Parents: what is your child's favourite Julia Donaldson book?
We've ranked our top 15 Julia Donaldson books – but which ones do children like? We would like to hear from parents about their child's favourite, and why.
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Associated Press
8 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Czech international film festival opens with honors for actors Peter Sarsgaard and Vicky Krieps
PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Karlovy Vary International Film Festival was kicking off its 59th edition on Friday with honors for American actor Peter Sarsgaard and actress Vicky Krieps from Luxembourg. Sarsgaard and Krieps are both slated to receive the Festival President's Award at the opening ceremony. The festival will screen 'Shattered Glass,' a 2003 movie directed by Billy Ray, for which Sarsgaard was nominated for a Golden Globe. To honor Krieps, who received a European Film Award for best actress for her role of the rebellious Empress Sisi in 'Corsage' (2022), the movie 'Love Me Tender' (2025) will be shown at the festival. American actress Dakota Johnson, who will receive the same award on Sunday, was set to present her two latest movies, 'Splitsville' and 'Materialists.' The festival will close on July 12 with an honor for Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård recognising his outstanding contribution to world cinema. He will present his new movie, 'Sentimental Value' directed by by Joachim Trier, that won the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes Film Festival. In an anticipated event, Hollywood actor Michael Douglas arrives at the festival present a newly restored print of the 1975 Oscar-winning movie ' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' which was directed by the late Czech director Miloš Forman and which was produced by Douglas and Saul Zaentz. The grand jury will consider 12 movies for the top prize, the Crystal Globe.
New York Times
32 minutes ago
- New York Times
Osaka takes the first set!
Follow live coverage from our team at SW19 with third-round action featuring Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and more Getty Images French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, and women's World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka headline day five at Wimbledon today with American Taylor Fritz (5) currently on Centre Court at the All England Club. Upsets have been the story of the tournament so far and day four was no different, with contenders such as British hope Jack Draper (5) and U.S. player Tommy Paul (13) dumped out. As the field narrows, the intensity continues to pick up, setting the stage for another intriguing day of tennis. Follow along for the latest updates, analysis and reaction throughout day five. Watch: BBC (UK), ESPN (U.S.); Get involved: live@ GO FURTHER Wimbledon recap: Grand Slam champions hold firm as tournament sets seed record Pavlyuchenkova 3-6, *0-0 Osaka That's an excellent first set from Naomi Osaka. She let's out a big cry of 'Come on!' after two aces in a row to take that final game and the first set. Pavlyuchenkova fought back to 40-40 there on Osaka's serve but she had the answers. Getty Images Pavlyuchenkova 3-5* Osaka These players are mutually raising their level now after Pavlyuchenkova has come back into this set. But Osaka is meeting the challenge of her opponent and drills a forehand down the line from so wide on the court it drew a gasp from the crowd on the way to breaking Pavlyuchenkova again. Only 46 per cent of first serves are in the court for Pavlyuchenkova so far, and Osaka is just one game away from taking the set. Getty Images Plenty of British celebrities have made an early appearance at Wimbledon ahead of play starting on Centre Court at 1.30pm BST (8.30am EDT). From L-R: former astronaut Tim Peake, celebrity chef and national treasure Dame Mary Berry, and physicist and musician Brian Cox. Getty Images Pavlyuchenkova *0-3 Osaka Wow, what a start from Naomi Osaka! She's flying through this first set with early breaks and a couple of double faults for her opponent and she's already three games to the good. It's looking promising for Osaka. This was a disappointing one for the Brits in the crowd at Wimbledon yesterday — home favorite Jack Draper was knocked out of the tournament by Marin Cilic. Fourth seed Draper was the latest to exit in another early, underwhelming Wimbledon departure for him. His struggles on grass continue despite an otherwise very impressive 12 months of Grand Slam performances for the world No. 4, with runs to the semifinals at the U.S. Open and then fourth-round appearances in Melbourne and Paris. GO FURTHER Jack Draper out of Wimbledon in second round as Marin Cilic's grass pedigree triumphs Seeds are tumbling, suspensions are altering the order of play, and it can be easy to