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  • Karol G Announces Massive ‘Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour’ Global Stadium Tour Dates

    Karol G Announces Massive ‘Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour’ Global Stadium Tour Dates

    Following her critically acclaimed headline performances at the Coachella festival, Colombian superstar Karol G has announced “Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour,” a massive global tour beginning this summer and stretching to July of 2027. Full dates appear below.

    “Karol G delivered an explosive performance that leaned heavily into Latin and female empowerment, covering multiple genres of music and guest appearances while showing off her formidable talents as a singer, performer and conceptualist,” Variety wrote of Karol’s Coachella performance. “The show was an explosion of music, dancing, colors and symbols that words could never do justice.”

    Tickets for the tour, promoted by Live Nation, will be available starting Monday, April 27 through various presales.

    Fans in select markets will get first access to tickets through various presales, including an exclusive artist presale beginning Monday, April 27.  To be eligible for the artist presale in the USA, Canada and Europe, fans must register at karolgmusic.com between now and Friday, April 24 at 10AM EST/7AM PST.  Fans in Latin America can sign up at karolgmusic.com for more information including updates on ticket sales in those cities.

    General on-sale timing will vary by market.

    The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, invitation to the pre-show VIP Lounge, specially designed merch items & more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

    Jul 24, 2026

    Soldier Field

    Chicago, IL

    Jul 29, 2026

    Rogers Stadium

    Toronto, ON

    Aug 2, 2026

    Northwest Stadium

    Washington, DC

    Aug 7, 2026

    Allegiant Stadium

    Las Vegas, NV

    Aug 14, 2026

    SoFi Stadium

    Los Angeles, CA

    Aug 21, 2026

    Levi’s Stadium

    San Francisco, CA

    Aug 26, 2026

    Lumen Field

    Seattle, WA

    Aug 29, 2026

    State Farm Stadium

    Phoenix, AZ

    Sep 2, 2026

    Alamodome

    San Antonio, TX

    Sep 6, 2026

    Sun Bowl Stadium

    El Paso, TX

    Sep 12, 2026

    Gillette Stadium

    Boston, MA

    Sep 17, 2026

    MetLife Stadium

    New York, NY

    Sep 24, 2026

    Mercedes-Benz Stadium

    Atlanta, GA

    Sep 27, 2026

    Reliant Stadium

    Houston, TX

    Oct 2, 2026

    Hard Rock Stadium

    Miami, FL

    Oct 9, 2026

    Raymond James Stadium

    Tampa, FL

    Oct 15, 2026

    AT&T Stadium

    Dallas, TX

    Nov 6, 2026

    Estadio BBVA

    Monterrey, MEX

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    Nov 13, 2026

    GNP Seguros Stadium

    Mexico City, MEX

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    Nov 27, 2026

    Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica

    San José, CRI

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    Dec 4, 2026

    Nemesio Camacho El Campín Stadium

    Bogotá, COL

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    Jan 15, 2027

    Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa

    Quito, ECU

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    Jan 22, 2027

    Estadio San Marcos

    Lima, PER

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    Jan 28, 2027

    Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Pradanos

    Santiago, CHL

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    Feb 5, 2027

    Venue TBD

    Buenos Aires, ARG

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    Feb 12, 2027

    Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu

    São Paulo, BR

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    Feb 19, 2027

    Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez

    Santo Domingo, DOM

    SIGN UP

    Feb 26, 2027

    Estadio Hiram Bithorn Sosa

    San Juan, PRI

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    Jun 3, 2027

    Estadi Olimpic

    Barcelona, ESP

    Jun 11, 2027

    Estadio La Cartuja

    Sevilla, ESP

    Jun 18, 2027

    Estadio Da Luz

    Lisbon, PRT

    Jun 24, 2027

    Riyadh Air Metropolitano

    Madrid, ESP

    Jul 1, 2027

    La Défense Arena

    Paris, FRA

    Jul 6, 2027

    Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

    London, GBR

    Jul 10, 2027

    Johan Cruijff ArenA

    Amsterdam, NLD

    Jul 14, 2027

    PGE Narodowy

    Warsaw, POL

    Jul 17, 2027

    Merkur Spiel-Arena

    Düsseldorf, DEU

    Jul 21, 2027

    Groupama Stadium

    Lyon, FRA

    Jul 24, 2027

    San Siro Stadium

    Milan, ITA

  • Tracking Your Sleep Could Backfire If You Have Insomnia. Here’s Why

    Female wearing smart watch lying in bed with her hands covering her faceShare on Pinterest
    Research shows that using sleep apps may increase stress in people with insomnia. Image Credit: janiecbros/Getty Images
    • A recent study has found that the use of sleep apps may lead to negative effects in people with insomnia.
    • The researchers also note that sleep apps may not give an accurate image of your sleep.
    • Some researchers believe that constant sleep monitoring may lead to orthosomnia.

