Entertainment
Catholic teen set to become first millennial saint
Tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected at the Vatican Sunday for the canonisation of an Italian teenager dubbed “God’s Influencer” for his efforts to spread the Catholic faith online.
Carlo Acutis, who died of leukaemia in 2006 aged 15, will be made the first millennial saint by Pope Leo XIV in a solemn ceremony in St Peter’s Square.
The teenager’s body, dressed in jeans and a pair of Nike trainers, lies in a glass-walled tomb in Assisi, visited by hundreds of thousands of people a year.
The canonisation of the so-called “cyber-apostle” was initially set for April but postponed when Pope Francis died. It will be US-born Pope Leo’s first such ceremony.
Among the crowds expected at the Vatican for the mass, which begins at 10:00 am (0800 GMT), are over 800 people travelling to Rome on a special train from Assisi.
The mass will also be watched by faithful on giant screens in Assisi, a medieval city and pilgrimage site in the central region of Umbria.
“I know that many will come, many will follow on television — many came already for April 27. And I’m sure that Carlo thanks them,” said his mother, Antonia Salzano.
In a video published by the Assisi diocese on Saturday, she said her son was proof that “we are all called to be saints… everyone is special”.
A large tapestry featuring a photograph of the saint-to-be hung on the facade of St Peter’s Basilica ahead of the ceremony.
‘Exemplary life’
Acutis, born in London in 1991 to Italian parents, had an ardent faith, though his parents were not particularly devout.

He grew up in the northern city of Milan, where he attended mass daily and had a reputation for kindness to bullied children and homeless people, bringing the latter food and sleeping bags.
A fan of computer games, Acutis taught himself basic coding and used it to document miracles and other elements of the Catholic faith online.
Domenico Sorrentino, bishop of Assisi, called on young people on Friday to follow Acutis’s example.
“Today more than ever we need positive examples, exemplary life stories that can help our young people avoid following discouraging images, violent examples, and fleeting fads that leave nothing behind,” he said in a statement.
The Vatican has recognised Acutis as performing two miracles since his death — a necessary step on the path to sainthood.
The first was the healing of a Brazilian child suffering from a rare pancreatic malformation, the second the recovery of a Costa Rican student seriously injured in an accident.
In both cases, relatives had prayed for help from the teenager, who was beatified in 2020 by Pope Francis.
Entertainment
Prince Andrew’s property woes over Royal Lodge with King Charles: Everything to know
Prince Andrew’s situation with King Charles over Royal Lodge has finally been broken down by a property expert who believes he knows what the future holds.
For those unversed, Royal Lodge is a 30-bedroom property, which was leased by the former Duke of York for £1million back in 2003. Over £7.5m in refurbishment were also spent separately.
Due to the nature of the “cast iron” lease, any early termination or decision by the Crown Estate to remove Prince Andrew from the property will result in him getting £557,595 in compensation, all the way until 2028.
The property expert in question is the CEO of We Buy Any Home, Elliot Castle.
He spoke to Express UK during his explanation and said, “From a property law standpoint, Prince Andrew’s situation at the Royal Lodge appears to be governed by a long-term lease agreement rather than a traditional rental arrangement. If, as reported, the lease terms were set out in 2003 with a significant upfront payment and refurbishment investment, then he would retain security of tenure under those agreed conditions.”
Also, “the reference to a ‘peppercorn rent’ is symbolic – a common feature in long leases where the tenant has paid a large premium up front.”
In addition, for those unversed, in simple terms, it means, “the occupier has effectively bought long-term rights to the property, even though the freehold remains with the Crown Estate.”
So “Whether King Charles could alter or terminate that arrangement would depend entirely on the legal structure of the lease.”
In terms of what control King Charles has over this decision the source said, “Unless there’s a specific clause allowing for termination under certain conditions, it would be very difficult to remove a tenant without agreement or compensation, regardless of personal circumstances.”
Same for Sarah Ferguson Elliot said, “her residency would likely be linked to Prince Andrew’s leasehold rights rather than any separate ownership. If the lease continues, her position would generally remain unchanged.”
However, “overall, while the situation attracts public attention due to its royal connections, the underlying property principles are quite standard — a long lease provides security, but ultimate ownership and control rest with the freeholder, in this case the Crown,” he said before signing off.
Entertainment
Ariana Grande credits ‘Wicked’ for reigniting her musical spark
Ariana Grande said that the process of making the film adaptation of Wicked inspired her to continue making albums.
During an appearance on the latest episode of the Shut Up Evan podcast, the 32-year-old singer and actress revealed that she nearly planned on ending her music career before doing Wicket.
“I felt like a genuine spark, like a reconnection and inspiration and something I mean, maybe I missed it,” Ariana said of filming Wicked.
“Maybe it’s as simple as I missed it,” she continued. “But I do feel like you have to miss things in order to learn how to become better, you know what I mean? And I think I learned so much.”
“And then also I genuinely wanted to do it. I just felt like I couldn’t not. It was an inspired moment and I had to write an album and I had to do it,” added the Boy is Mine hitmaker.
For those unversed, Wicked was released in cinemas in November 2024. However, the second part of the film adaptation, Wicked: For Good, is scheduled to hit theaters on November 21.
Ariana recorded her seventh album Eternal Sunshine while filming Wicked.
Entertainment
Sarah Jessica Parker’s surprise message leaves Ariana Grande shocked
Ariana Grande is sharing her honest thoughts on fame.
The singer and actress was left in shock on the latest episode of the Shut Up Evan podcast when the host revealed to her that she had arranged a special message from her idol, Sarah Jessica Parker.
Host Evan Ross Katz began to say, “I know you’re a huge fan of Sarah Jessica Parker. I was getting ready for today and I wanted to have some people call in and ask some questions. So I want to bring the icon Sarah Jessica Parker into the conversation.”
He then played a voicemail from the Hocus Pocus actress, “Greetings Ariana. It’s Sarah Jessica and I have a question… She’s so extraordinarily gifted and has at this point and for quite a while achieved an authority and a kind of control of her career.
Parker continued, “My A. question is when she was little… What did she imagine it would be when she said to a parent, a sibling, a co-worker, or even at a young age, ‘I want to be an actor.’”
In response, Grande showed her shocking expression and said before tearing up, “I love her so much. What a thoughtful and gentle and caring question… Sorry that just totally shocked me. I can’t believe she knows who I am.”
She then took a moment to reply to Parker’s question, confessing that fame is “peculiar” and “hard to navigate.”
“I don’t think I was prepared for that part,” she remarked but added she’s “proud” of the work she has done to separate herself from fame.
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