miss out on big talking points from this year's Wimbledon. The good news is, we've got The Briefing to fill you in on all the big issues, every day of the Championships. On the agenda today: Surprise: there were more upsets at Wimbledon Wimbledon's fastest security guard strikes again Read all about it on the link below! GO FURTHER Wimbledon recap: Grand Slam champions hold firm as tournament sets seed record Getty Images It's another warm one today in SW19, which means perfect conditions for strawberries and cream and plenty of Pimms. The good news is that the forecast is showing zero per cent chance of rain with temperatures rising to 26 degrees by late afternoon. Time to slap on some sun cream! We've got some big ones today on the show courts, with action on No. 1 Court set to start at 1 p.m. BST, 8 a.m. ET and half an hour later on Centre Court. Here's some of the best coming up: Taylor Fritz (5) vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (26) Diane Parry vs. Sonay Kartal Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Emma Raducanu A very good morning everyone and welcome along to another day of scintillating Wimbledon action. Action on the outdoor courts is due to commence at the top of the hour — here's a look at some of the best matches to look out for: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Naomi Osaka Dalma Gálfi vs. Amanda Anisimova Márton Fucsovics vs. Gael Monfils (to finish) Neil Stubley, Wimbledon's head of courts and horticulture, is the man in charge of keeping the tennis courts pristine as he enters his 30th tournament. He and his team of 18, which grows to 31 during the event, are responsible for 'anything that grows' — including weeds. 'Every day we test the ball bounce height and the hardness of the surface,' Stubley says. 'If they're getting too hard, we can add a little more water. If they get too soft, we can just hold off on irrigation and let Mother Nature dry it out a little more. 'Last week, it got its final liquid fertilizer on to give it the right color that we need.' GO FURTHER How Wimbledon gets its grass courts, flowers and tennis balls ready for Grand Slam action There's some serious history behind the trophies at Wimbledon. The men's singles trophy was first presented in 1887 while the women's singles trophy was first presented a year earlier. The women's trophy is dish-shaped with a mythological theme and is known as the Rosewater Dish or Venus Rosewater Dish. The winner will receive a three-quarter size replica of the trophy bearing the names of all past champions. Meanwhile, the men's trophy is cup-shaped and stands 18 inches high and has a diameter of 7.5 inches. Like the women's trophy, the winner receives a three-quarter size replica of the cup with the names of all the past champions engraved on it. This year at Wimbledon the singles champions take home a pretty tasty prize pot. Both the men and the women's singles champions will win an equal prize pot of £3million each. That would set up the summer pretty nicely ... The grass-court season is short — meaning it brings additional challenges for players to master the surface. Last year, Carlos Alcaraz said, 'Every time I step on a grass court I have to learn how to move better, how to play better.' Quite the statement from someone who has won Wimbledon twice. The issue for players is the constant change of surfaces throughout the year and that so few tournaments are played on grass. Grass requires sometimes-staccato movements and rewards players with clean ball striking and effective serves, as well as being an ideal service for a variety of shots using slicing and drop shots. Wimbledon's second-biggest and second-most important court, with a seating capacity of 12,345 (singer Lou Bega's ears have perked up). Opened in 1997, it was renovated in 2019 and has a retractable roof. Arguably, it's the most famous tennis court in the world. It is the main showpiece court, only ever used at the Wimbledon Championships (apart from the 2012 London Olympic Games), and has a capacity of 14,979. Distinguished guests sit in the Royal Box, with a 3,000-tonne retractable roof installed in 2009. The inscription above the entrance quotes Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If': 'If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two impostors just the same.' Wise words for anyone playing on it. We'd love to hear from you ahead of today's 2025 Championships action getting underway in around two-and-a-half hours. Who do you think is going to win this year with so many big names out? Who will be the most successful British and American players? Is Wimbledon your favourite Grand Slam of the season, and if so why? Let us know by emailing live@ Page 2
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams and a new dawn of 'hard launch summer'
