Art

Julian Schnabel to Get Lifetime Honor at Lucca Festival

• Julian Schnabel to receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Lucca Film Festival.
• Award presented at a screening of his Netflix film In the Hand of Dante.
• The 2026 festival runs 26 September to 4 October in Tuscany.

Acclaimed artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel is to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Lucca Film Festival in Tuscany, the festival announced on Friday. Schnabel will attend the event in person, take part in a public masterclass and be present for a retrospective of his films,…

“Bono said, Everyone is blowing smoke up our arse, will you come watch a few shows and help us make it better?” Bono’s best friend Gavin Friday on how he became U2’s Creative Director

• Gavin Friday has been U2's Creative Director since the mid-1980s.
• His role is giving the band honest, hook-focused feedback since age 15.
• Bono recruited him formally after The Joshua Tree's success.

Gavin Friday, a lifelong friend of Bono and U2's official Creative Director since the mid-1980s, has explained what the role actually involves in an interview with the music Substack publication The New Cue. The account offers a rare glimpse into the tight-knit inner circle U2 have long relied…

‘God Particle’ Physicist Fabiola Gianotti to Get Feature Biopic by ‘The Invisible Witness’ Director Stefano Mordini (EXCLUSIVE)

Italian physicist Fabiola Gianotti, who helped lead one of the two experiments behind the discovery of the Higgs boson — the particle popularly nicknamed the "God particle" — is to be the subject of a feature biopic titled "The Mysterious Particle". The film will be directed by Stefano…

Ellie Goulding to perform at half-time of England vs Norway World Cup quarter-final: “Anything could happen”

• Ellie Goulding will perform at half-time of England vs Norway.
• The quarter-final is in Miami on 11 July, 10pm UK time.
• Her sixth album 'I Know Too Much' arrives on 4 September.

Ellie Goulding is to perform during the half-time interval of England's 2026 World Cup quarter-final against Norway, sharing her excitement in an Instagram post ahead of the game. Writing that performing at the match had her "feeling like truly anything could happen" — a nod to her 2012…

‘Rafa’ Filmmaker Zach Heinzerling On Earning Emmy Nom For His Rafael Nadal Series And Netting Assist From Brother-In-Law Seth Meyers

• Netflix's *Rafa* earns a rare sports-doc Emmy nomination for director Zach Heinzerling.
• Heinzerling learned of the nod while watching tennis at Wimbledon.
• Brother-in-law Seth Meyers gave notes and support on the series.

Zach Heinzerling, director of the Netflix series *Rafa* about tennis champion Rafael Nadal, has earned an Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. Fittingly, he received the news while watching a men's quarterfinal at Wimbledon, having been invited by Nadal's publicist. The nomination is…

Fidji Simo steps down from leading OpenAI’s AGI work due to illness

• Fidji Simo leaves OpenAI's AGI chief role for a part-time advisory position.
• She cited a worsening chronic neuroimmune condition requiring full focus on recovery.
• Her departure follows months of wider OpenAI leadership reshuffles.

Fidji Simo is stepping down from her full-time role leading OpenAI's work on artificial general intelligence (AGI), moving instead to a position as a "part-time advisor," she announced on X. The change follows her earlier decision in April to take medical leave shortly after assuming the AGI chief…

France book World Cup semi-final spot with 2-0 win over Morocco

• France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
• Bounou saved Mbappe's first-half penalty after a three-minute delay.
• Mbappe and Dembele scored; Mbappe now on eight goals.

France have reached the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup after a commanding 2-0 win over Morocco in their quarter-final in Boston, confirming their status as one of the tournament's leading contenders. The match was defined by a dramatic first-half penalty, which Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved from…

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Is Advising the Federal Reserve on the Economic Impact of AI as Part of a ‘Productivity and Jobs’ Taskforce

• Xbox CEO Asha Sharma joins a Federal Reserve taskforce on AI and jobs.
• The appointment follows 1,600 Xbox layoffs, with 1,600 more planned.
• She sits alongside Marc Andreessen and economist Charles I. Jones.

The US Federal Reserve has appointed Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma to a newly formed "Productivity and Jobs" taskforce charged with assessing the economic impact of new technologies, including artificial intelligence. The appointment is notable both for its high profile — Sharma sits alongside venture capitalist Marc Andreessen…

James Beard Award Winner Kwame Onwuachi Signs With CAA

James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur and author Kwame Onwuachi has signed with the talent agency CAA. The move matters because it signals the growing crossover of celebrity chefs into wider entertainment, branding and media ventures, with CAA already securing him high-profile partnerships across food, travel and luxury sectors.…