see right there? There’s a group of men carrying another man out of the room, and then there’s a woman. A woman who appears to be… desperately reaching out for someone to care, [someone] to help her. That’s a woman reaching up in agony and fear. That’s RFK Jr’s wife. How fucked up is that scene?”

    Stewart then showed the clip again in slow motion and asked the audience to pay attention to the foreground where White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, a man not known for his empathy or compassion, is shown escorting his pregnant wife out of the ballroom. “[There’s] Stephen Miller carefully protecting his wife. See, turned out, that’s an option! You can protect your wife instead of, I don’t know, beating her to the escape pod. And the guy who outshined you [RFK Jr.] is Stephen fucking Miller. That’s who was more chivalrous. Stephen Miller, a guy who probably jerks off to the new Faces of Death movie. And now for the rest of your life, for the rest of your life, your wife is gonna ask you a question no one’s ever asked before, ever: ‘Why can’t you be more like Stephen Miller?’”

    Driving his point home, Stewart added, “Looks like we got a new addition to the ‘Kennedy family abandoning women to their fate’ Wikipedia page.” After groans from the crowd, Stewart shot back, “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Too soon or, or too many?”

    After mocking the much-derided FBI Director Kash Patel’s evening at the WHCD, Stewart moved on to Donald Trump’s post-shooting interview with 60 Minutes, picking out the more outlandish things the president said to CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell. Stewart played clips of Trump remarking repeatedly that he was protected by “very strong, physically strong, really attractive” law enforcement people, as well as the fact that the Secret Service “drew those guns so fast, it looked like, they looked like Matt Dillon.”

    At this point, Stewart showed a picture on Matt Dillon from There’s Something About Mary up on the screen and said, “I know what you’re thinking: Matt Dillon? Is Donald Trump so old, he’s confusing the guy from There’s Something About Mary with Matt Damon from the Bourne movies. But it’s not true. Trump is actually so old, he’s not confused at all. He’s referencing Marshal Matt Dillon from the Gunsmoke TV show!”

    Much like most of the internet, Stewart zeroed in on the ‘Jim from The Office‘ moment from Trump’s 60 Minutes interview, the moment the president looks straight at the camera as O’Donnell reads out parts from the WHCD shooter’s manifesto, notably the passage: “I’m no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”

    Triumph the Insult Comic Dog discusses the WHCD shooting on ‘The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.’

    Comedy Central

    The last section of Stewart’s monologue featured first hand WHCD testimony from Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, The Daily Show‘s only representative at the event. Normally, with these recaps, it’s incumbent on the writer to pull out the highlights of a segment but the Triumph interview is genuinely hilarious must-watch TV, so on this occasion, The Hollywood Reporter will link directly to the relevant part on YouTube video here. Watch it, you won’t regret it.

  • Union accuses Apple of unlawful discrimination against represented workers

    The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union has accused Apple of unlawfully discriminating against the unionized employees of the company’s Towson, Maryland retail store. IAM has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Apple with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) after the company announced on April 9 that it was shutting down three of its US stores. One of those locations was the Towson retail outlet, which employed nearly 90 workers and became the first Apple Store in the country to unionize back in 2022.

    In its complaint, IAM said that Apple didn’t offer the employees it represents the transfer opportunities it provided to non-unionized employees from its other stores. Unlike those non-represented employees, Towson personnel were allegedly told that they had to reapply for positions through the same process as external candidates. “Apple is denying union-represented workers the same opportunities it is giving to others — and doing so because these workers chose to organize,” the organization said. “That is discrimination, and it is exactly what federal labor law is designed to prevent.”

    In addition to the Towson location, Apple also shut down its stores in Trumbull, CT, Escondito, CA. Back when the closures were announced, IAM said that “Apple’s claim that the collective bargaining agreement prevents relocation is simply false and raises serious concerns that [the] closure is a cynical attempt to bust the union.”

  • Bitcoin Supporter Jack Dorsey Reveals How Much Bitcoin He Owns in the First Quarter of 2026! Here Are the Details

    Bitcoin Supporter Jack Dorsey Reveals How Much Bitcoin He Owns in the First Quarter of 2026! Here Are the Details

    Block Inc., under the leadership of CEO Jack Dorsey, announced in its first-quarter 2026 reserve report that its total Bitcoin holdings have reached 28,355 $BTC. The total value of these assets is estimated to be approximately $2.2 billion by the end of March 2026. The report, published by the company and verified by third-party auditors, also includes assets held through institutional treasuries, Square, and CashApp.