    A rising interest in sleep health and the availability of sleep apps have led to a significant increase in people tracking their rest.

    A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology has found that sleep apps may be helpful to some people, but for those with insomnia, negative effects may be more likely.

    The researchers also note that these sleep apps may not provide an accurate picture of your sleep and may actually make it more difficult for people to rest.

    “In sleep medicine, there is something called orthosomnia, which is when people get anxious about sleep metrics, and in turn sleep more poorly from having that data. This study is in line with that concept,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board certified psychiatry and sleep medicine expert and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. Dimitriu wasn’t involved in the study.

    Sleep apps may vary widely, but often track similar measures for sleep, such as:

    • how long it takes you to fall asleep
    • how long you sleep for
    • how restorative your sleep is

    Sleep app technology is still so new that more research is needed to understand exactly how different groups of people respond to it and how accurate it is.

    “The rapid development of sleep app technology requires the scientific community to keep up with technological advances,” first study author Håkon Lundekvam Berge of the University of Bergen said in a press release.

    To investigate this, the research team analyzed data from 1,002 adults in Norway. Participants were asked about their use of sleep apps, their sleep health, and whether they experienced positive or negative effects when using the apps.

    Around 46% of the survey participants stated they used, or had used, at least one sleep app. The survey showed that females and people under the age of 50 were more likely to use these apps.

    The results showed that males and females generally responded similarly to the apps. However, younger individuals reported stronger effects than older users.

    “We found that younger adults were more affected by the feedback from the sleep apps. They reported more perceived benefits, but also more worries and stress,” said Lundekvam in the press release.

    Participants reported positive effects more often than negative. Around 15% stated that sleep apps improved their sleep, while 2.3% reported their sleep was worse.

    Around 48% of participants reported they benefited from learning more about their sleep. However, 17% reported that the apps increased their worry about their sleep. One of the most important findings was that people with symptoms of insomnia were more likely to experience negative effects.

    The researchers noted that people with insomnia were more likely to experience negative thoughts and worries about sleep. They also found that difficulties disengaging from concerns related to sleep may have further influence over how individuals with insomnia engage with these apps.

    This shows that using sleep apps may increase stress and worry about sleep.

    “This study specifically identified people with insomnia as being more susceptible to negative feedback, and this makes sense, as insomniacs are a lot more likely to have anxiety. These apps give people things to worry about when they already have a lot to worry about in the first place,” said Dimitriu.

    The research team encourages further research into the relationship between insomnia and the use of sleep apps.

  • DoorDash is bringing stablecoin payments to masses with Stripe-backed blockchain

    DoorDash is bringing stablecoin payments to masses with Stripe-backed blockchain

    DoorDash and a group of fintechs are moving stablecoins into their live payment flows with Stripe-led blockchain Tempo, the latest sign that blockchain-based money is entering mainstream financial infrastructure.

    Payments-focused blockchain Tempo, developed by Stripe and venture firm Paradigm, said Tuesday in a blog post that companies including DoorDash, Stripe, Coastal Bank and Latin American fintech ARQ are now running or preparing to run parts of their payment operations on stablecoin rails.

    DoorDash, which operates in more than 40 countries and generated nearly $75 billion in sales for local merchants last year, is working with Tempo to roll out stablecoin-powered payouts for merchants, starting with cross-border flows where settlement speed and cost matter most.

    “There’s real promise with stablecoins transforming financial infrastructure,” DoorDash co-founder Andy Fang said in a statement.

    A Paradigm spokesperson declined to disclose the exact timing of when stablecoin payments will go live at DoorDash.

    Stripe, meanwhile, is using Tempo as a core layer for its money movement products, allowing businesses to send, receive and hold stablecoins alongside traditional currencies. The goal is to make global payments “fast, cheap and borderless,” said Neetika Bansal, Stripe’s head of Connect and money management.

    $300 billion asset

    The news comes as stablecoins and blockchain rails are increasingly becoming part of global money flows.