We've made it past blistering heat waves and landed in July, which can only mean one thing – 'hard launch summer' is back in full force. Glastonbury, the British music festival, was ripe with romance this year. Pop singers Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo both more than hinted at their respective relationship statuses on Instagram with photos from the weekend's festivities. Rodrigo had subtly posted photos of British actor Louis Partridge in previous photo dumps, but never his face. But towards the end of a Glastonbury recap post on July 2, Rodrigo shared a clip of her dancing on Partridge's shoulders, smiling and singing along to Pulp's 'Common People.' The comment section exploded. 'The hard launch I was waiting for I'm so happy,' one fan wrote. Abrams also shared a photo of herself dancing on Irish actor Paul Mescal's shoulders over the weekend on her Instagram stories, followed by a selfie in a photo dump on her feed on July 2. 'I'm so happy for two people I don't even know,' one fan commented. 'Both you and Olivia hard launching on the feed is really special to me,' wrote another. So what is the art of the 'hard launch'? The term made waves last summer when Taylor Swift finally posted Travis Kelce on her Instagram feed. Both Abrams and Rodrigo's rumored relationships have also been in the spotlight already. Early kisses caught by paparazzi, gossip circulating social media, songs seemingly written about their partners (have you listened to Rodrigo's 'so american'?). But the 'hard launch' is about telling the world you're together, on your terms. Therapists say celebrities have myriad reasons for pulling that proverbial trigger. But whether it's a carefully curated moment or an impulsive expression of love, you can't unring that bell. "Every aspect of the relationship can become fodder for public consumption and scrutiny, putting a spotlight on the couple and creating pressure to be seen as a healthy match," Jeff Guenther, licensed professional counselor and author of "Big Dating Energy," previously told USA TODAY. "You're also leaving yourself open to increased criticism." Dating is tricky no matter who you are, especially early on before you decide to start telling people. With celebrities, not only are they opening themselves to scrutiny from their family and friends, but often the whole world. In the beginning stages, it may also seem too good to be true, and shouting your love from the rooftops can feel like jinxing it. Last summer, when Sabrina Carpenter featured then-rumored beau, Irish actor Barry Keoghan, in the music video for 'Please, Please, Please,' the song begged him not to 'embarrass' her. We can't speculate how Carpenter feels after that allegedly fizzled, but her newest single, 'Manchild,' may give listeners a clue. "When we introduce someone as our partner, there is an expectation that we've vetted this person," Kimberly Vered Shashoua, a licensed clinical social worker, previously told USA TODAY. "It can be embarrassing to have to go back to friends, family and Instagram and update them with a breakup." Think about all the couples, celebrities or otherwise, who never announce a thing. Often, it's a matter of self-preservation. All that said, it's easy to see why celebrities might want to shout about their relationships anyway. They're just like anyone else. It feels good to be in love. "When we feel confident in our partner, it can feel great to show them off," Shashoua said. "It's a lot easier to be honest with our friends and family than sneaking around. If we're active on social media, it can feel strange to have such a big part of your life hidden." , hookup culture and why the way we talk about sex is changing People must weigh the benefits and risks of authenticity when publicizing a private relationship. These "depend on what celebrities are getting out of it, the impact on their personal and professional lives and whether their choices are in line with their personality and core values," Cecille Ahrens, a licensed clinical social worker, previously told USA TODAY. No matter who you are, you give up pieces of yourself during a hard launch. Ahrens adds you may receive "unwanted attention" or face "constant boundary violations." Just ask Abrams, who faced criticism as rumors swirled about her and Mescal's relationship after his apparent breakup from Phoebe Bridgers. But with enough time passed, Abrams' 'hard launch' has been met with support. The 'hard launch' can even be a business strategy: "By being open about their relationships, celebrities can connect more deeply with their fans, boosting their parasocial relationships and most likely leading to more sales or followers," Guenther said. It's a decision that requires care and conversation. But at the end of the day, at least the decision is theirs. Contributing: David Oliver This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams and 'hard launch summer'