    According to the statement, approximately 19,357 $BTC (approximately $1.5 billion) of the total Bitcoin holdings consist of customer funds, while 8,997 $BTC (approximately $692 million) is held on the company’s own balance sheet.

    Block emphasized transparency, stating that users should be able to directly verify the existence of assets, not just rely on trust. The company stated that thanks to on-chain signatures, anyone can independently check the reserves.

    In the crypto sector, “proof-of-reserves” applications have become widespread, especially after the FTX crash. This method aims to allow companies to transparently disclose the assets they hold. However, some industry representatives argue that this approach may create security risks.

    Details regarding Block’s financial performance are expected to be announced on May 7th. The company reported a net profit of $115.7 million in the last quarter of 2025. While its share performance has been volatile recently, it maintains an upward trend on a monthly basis.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Tony Leung Named Jury President of 2026 Shanghai Film Festival

    Tony Leung Named Jury President of 2026 Shanghai Film Festival

    Tony Leung Chiu-wai has been tapped to preside over the main competition jury at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival, kicking off on June 12.

    Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished actors in Chinese-language cinema, Leung has built a more than 40-year career across upwards of 100 screen credits, working repeatedly with many of the region’s most beloved auteurs — names like Wong Kar-wai, Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee, John Woo, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tran Anh Hung. He is also a festival regular, most recently serving as president of the main competition jury at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2024 — three years after becoming the first Chinese actor to receive the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.

    “Cinema is the art of dreaming, and Shanghai is the very vessel on which the Chinese film dream set sail,” Leung said in a video message shared upon his acceptance of the invitation. He also extended his warm greetings and an invitation to filmmakers and audiences worldwide, adding, “I still have a few tickets left. Will you come with me?”

    Leung entered the industry in 1982 and made his screen debut the following year, rising through Hong Kong’s TVB before becoming a fixture of the territory’s second wave and post-handover cinema. His filmography reads as a thoroughgoing overview of Chinese-language auteurist cinema over the last four decades — including seven collaborations with Wong, among them Chungking Express, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, 2046 and The Grandmaster; Zhang’s wuxia landmark Hero; Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution; Woo’s Hard Boiled and Red Cliff; and Hou’s A City of Sadness and Flowers of Shanghai. Beyond Chinese-language cinema, he starred in Tran’s Cyclo and recently worked with Hungarian Oscar winner Ildikó Enyedi.

    A sampling of his most celebrated performances must include the quietly devastated Chow Mo-wan in In the Mood for Love — for which he won the best actor prize at Cannes in 2000, the first actor from Hong Kong to do so — the conflicted swordsman Broken Sword in Hero, and the wisecracking Ouyang Feng in Jeffrey Lau’s cult comedy The Eagle Shooting Heroes, among so many others. He has also appeared in three films that took home Venice’s Golden Lion for best film: A City of Sadness (1989), Cyclo (1995) and Lust, Caution (2007).

    Founded in 1993, the Shanghai International Film Festival is China’s most established cinema event. Previous jury presidents include Danny Boyle, Luc Besson, Barry Levinson, Tom Hooper, John Woo, Jiang Wen, Tran Anh Hung and Jean-Jacques Annaud.

    Further jury announcements and the festival lineup are expected from SIFF later this spring.

  • Annecy Unveils Global Animation Lineup

    Annecy Unveils Global Animation Lineup

    The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 2026 edition (see full lineup below), setting the stage for another wide-ranging showcase that highlights the rapid global expansion of feature animation, and the surprising strength of European production.

    Announced Tuesday, the official feature competition includes 11 films, with France again playing an outsized role — six of the titles are French productions or co-productions — even as the selection stretches across Asia and the Americas. In total, 26 countries are represented across the feature slate.

    “If you look at the entire selection for official competition, a large majority of the films are from European producers,” artistic director Marcel Jean said. “French producers, but also Spanish, Belgian, Italy. The Scandinavian countries, Eastern European countries. We heard about a crisis in European animation production, but when you look at the quality of these films, and the amount of films, this doesn’t look like an industry in crisis.”

    Among the headline titles in competition is Viva Carmen! from Sébastien Laudenbach, returning to Annecy after winning the Cristal in 2023 for Chicken for Linda!, co-directed with Chiara Malta. The new feature, an animated take on the classic opera, will premiere in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.