    Stablecoins are a $300 billion crypto asset class with prices tied to fiat currencies and promise a cheaper, faster alternative to traditional banking rails for cross-border transactions.

    Stripe, a global payments firm that processes nearly $2 trillion in annual payments, has made blockchain and stablecoins central to its ambitions. The company acquired stablecoin infrastructure firm Bridge for $1.1 billion in 2024, then bought crypto wallet provider Privy.

    It also teamed up with crypto investment firm Paradigm to develop a payments-focused blockchain dubbed Tempo, which went live last month with infrastructure partners like Mastercard, UBS, Klarna and Visa. The chain was designed specifically for payment workloads, with features like sub-second settlement, fixed fees and private transaction channels aimed at enterprise users. That contrasts with general-purpose blockchains, which often face congestion and unpredictable costs.

    To help companies adopt the technology, Tempo said Tuesday it is also launching a Stablecoin Advisory service to offer hands-on support for firms looking to move payment flows onchain.

    Read more: Stripe doubles down on blockchain and stablecoins, aiming to become ‘AWS for money’

  • Cut the red tape: 39 financial giants demand an emergency fast-track for Europe’s blockchain pilot

    European financial firms and technology groups are urging lawmakers to speed up changes to rules governing distributed ledger technology, warning the region risks falling behind the U.S. in digital finance.

    In a joint letter, 39 signatories including Boerse Stuttgart Group, Nasdaq and fintech associations across several European Union (EU) countries asked the European Commission and Parliament to separate the digital ledger technology (DLT) pilot regime from a broader legislative package under review.

    They argue that handling the rules on their own would allow quicker updates, Bloomberg reports. The DLT pilot, in place since 2023, lets firms test how tokenized versions of assets like shares and bonds can trade and settle using blockchains.

    It sits within a wider set of 18 financial laws now moving through the EU’s legislative process, a path industry groups say could take years.

    The coalition is pushing for practical changes, including expanding the types of assets allowed, raising transaction limits to 150 billion euros ($176 billion) and removing expiry dates on licenses. These changes, they argue, would give firms room to build real markets rather than small trials.

    The letter comes as the U.S. shapes laws regulating the space, including the Genius Act, meant to help bring crypto further into mainstream finance.

    The European Commission has signaled it prefers to pass the full legislative package together as part of its broader plan to mobilize savings into investment.

  • Why Miranda Priestly Doesn’t Remember Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’

    Why Miranda Priestly Doesn’t Remember Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’

    Twenty years after The Devil Wears Prada became a culture-defining hit, the sequel arrived in New York on Monday night in a scene straight out of Runway.

    Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci reunited at the Lincoln Center event, as they walked the runway-inspired red carpet and guests turned out in their best high fashion. The Devil Wears Prada 2 sees Streep’s Miranda Priestly still at the top of Runway magazine, as Andy Sachs (Hathaway) returns as features editor and they face off against Priestly’s former assistant turned rival Emily Charlton (Blunt).

    In addition to its stars, the Prada creative team also returns, with David Frankel back as director and Aline Brosh McKenna as writer. On the carpet, Frankel told The Hollywood Reporter that he said no to a sequel for 18 years, and would immediately shut down any Hollywood meeting that turned to discussion of it.

    But then screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna “came to me with a notion that, gee, this world is shrinking in a major way, this fashion, media world. And what would it be like if you were on this sinking ship and Miranda’s future was not guaranteed and Andy’s future was shaky? How would they deal with that?” said Frankel. “That seemed to create a lot of drama.”

    McKenna added that, at the same time they were having these ideas, they heard Streep was open to a sequel, “so we went and sat down with Meryl. My personal belief system is that if Meryl Streep thinks it’s a good idea, it’s a good idea.”

    One of the most surprising developments in the sequel’s trailer was that Streep’s Miranda seemed to not remember Hathaway’s Andy, or many of the key events that took place in the original film. Frankel explained that decision may be “a little bit of a ploy on her part” but also “it’s that thing you have when you have your first boss — they mean everything to you, you never forget them and the boss has had a million assistants. You came and you were there for a year, who remembers that?”

    McKenna echoed, “It’s been 20 years, how many assistants do we think she’s had? She has two [at a time] so probably 50, I would guess. She definitely doesn’t remember [Andy] on sight, which I think is understandable.”

