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Thousands of websites taken down for illegal World Cup streams
Almost 3,000 websites have been blocked or seized for illegally streaming World Cup matches, in a joint crackdown by US and South American authorities. The US Department of Justice said the action, carried out under investigations dubbed “Operation Offsides” and “Operation Red Card”, demonstrates a commitment to protecting intellectual property rights amid what analysts describe…
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Birth tourism fight shifts to US ‘tropical maternity ward’ with history of Chinese exploitation
The debate over birthright citizenship in the United States has expanded to the country’s Pacific territories, with lawmakers introducing new legislation aimed at closing what they describe as a birth tourism loophole. Republican Rep. Morgan Griffith has proposed a bill targeting birthright citizenship specifically in US territories, while Senator Jim Banks has separately put forward…
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Cast shake-up ahead of second Scrubs revival season
The ABC revival of “Scrubs” has confirmed several cast changes ahead of its second season, which is also the eleventh season of the show overall. Ava Bunn, who played Dr Sam Tosh in the first revival season, has been promoted to series regular, while X Mayo and Joel Kim Booster, who played Nurse Pippa Raymond…
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Merger deal between Paramount and Warner Bros paused by judge
A US federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order halting Paramount Skydance’s proposed $110bn (£85bn) merger with Warner Bros Discovery, following a lawsuit brought by a coalition of 12 US states. The states, including California and New York, argue the tie-up would harm competition and push up prices for cinemas, cable distributors and audiences.…
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Britain’s ‘Leaning Tower of Pisa’ church is set to lose famous wonky spire over ‘serious structural issues’
A historic English church renowned for its dramatically twisted spire, often likened to Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa, is set to lose the crooked feature after inspectors identified serious structural problems. The spire’s unusual lean has long made the church a notable tourist attraction and local landmark, so its removal would mark a significant change…
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Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium Shows: How the Music Came Together, From Meticulous Arrangements to Last-Minute Tweaks
Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium residency, which wrapped up last weekend, was underpinned by months of meticulous musical preparation combined with the flexibility to adapt on the fly, according to key members of his band and production team. The three-night run marked the 25th and 30th anniversaries of his albums “The Blueprint” and “Reasonable Doubt”, with an…
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AWS customer learns the hard way how even the smallest oversight can be mission-critical
An AWS customer, web design firm Digital Takumi, found itself locked out of its own account last week after a string of small oversights combined to take every client website and hosted email account offline. Founder Christopher Bradbury told The Register that AWS had been sending billing notifications about an expired payment card, but these…
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‘Game of Thrones’ star Lena Headey says outrage over infamous nude scene left her stunned
Lena Headey has spoken candidly about the intense public backlash that followed one of “Game of Thrones'” most notorious scenes, the “Walk of Atonement” in which her character, Cersei Lannister, was forced to walk naked through crowds as an act of humiliation. More than a decade on, the actress said she remains puzzled by the…
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Spin Doctors’ Aaron Comess Nails Avenged Sevenfold’s “Afterlife” As He Hears It for First Time: Watch
Spin Doctors drummer Aaron Comess took part in Drumeo’s “For the First Time” series, in which drummers hear a song with no percussion and must improvise a performance on the spot. He was set the challenge of playing along to Avenged Sevenfold’s “Afterlife,” a track originally recorded by the late A7X drummer Jimmy “The Rev”…