    Also in the lineup is In Waves from Phuong Mai Nguyen, an adaptation of A. J. Dungo’s acclaimed graphic novel, which will open Cannes Critics’ Week. Both films underscore Annecy’s role as a long-term incubator for projects, having previously been presented at the festival as works-in-progress.

    “We want to follow a project from the very beginning,” Jean said. “[2025 Oscar winner] Flow was a work in progress in Annecy, [2026 Oscar nominee] Little Amelie was a work in progress. This year in competition, you have Viva Carmen! which was a WIP. In Waves was a WIP.”

    Other competition highlights include Decorado from Alberto Vázquez, The Sunrise File from Rupert Wyatt and Émilie Phuong, and Tangles from Leah Nelson, alongside entries from China, Japan and Singapore.

    Running parallel, the Contrechamp sidebar — Annecy’s platform for more formally adventurous features — will open with Welcome to Dolly’s House, a Taiwanese film from directors Seven Ych, Rady Fu and Tree MutaIt, blending the world of YouTube creators with fantasy elements.

    “There’s a great diversity of film, of features, and countries represented, but all of great quality,” Jean said of the section. “The films in the non-competitive sections would have found a place in competition 10 years ago.”

    Beyond the competition, Annecy will honor two pillars of animation with its Honorary Cristal Awards.

    Prolific animator, writer and producer Mike Judge, co-creator of King of the Hill and creator of Beavis and Butt-Head, will be recognized for a career spanning more than three decades and his role in shaping adult animation. Judge will also give a masterclass and present a preview of the upcoming 15th season of King of the Hill, alongside co-creator Greg Daniels and showrunner Saladin K. Patterson.

    “Mike Judge was a target for me for a long time,” said Jean. “We almost had him in 2020, when the pandemic hit. I think now, because of the general political situation, it was important to have somebody like Mike Judge, such a strong advocate for free speech and free thinking — the guy who made
    Idiocracy, a prophetic classic — it was important to have him in Annecy, to discuss with him the role that adult animation can play in the discourse about the world we live in.”

    Annecy will also fete the Brothers Quay, the stop-motion auteurs whose work has influenced generations of filmmakers, including Peter Greenaway and Christopher Nolan. The duo will each receive an Honorary Cristal and deliver a masterclass.

    “We noticed there is a kind of revival of stop motion animation and the Brothers Quay basically revolutionized the world of stop motion animation in the 1980s,” said Jean. Their influence was absolutely incredible on hundreds of young animators and young filmmakers. So we’re really 40 years late in honoring them.” He added that, for Annecy, “honoring the Brothers Quay is a way of preserving the balance between the major studios, industry giants and die-hard independent filmmakers. The day Annecy stops celebrating this type of artist, we will have lost touch with our origins.”

    Stop-motion will be a major focus across the 2026 edition, with a tribute to Aardman Animations, creators of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun The Sheep, marking its 50th anniversary, and Travis Knight set to attend for the first time to present footage from his upcoming feature Wildwood. The Incredibles director Brad Bird will also appear to discuss his long-gestating project Ray Gunn, while Ricky Gervais will host a masterclass on his upcoming Netflix adult animation Alley Cats.

    Alongside the festival, Annecy’s Mifa animation market will once again serve as a key engine for development and dealmaking, awarding its Animation Industry Prize to seven French producers behind recent international successes Little Amélie, Butterfly and Arco — films that have traveled from Annecy to the César Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Oscars.

    “We are here to help artists, to promote and to put a spotlight on project or on completed movies,” said Annecy Festival CEO Mickaël Marin. “Not just at Annecy, but at other festivals and markets. Because the production process for animation is a long process. We can have a project coming from a pitch at Mifa, then going to Annecy for a WIP session, then the next year in competition and then we support them through to the Oscars.”

    Mifa will also launch a series of closed-door workshops on artificial intelligence and private investment, aimed at fostering open discussion among industry professionals.

    “We see that there are a lot of fears, questions and everything at all levels,” said Véronique Encrenaz, head of the Mifa market. “The idea is that professionals gather and discuss and can give their approach of AI and private investment [and] how we can work together on that.”

    The sessions, which will run over a three-year period, are designed to generate practical outcomes for the industry, including recommendations for future regulation and collaboration.

    For Jean, the breadth of both the festival lineup and the market activity reflects a medium that has matured rapidly in recent years.