    For her part, Hathaway also told reporters about reprising her role as Andy, emphasizing, “I really love seeing how she treats people. Andy is coming into her power in her life and you’ll see in this movie, she has someone that works for her. I just love her approach. I feel like she’s gentle and kind and it’s a lovely anecdote to maybe the way that she was treated.”

    Tucci also said he’s happy with where Nigel is two decades later — still alongside Miranda at Runway — “because it makes sense. There’s an emotional trajectory to it that’s logical.”

    As Frankel kept the door open for more stories in the Prada world (“I’m still really curious about where these characters go and if there was a possibility, of course we’d entertain it”), one key difference this time around is Anna Wintour’s public support of the project, after rejecting comparisons to Miranda at the time of the original. McKenna explained of that pivot, “Once she saw the first movie I think she felt safe and comfortable, so I think she had a certain level of trust with us for this movie. I’m excited to hear what she thinks about it.”

    The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits theaters May 1.

  • L.A.-Based Fashion Label Re/Done Drops Limited Run of ‘Devil Wears Prada’ Graphic Tees

    L.A.-Based Fashion Label Re/Done Drops Limited Run of ‘Devil Wears Prada’ Graphic Tees

    If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.

    On top of classic movie collectibles from brands like Funko and Fisher Price, L.A. cool-girl staple Re/Done has released a trio of its coveted vintage tees in partnership with Disney and 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2. The three-part capsule builds upon the brands’ ongoing partnership, where characters like Mickey Mouse, Bambi and Dumbo have been featured on Re/Done’s ultra-wearable designs.

    T-shirt reads “Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.”

    Available online in limited quantities starting April 21, the collection showcases hand-painted watercolor artwork inspired by quintessential imagery and quotes from the original film: “Everybody wants to be us,” “That’s all” and, of course, “Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.”

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    T-shirt reads “Everybody wants to be us.”

    The collection includes two of Re/Done’s best-selling t-shirt silhouettes. The “Everybody wants to be us” design is printed on the brand’s Classic Tee in recycled heritage cotton jersey, with an easy slim fit, crewneck cut, regular length and short sleeves. The other two designs (“Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking” and “That’s all“) are seen on the Re/Done x Hanes Boxy Crop Tee, with a shorter length, easy fit, crewneck cut and short sleeves, also in recycled cotton jersey. All three t-shirts in the collaboration retail for $160 and are available in sizes extra-small through extra-large.

    The exclusive clothing drop comes one day after The Devil Wears Prada 2 World Premiere, with its star-studded red carpet coverage streaming now on Disney+. Stay tuned for additional brand collaborations ahead of the film’s theatrical release on May 1.

    Related: Miranda Priestly Would Never Approve This ‘Devil Wears Prada’ Merch Drop on Amazon. That’s All

  • Pakistan races against time to get Iran back to US talks as truce end nears

    Pakistan races against time to get Iran back to US talks as truce end nears

    Islamabad, Pakistan – As United States Vice President JD Vance prepares to fly to Islamabad, Pakistan is racing against time and the odds to try to convince Tehran to join talks with the US aimed at ending their war, now in its eighth week.

    But while Pakistani officials close to the mediation efforts remain cautiously hopeful that Iran might send a negotiating team for the talks by Wednesday, a series of escalatory steps taken by the US over the past 48 hours had by Tuesday evening injected a dose of scepticism into Islamabad’s peacemaking efforts.

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    Iran continues to publicly insist that it has no plans to return to the negotiating table, even as Pakistan and other mediators work behind the scenes to bring Tehran back into the room before a two-week ceasefire expires on Wednesday evening US time — early Thursday morning in the Middle East.

    At least nine US aircraft have landed in Pakistan over the past three days, bringing personnel and equipment to be used by the Vance-led negotiating team.

    Vance is expected to depart from the US on Tuesday evening Pakistan time — morning in the US — and arrive in Islamabad late morning on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to join Vance. The three officials had led the US delegation during the first round of direct talks with Iran in Islamabad on April 11.

    But it is unclear who they are coming to meet.

    Earlier on Tuesday, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, posted on social media, paraphrasing Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, that it was “a truth universally acknowledged” that “a single country in possession of a large civilisation will not negotiate under threat and force”, calling it “a substantial, Islamic and theological principle”.

    Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said it had no plans to re-engage diplomatically with Washington for now. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and the head of its negotiating team, was more direct. In a post on X early on Tuesday, he accused Trump of seeking to turn the negotiating table “into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering”.