    “Globally, most countries now have experience in doing animation features, experience that did not exist 10 years ago,” he said. “The evolution of production around the world means now the quality is there everywhere.”

    Full 2026 Annecy Lineup

    Competition

    Viva Carmen!, dir. Sébastien Laudenbach, (France)
    Iron Boy, dir. Louis Clichy, (France, Belgium)
    Decorado, dir. Alberto Vázquez, (Spain)
    The Sunrise File, dir. Rupert Wyatt, Émilie Phuong, (France, Luxembourg)
    In Waves, dir. Phuong Mai Nguyen, (France, Belgium)
    Lucy Lost, dir. Olivier Clert, (France)
    Nobody, dir. Shui Yu, (China)
    Tana, dir. Ji Zhao, Ke Er Zhu, (China)
    Tangles, dir. Leah Nelson, (Canada, USA)
    The Violonist, dir. Ervin Han, Raúl García, (Singapore, Spain, Italy)
    We Are Aliens, dir. Kohei Kadowaki, (Japan, France)

    Contrechamp

    58th, dir. Carl Joseph Papa, (Philippines)
    A New Dawn, dir. Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, (Japan, France)
    Blaise, dir. Dimitri Planchon, Jean-Paul Guigue, (France)
    O filho da puta, dir. Érica Maradona, Otto Guerra, Tania Anaya, Sávio Leite, (Brazil)
    Mu Yi and the Handsome General, dir. Julien Chheng, (France)
    Pelelui: Guernica of Paradise, dir. Goro Kuji, (Japan)
    The Orbit of Minor Satellites, dir. Christopher Sullivan, (Japan)
    Spacetime Chronicles, dir. Stefano Bertelli, (Italy)
    The Obsessed, dir. Wataru Takahashi, (Japan)
    Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope, dir. Beñat Beitia, Elio Quiroga, (Spain, Chile, Argentina)
    Welcome to Dolly’s House, dir. Seven Ych, Rady Fu, Tree Muta, (Taiwan)

    Works in Progress

    A Gwei, dir. Hui Yi, (China)
    Baahubali: The Eternal War, dir. Ishan Shukla, (India)
    Desechable, dir. Carlos Gómez Salamanca, (Colombia, Spain)
    Igi, dir. Natia Nikolashvili, (Georgia, Greece)
    Killtube, dir. Kazuaki Kuribayashi, (Japan)
    The Wolf, dir. Benjamin Massoubre, Fursy Teyssier, (France, Luxembourg)
    Le Projet Shiatsung, dir. Brigitte Archambault, (Canada)
    Monkey Quest, dir. David N. Weiss, (Japan, USA)
    Ogresse, dir. Cécile McLorin Salvant, (Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, USA)
    Snoopy Unleashed, dir. Steve Martino, (Canada, United Kingdom)
    Steps, dir. Alyce Tzue, John Ripa, (USA)
    Séraphine, dir. Sarah Van Den Boom, (France, Luxembourg, Switzerland)
    Astro Boy Reboot, dir. Nicolas Hess, (France, Germany, Japan)
    Cars: Lightening Racers, dir. Nathan Chew, Travis Braun, Frank Montagna, (USA)
    Common Side Effects, dir. Benjy Brooke, (USA)
    Hide and Seek, dir. Fabienne Giezendanner, (Switzerland, France)

    Midnight Specials

    Company Sports Day, dir. Yong-Seon Lee, (South Korea)
    Gregor, dir. Manu Gomez, (Belgium, France)
    Sekiro: No Defeat, dir. Kenichi Kutsuna, (Japan)
    Soul Shift, dir. Christian Franz Schmidt, (Germany)
    Zsazsa Zaturnnah, dir. Avid Liongoren, (Philippines, France)

    Annecy Presents

    Brave Cat, dir. Gabriel Osorio, (Chile)
    Julián, dir. Louise Bagnall, (Ireland)
    Born in the Jungle, dir. Edmunds Jansons, (Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic)
    Dante, dir. Linda Hambäck, (Sweden, Denmark, Norway)
    The Promise of the Clock Tower, dir. Yusuke Hirota, (Japan)
    Dudley & the Invasion of the Space Slugs , dir. Cherifa Bakhti, (Luxembourg, Belgium, France, India)
    The Ribbon Hero, dir. Yuki Igarashi, (Japan)
    La Fille dans les nuages, dir. Philippe Riche, (France, Belgium)
    Little Trang Quynh: The Legend of the Golden Buffalo, dir. Tranh Lam Tung, (Vietnam)
    The Last Whale Singer, dir. Reza Memari, (Germany, Czech Republic, Canada)
    Monster Mia, dir. Verena Fels, (Austria, Spain, Germany)
    Samurai Ballerina – L’Étoile de Paris en fleur, dir. Goro Tanigushi, (Japan)
    The Keeper of the Camphor Tree, dir. Tomohiko Ito, (Japan)
    Yugly, dir. Yanis Belaid, Jérémie Degruson, (Belgium)

    WTF

    Babyface, (United Kingdom)
    Broc!, (Hong Kong)
    I’m Glad I Know That Now Thank You: Phones, (United Kingdom)
    I Have an I Have a, (United Kingdom)
    I’d Rather Be a Concorde, (Belgium, Finland, Portugal)
    King Kong vs. Pinocchio, (Canada)
    We’re Kinda Different, (Canada)
    Pigeon Businessman, (United States)
    Six Finger Satellite “Simian Fever”, (United States)
    Skin Flick, (France)
    Smokedog, (Australia)
    You Are Not Part of the Cake, (Taiwan, United Kingdom)
    What Is, Is Now?, (The Netherlands)
    cour.com, (United Kingdom)

    Perspectives

    Acid City, (United States)
    Bucketman, (Japan)
    That Night, (Iran, United States)
    Chance, (Iran)
    Decaer’s Downfall, (Colombia)
    Entelechia, (Chile)
    Paper Daughter, (United States)
    The Comet, (Canada)
    The Boa Woman, (Peru)
    The Tribulations of Ajadi, (Nigeria)
    Misophonia, (Malta)
    Because Today Is Saturday., (Portugal, France, Spain)
    Rest, (Japan)
    Sundruð, (Iceland, France, Belgium)
    Three Pariah Cats, (Colombia)
    Once in a Body, (Colombia, United States)
    City of Roses, (Brazil)

    Off-Limits

    Adage, (United Kingdom)
    Core Dump, (Germany)
    From Apple to Egg, (Estonia)
    The Stars Have Been Watching Us for a Long Time, (United States)
    Merrimundi, (Chile)
    Symbionts, (Switzerland)
    XYZ, (Portugal)
    Evacuations, (United States)

    Young Audience

    A Dog’s Life, (The Netherlands)
    Round Trip, (Italy)
    Cosmonaut, (Switzerland)
    En, Ten, Týky!, (Slovakia, Czech Republic)
    Night Owls, (Switzerland)
    Piccolo Piccolo, (France, Switzerland)
    Cloudfish, (France, Belgium)
    On the Doormat in Front of My Door, (Germany)
    Towards the Forest, (Switzerland)
    Being Distanced, (Unknown)

  • ‘Star Wars’ Original Trilogy In-Concert Weekender Set at London’s Royal Albert Hall for 2027

    ‘Star Wars’ Original Trilogy In-Concert Weekender Set at London’s Royal Albert Hall for 2027

    London’s Royal Albert Hall will stage its first “Star Wars” in-concert weekender over four days in spring 2027, with the London Symphony Orchestra performing the iconic scores live to all three original trilogy episodes across two screenings each.

    Running from April 29 to May 2, the event takes in “Episode IV: A New Hope,” “Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” and “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.” The presentation is licensed by Disney Concerts.

    The weekender format follows the sold-out “Lord of the Rings” weekenders at the Hall scheduled for May this year – a U.K. first that established the template for presenting an entire trilogy in a single run. The 2027 dates coincide with the 50th anniversary of the release of “A New Hope” in 1977.

    “The ‘Star Wars’ films have consistently been a fan favorite in our Films in Concert program over the years, so it’s such an honor for us to be hosting this classic saga over a single weekend for the very first time – we cannot wait. John Williams‘ score is such a significant part of the trilogy, so for attendees to see all three films with a live orchestra will be a truly memorable experience, that captures what fans felt when they first entered a galaxy far, far away,” said Matt Todd, director of programming at the Royal Albert Hall.

    The LSO recorded John Williams’ original soundtracks for all three films in the trilogy.

    “From that triumphant opening chord on the first recording session for ‘A New Hope’ in Anvil Studios, the Star Wars ‘sound’ has become synonymous with the London Symphony Orchestra, which carries the DNA of John Williams’s music in its blood,” said Sarah Quinn, LSO chair and sub-principal second violin. “What better way to celebrate this anniversary than reliving the original trilogy in full, and we look forward to sharing these momentous performances at the Royal Albert Hall.”