    “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats,” Ghalibaf wrote, adding that Iran had “prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield” over the previous two weeks.

    Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, said separately that Tehran must “maintain 100% readiness” given a “strong possibility” of further US attacks.

    Rising tensions at sea

    These public statements follow the latest flashpoint between the two rivals, who have been at war since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.

    On Sunday, US naval forces fired on the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman and boarded it after it attempted to pass through a naval blockade that the US has enforced against Iran-linked ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since April 13. Tehran called the incident a ceasefire violation and demanded the immediate release of the ship, its crew members and their families.

    Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the seizure as “extremely dangerous” and “criminal”, warning that Tehran “will use all its capacities” to defend its national interests.

    On Tuesday, the US announced that its forces had also boarded a second ship, this time in the Asia Pacific. The ship, cargo vessel M/T Tifani, was already under US sanctions for carrying Iranian oil.

    For Javad Heiran-Nia, a researcher specialising in Iranian affairs, the Touska incident may nonetheless offer a narrow opening.

    “The release of the ship’s crew could be a green light for Iran to soften its position on returning to talks,” he told Al Jazeera.

    Umer Karim, an associate fellow at the Riyadh-based King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, said the principal signal Iran was seeking was an end to the US blockade, or at least a clear intent to relax it.

    He pointed to Iran’s conduct during the first round. Tehran had initially conditioned its participation on a ceasefire in Lebanon, before entering talks without one.

    “That shows they are pragmatic,” Karim told Al Jazeera.

    A view of Iranian-flagged cargo ship M/V Touska as the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer USS Spruance conducts its interception in a location given as the north Arabian Sea, in this screen capture from a video released April 19, 2026.
    The USS Spruance is seen intercepting the Iranian-flagged cargo ship M/V Touska in the north Arabian Sea in this screengrab from a video released on April 19, 2026 [Handout/CENTCOM via Reuters]

    Muhammad Khatibi, a political analyst based in Tehran, said Iran’s position had been consistent throughout, as Iran believes that as long as it cannot export its oil, it will not allow others in the region to do so either.

    A tangible easing of the blockade, he said, did not need to be publicly announced, as it could take the form of reciprocal steps, “such as the US permitting a number of Iranian oil shipments to proceed, with Tehran responding in kind”.

    “Iran does not seek to re-engage in renewed conflict,” he told Al Jazeera. “But from Tehran’s perspective, this is a war of survival, and it is prepared to fight with all available means until the very end.”

    The IRGC factor

    The statements from Tehran also reflect a domestic political dynamic underpinning Iran’s public posture, said analysts.

    The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been pushing Iran’s negotiating team to adopt a firmer line, they said, conditioning any return to talks on a full end to the US naval blockade.

    Heiran-Nia said the divide between the IRGC and the diplomatic team was evident. He cited instances over the weekend when ships attempting to pass through the strait were allegedly fired on by Iran. India summoned Iran’s ambassador in New Delhi to raise concerns about firing on two of its ships.

    “The attack on tankers during the ceasefire demonstrates the IRGC’s dominance over the diplomatic team and its disregard for their positions,” he told Al Jazeera.

    Yet Heiran-Nia said if a deal were reached, it would likely override internal opposition.

    “If a deal is reached, it will likely have a sovereign character,” he said. “The establishment will impose its own narrative, and the IRGC will accept it.”

    What Pakistan is working with

    Trump has set firm public red lines. He has demanded Iran end uranium enrichment and surrender its existing stockpile of enriched uranium. He has said the US will not lift the Hormuz blockade until Tehran agrees to negotiate.

    “They’re going to negotiate, and if they don’t, they’re going to see problems like they’ve never seen before,” he said in an interview on Monday.

    The enrichment question remains the central fault line. During the first round of talks, US negotiators proposed a 20-year pause on Iranian enrichment. Iran countered with five years. Trump has publicly said he wants no enrichment and has refused to set a timeframe for this moratorium.

    For Iran, Karim said, the Strait of Hormuz is not simply a bargaining chip.

    Tehran is seeking to extract maximum advantage from that leverage before any deal is concluded, he said, because once an agreement is reached, “those cards could no longer be played”.

    “Iran understands that it still has leverage,” Karim added, “and that it needs to be utilised to the maximum level in any negotiations.”

    Heiran-Nia said Washington’s position on Hormuz was equally entrenched.

    “The US wants to remove the Strait of Hormuz card from Iran’s hand,” he said. “Iran, on the other hand, wants not only to preserve it as a negotiating card but also to maintain it as a strategic asset.”

    Trump’s messaging problem

    Complicating Pakistan’s efforts is Trump’s public messaging around the talks.

    President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
    President Donald Trump at the White House, April 18, 2026 [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo]

    His posts on Truth Social and remarks to reporters, in which he claimed Iran had agreed to provisions that sources said had not been finalised, including the handover of enriched uranium, caused visible strain in diplomatic efforts during the first round.

    Iranian officials publicly rejected the assertions, while US media reported that some Trump administration officials privately acknowledged his comments had been detrimental, given Tehran’s deep mistrust of Washington.

    Karim, however, said Trump’s messaging was “more a form of posturing than a structural obstacle to the talks”.

    Heiran-Nia said how Islamabad frames the process will be critical, regardless of the outcome.

    “Pakistan is the only actor that has military and security ties with both Washington and Tehran,” he said, adding that its role in shaping the narrative around any agreement, allowing both sides to claim success, would be “of critical importance”.

    What comes next

    A second round of talks, if they take place, is expected to begin on Wednesday.

    Trump has extended the original deadline by 24 hours, saying the truce now ends “Wednesday evening Washington time”, which would be early morning Thursday in Islamabad, and described a further extension as “highly unlikely”. It was initially supposed to end on Tuesday evening in the US, or Wednesday morning in the Middle East.

    Whether Iran’s delegation attends remains the central question.

    State broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said on Tuesday that no Iranian diplomatic delegation, “be it a primary or secondary team, or an initial or follow-up mission”, had travelled to Islamabad.

    An Iranian source, however, said there were strong indications that a delegation would still travel to Pakistan, adding that security considerations remained central to any decision.

    Heiran-Nia said the consequences of failure in the planned talks would be stark.

    “The alternative, return to war, while unable to establish any sustainable balance, promises devastating destruction,” he said.

  • Playdate Gaming Handheld Maker Bans Generative AI Tools for Development

    Playdate Gaming Handheld Maker Bans Generative AI Tools for Development

    In brief

    • Panic banned AI-generated art, music, and writing from its Playdate handheld console’s Catalog storefront.
    • The company will continue allowing AI coding tools like GitHub Copilot with required disclosure.
    • The policy change followed controversy over the release of a game that used ChatGPT.

    Panic, maker of the Playdate handheld gaming console, announced a ban on AI-generated art, music, and writing from its digital storefront while maintaining allowances for AI-powered coding tools.

    The policy creates a clear distinction between creative and technical AI applications. Panic’s updated terms now prohibit any third-party game submissions containing AI-generated creative content, while developers using AI coding assistants must disclose their usage for customer transparency.

    “Playdate Catalog has historically required AI use be disclosed by the developer for any game submissions, that part has never changed. But as of this month, the Playdate Catalog storefront now prohibits AI-generated art, music, and writing from any third-party game submissions moving forward,” Panic co-founder Cabel Sasser said in a statement to Game Developer.

    The company positioned itself as breaking new ground in gaming distribution, setting its unique handheld—with its black-and-white screen, fold-out hand crank, and indie-centric game library—apart from the juggernauts of the gaming industry.

    “We believe we’re one of the first (and possibly only?) digital game storefronts to do this. Steam, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, even Itch, etc. all still permit this type of AI-generated work in their listings,” Sasser said, adding that the move was “an important step to take for both game quality and our community.”

    The policy shift emerged after Wheelsprung, a game included in Playdate’s curated Season 2 collection, was discovered to have used ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot for coding and writing assistance.

    Sasser acknowledged the oversight, telling Exp last year that Panic’s team didn’t consider that a Season 2 developer would use large language models. He called this assumption “naive,” and took responsibility for the game slipping through their review process.

    Playdate launched in 2022 as a boutique gaming device, leaning into its unique design and quirky features rather than compete with high-end handheld devices. The console’s Catalog storefront serves as the primary distribution channel for games designed for the niche platform. Unlike major gaming platforms that have remained largely silent on AI-generated content, Panic’s explicit policy distinguishes between different AI applications in game development—a first for the industry.

    Panic has already implemented stricter standards for its upcoming curated collection. The publisher confirmed in a post on Bluesky that Playdate Season 3 will exclude any titles using generative AI in any capacity.