    Now in its 17th year, the Hall’s Films in Concert series has built a catalogue spanning silent-era revivals through to contemporary blockbusters, with the LSO, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chineke! Orchestra among the ensembles that have performed. The program’s breadth runs from “Singin’ in the Rain” and “The Godfather” to “Interstellar” and “Skyfall.” Coming up in 2026 are anniversary screenings of “La La Land,” “Casino Royale” and “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” among others.

  • A First in Japan! Bitcoin Exchange Launches Credit Card! Here Are the Details

    A First in Japan! Bitcoin Exchange Launches Credit Card! Here Are the Details

    Bitbank, a Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange, has launched a new credit card service that allows users to pay for their purchases directly with crypto assets. According to the company, the Visa card, called “EPOS Crypto Card for Bitbank,” is the first of its kind in the country.

    The new product was developed in collaboration with EPOS Card. This system allows users to automatically pay for their credit card purchases with crypto assets held in their exchange accounts. Initially, this feature will be limited to Bitcoin. However, the company stated that it is considering integrating more crypto assets into the system in the future.

    Another important feature offered by the card is the “crypto cashback” system. Users can earn rewards equivalent to 0.5% of their monthly spending. These rewards can be in the form of various digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Aster, and will be transferred directly to their Bitbank accounts.

    This development is seen as a significant step towards expanding the use of crypto assets in daily financial transactions. In markets with advanced crypto regulations, such as Japan, the adoption of such products could contribute to the growth of the sector.

    On the other hand, Binance had previously made a similar move. In January, the company launched its “Binance Japan Card” in Japan, offering users the opportunity to earn BNB from their spending. These developments demonstrate the rapid spread of crypto-backed payment solutions on a global scale.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Trump reviews Iranian proposal aimed at reopening Strait of Hormuz

    Trump reviews Iranian proposal aimed at reopening Strait of Hormuz

    The White House confirms Trump met his national security advisers on Monday to discuss the plan.

    Published On 28 Apr 2026

    United States President Donald Trump’s national security team is reviewing an Iranian proposal aimed at halting its joint war with Israel, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and delaying negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme until after the war ends.

    The White House confirmed Trump met his national security advisers on Monday to discuss the plan, while US media reports said he was dissatisfied with the proposal because it postpones talks on Iran’s nuclear activities.

    Recommended Stories

    list of 4 itemsend of list

    The Reuters news agency, citing an official briefed on the meeting, said Trump wants the nuclear issue addressed at the start of any negotiations. CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter, said Trump was unlikely to accept the proposal, reporting that lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports without resolving concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme would weaken Washington’s leverage.

    The proposal comes amid uncertainty surrounding shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran will not enter negotiations while the US maintains restrictions on Iranian ports. Washington and Tehran agreed to a temporary ceasefire on April 8 after more than a month of fighting that began with joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

    The truce, mediated by Pakistan, has since come under strain because of disputes over maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz and US measures targeting Iranian ports. A parallel conflict involving Israel and Lebanon has also added to regional tensions.

    Iran signals openness to diplomacy

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Monday and said Tehran was considering a US request to restart negotiations.

    Araghchi said he welcomed engagement with Russia at the “highest level” at a time of regional instability.

    “Recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership,” Araghchi wrote on X. “As our relationship continues to grow, we are grateful for solidarity and welcome Russia’s support for diplomacy.”

    Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Almigdad Alruhaid said Araghchi was expected to return to Iran after meetings with regional partners.

    “He had travelled to Pakistan, Oman and Russia. We know there’s a strategic partnership between Iran and these countries. We know Oman is Iran’s traditional mediator,” Alruhaid said.

    “But the Iranians are trying to say that they are open to diplomacy. They are sending messages. They are not closing any channels and not closing any doors for diplomacy.”

    Calls to reopen Strait of Hormuz

    Dozens of countries have called for the “urgent and unimpeded reopening” of the Strait of Hormuz, while United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned the standoff could trigger a global food emergency.

    Reporting from the UN, New York, Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey said diplomats repeatedly appealed for de-escalation during a Security Council meeting.

    She said speakers highlighted the disruption caused by thousands of stranded cargo vessels and tens of thousands of maritime workers unable to move through the waterway.