    “We can happily confirm that it was a requirement for all Season 3 devs that no AI can be used in Season 3 games,” the company stated, clarifying that “this includes art, music, writing, and, yes, code.”

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  • Arbitrum Security Council Freezes $71.5M in Ethereum Linked to $292M KelpDAO Exploit

    Arbitrum Security Council Freezes $71.5M in Ethereum Linked to $292M KelpDAO Exploit

    In brief

    • The Arbitrum Security Council has frozen 30,766 ETH worth $71.5 million linked to the weekend’s KelpDAO exploit.
    • The funds can only be moved by further action by Arbitrum governance, the council said.
    • The KelpDAO attackers, thought to be North Korean hackers, have begun moving and laundering funds linked to the exploit.

    The Arbitrum Security Council has frozen 30,766 ETH worth $71.5 million allegedly linked to the KelpDAO exploit, moving the funds to an intermediary wallet.

    In a tweet, the council explained the “emergency action” was taken following law enforcement input about the exploiter’s identity. Following the move, the funds are “no longer accessible to the address that originally held the funds,” the council said, adding that they can only be moved “by further action by Arbitrum governance, which will be coordinated with relevant parties.”

    The Arbitrum Security Council consists of elected signers with emergency powers to protect the layer-2 network during security incidents. When activated, the council can immediately freeze assets and move them to wallets accessible only through subsequent governance votes.

    The frozen funds from the alleged KelpDAO exploiter now sit in an intermediary address that requires community approval through Arbitrum’s governance process to access.

    The freeze sparked debate regarding layer-2 governance and the resultant trade-offs between rapid security response and decentralization, with Arbitrum’s ability to unilaterally freeze funds during emergencies attracting both praise and criticism online.

    The KelpDAO exploit

    KelpDAO, a liquid restaking protocol, suffered a $292 million exploit on April 18 when attackers drained 116,500 rsETH tokens. In the wake of the hack, LayerZero attributed the attack to North Korea’s Lazarus Group.

    The attackers allegedly compromised RPC nodes in LayerZero’s network, poisoning two nodes while launching DDoS attacks on a third. In the wake of the incident, a dispute emerged between LayerZero and KelpDAO over security configurations, with each party pointing to different documentation standards for the protocol’s setup.

    The attackers have already started moving funds linked to the exploit. According to on-chain data, the wallet identified as that of the KelpDAO hacker sent transfers of $57.93 million and $117.48 million Tuesday morning, while blockchain investigator ZachXBT reported that the KelpDAO attackers have begun laundering $1.5 million from the KelpDAO exploit from Ethereum to Bitcoin via Thorchain, with a further $78,000 routed through Umbra.

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  • Stavros Halkias Sets Second Netflix Special ‘Uncle Stav’

    Stavros Halkias Sets Second Netflix Special ‘Uncle Stav’

    Stavros Halkias has set his second Netflix special, “Uncle Stav,” which will premiere on the streamer sometime later this year.

    The New York-based comic will tape the hour in his hometown of Baltimore at the Lyric on April 24 and 25. “Uncle Stav” follows Halkias’ last Netflix special, 2023’s “Fat Rascal.” Prior to that, he released his 2022 special “Live at the Lodge Room” on YouTube, where it hit 1 million views in its first four days and has since surpassed 8 million.

    Halkias is a stand-up comic and actor who is currently performing on his “The Dreamboat Tour.” His comedy is both vulgar and playful, often covering topics like sex, body image, masculinity and his Greek heritage.

    He recently wrote, produced and starred in the indie comedy “Let’s Start a Cult,” and Variety broke the news that he will star in Judd Apatow’s upcoming country music comedy “The Comeback King” alongside Glen Powell. (Halkias is playing Powell’s character’s agent. Cristin Milioti and Madelyn Cline also star.)

    He appeared in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia” and Steven Soderbergh’s sci-fi series “Command Z,” and next he’ll be seen in the A24 Anthony Bourdain biopic “Tony.” He is also in Shane Gillis’ Netflix series “Tires” and hosts “Stavvy’s World,” a popular comedy podcast. Halkias broke out as a co-host of the since-retired comedy podcast “Cum Town” alongside Adam Friedland and Nick Mullen.

    “Uncle Stav” is executive produced by Halkias and Ben O’Brien for Stavvy Baby Entertainment.

    Halkias is repped by UTA and Schreck Rose Dapello.