    Guterres also warned that shipping disruptions were hitting vulnerable countries hardest, with about 20 percent of global oil and natural gas supplies passing through the strait.

    Bahrain, which requested the meeting with support from dozens of countries affected by higher fuel prices, described the closure as a violation of international law and called for attacks on ships to end.

    “No action was taken by the Security Council … A past resolution that called for reopening the strait was blocked by China and Russia, with Moscow blaming the US and Israel for their ‘unprovoked attack’ on Iran as the source of the problem,” Saloomey added.

  • ‘Should be fired’: Why the Trumps want Jimmy Kimmel sacked

    ‘Should be fired’: Why the Trumps want Jimmy Kimmel sacked

    A political and media dispute has erupted involving United States President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel.

    Melania publicly criticised Kimmel on Monday and urged the TV network ABC to take action against him. The president has gone further, calling for Kimmel to be removed from his role altogether.

    Recommended Stories

    list of 3 itemsend of list

    The controversy centres on remarks Kimmel made during a comedy monologue on Thursday in which he said Melania had “a glow like an expectant widow”, with Trump describing the comments as “a despicable call to violence”.

    Here is what you need to know about the controversy:

    What did Kimmel say?

    The dispute began after Kimmel made a joke about the first lady during a segment tied to the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday.

    At an “alternative” White House correspondents’ dinner on his show, Kimmel said: “Our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”

    Kimmel also mocked the first lady’s documentary, Melania, which faltered at the box office and was not well-received by critics.

    “I want to congratulate you, Madam First Lady, on your huge accomplishment – the world’s first motionless picture,” Kimmel said.

    The controversy comes on the back of a shooting that happened late on Saturday when an armed man tried to enter the hall where Trump, the first lady and other members of the White House were in attendance, alongside hundreds of journalists.

    Following the incident, the video of Kimmel poking fun at Melania caused outrage from some members of the president’s Republican Party.

    How did the Trumps react?

    While the joke played on the perception that the first lady often appears unhappy in public, Trump’s supporters linked the line to the shooting.

    “People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him,” Melania wrote on X.

    “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behaviour at the expense of our community?”

    Her husband did not hold back either in his criticism of the late-night comedian. He went further, calling for his dismissal.

    “I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale,” the president said on his Truth Social platform.

    “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired” by ABC and its parent Walt Disney Co, he added.

    The White House also chimed in on the controversy. “Who, in their right mind, says a wife would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband?” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said to reporters.

    Kimmel responded, saying his remarks had been misconstrued and were not a “call to assassination”. “It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am,” he said.

    Have they had past troubles with Kimmel?

    Yes, the current controversy is part of a longer pattern of tension between Kimmel and the Trumps.

    The president and the late-night host have had a strained relationship for years, largely due to Kimmel’s frequent criticism and mockery of Trump on his show.

    Trump has often accused comedians and journalists of bias, and Kimmel has been among those singled out in the past.

    Last year, ABC suspended Kimmel after the Trump administration threatened to take action against the network over commentary by the comedian suggesting that the killer of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk may have been a Republican.

    “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Brendan Carr, head of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), said at the time.

    “These companies can find ways to change conduct to take action on Kimmel or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” he said.

    After a backlash from free speech advocates, ABC reinstated Kimmel less than a week later.

    In an interview on Sunday, Trump reacted angrily when Norah O’Donnell of CBS News read from the manifesto of the Saturday attack’s suspect, Cole Thomas Allen, during a 60 Minutes interview.

    When O’Donnell quoted the attacker’s claims, Trump interrupted and criticised her for airing the remarks.

    “You’re a disgrace,” he lashed out at O’Donnell. “I’m not a paedophile. You read that crap from some sick person … You shouldn’t be reading that on 60 Minutes.”

    CBS is owned by Paramount Skydance, whose chairman and CEO David Ellison is the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, a close Trump ally.

    In July 2025, the network paid $16m to settle a lawsuit brought by Trump, who alleged that 60 Minutes had edited an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in a way that favoured his Democratic presidential rival in the 2024 election.

    It has also appointed Kenneth Weinstein, a former Trump administration official, as ombudsman to examine claims of political bias.

    In December, Ellison visited the White House, according to media reports, and told Trump that Paramount would carry out “sweeping changes” if it succeeded in buying the parent company of CNN.

    Paramount Skydance is also locked in an intense battle with streaming giant Netflix to acquire Warner Bros, a move many in the industry see as part of Ellison’s bid to reshape the US media landscape.