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Cat Stevens postpones North American tour, cites visa issues

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Cat Stevens postpones North American tour, cites visa issues


Legendary singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, also known as Yusuf, announced that his upcoming North American book tour will be postponed due to unspecified visa issues.

The “Morning Has Broken” singer took to Instagram to share the news on Monday, saying his “Cat on the Road to Findout” book tour won’t be going ahead as scheduled next month. The book will be released in the U.S. on Oct. 7 and was made available in the U.K. earlier this month.

“Waiting months for visa approvals, we held out as long as we could,” he wrote. “However, at this point, the production logistics necessary for my show cannot be arranged in time.”

He added: “I am really upset! Not least for my fans who have bought tickets and made travel plans to see me perform.”

Yusuf Islam, also known as Cat Stevens, performs during Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on June 25, 2023.

Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP


Stevens said North American fans may still get a chance to see the tour “if visa approvals come through,” though he said those dates would most likely be “some time away” because of other commitments.

“Hopefully, fans will be able to hop on the Peace Train route at some time in the future,” he added. “Meanwhile, tour delays should not affect the book, which you’ll still be able to enjoy… the obvious benefit of it being — books don’t need visas!”

The singer-songwriter, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam after embracing the Muslim faith, did not specify any reason for the visa delays. He is the latest in a string of international musicians and athletes impacted by visa issues, as fees have increased in the past year and processing times have slowed.

Representatives of Stevens did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment.

The singer’s tour was set to start Oct. 2 in Philadelphia and had various stops scheduled across the country for the rest of the month. His Oct. 8 tour stop in Toronto, Canada, was also postponed.

The British singer-songwriter rose to fame in the 1960s and put his career on hold for two decades after converting to Islam in the late 1970s. He returned to secular music in the 2000s.





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Drake likes negative comment about ex Serena Williams

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Drake likes negative comment about ex Serena Williams


Drake appears to approve jab at Serena Williams

Drake has drawn attention on social media after liking a comment aimed at ex Serena Williams.

The rapper, 39, posted tennis-themed photos with Sexyy Red on November 17, captioned, “I said tennis lesson she said where’s the bracelet or the necklace.” 

Under the post, one user commented, “Serena Williams upgrade,” accompanied by two fire emojis. Drake appeared to approve by liking the comment, which led another user to call him “messy for liking” it.

The interaction comes months after Williams, 44, told Time her cameo in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show was “absolutely not” a dig at Drake. 

Williams was spotted dancing during Lamar’s performance of Not Like Us, a song widely interpreted as a diss track aimed at the rapper. 

She insisted her appearance was a nod to her 2012 London Olympics celebration and added she “would never” mock her ex.

Williams described her relationship with Drake as long-standing and said she has “never had negative feelings towards him.” Drake previously referenced her in his 2013 song Worst Behavior.





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Meta to remove under-16 Australians from Facebook, Instagram on December 4

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Meta to remove under-16 Australians from Facebook, Instagram on December 4


This photograph shows the logo of US multinational technology conglomerate Meta, taken on May 22, 2022. — AFP

Australians younger than 16 will be removed from Facebook and Instagram on December 4, tech giant Meta said Thursday, as Canberra prepares to enforce sweeping laws banning teens from social media.

From December 10, Australia will force social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, to remove users under the age of 16 or face hefty fines.

Meta said that it would start removing teenagers from its platforms ahead of the ban coming into force.

“From today, Meta will be notifying Australian users it understands to be aged 13-15 that they will lose access to Instagram, Threads and Facebook,” Meta said in a statement.

“Meta will begin blocking new under-16 accounts and revoking existing access from 4 December, expecting to remove all known under-16s by 10 December.”

There are around 350,000 Instagram users aged between 13-15 in Australia and around 150,000 Facebook accounts, according to government figures.

Meta has started warning impacted users that they will soon be locked out.

“Soon, you’ll no longer be able to use Facebook and your profile won’t be visible to you or others,” reads a message sent to impacted users.

“When you turn 16, we’ll let you know that you can start using Facebook again.”

Teenagers will be able to access their accounts “exactly as you left it” once they turn 16, Meta told them.

Hefty fines 

Accounts that were flagged by mistake could verify their age using a “video selfie” or by providing government-issued ID.

Social media companies have previously described the laws as “vague”, “problematic” and “rushed”.

Meta again voiced its concerns on Thursday.

“We share the Australian Government’s goal of creating safe, age-appropriate online experiences, but cutting teens off from their friends and communities isn’t the answer.”

There is keen interest in whether Australia’s sweeping restrictions can work as regulators around the globe wrestle with the dangers of social media.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, will introduce a similar bill to restrict children’s social media use.

And the Dutch government advised parents this year to forbid children under 15 from using social media apps like TikTok and Snapchat.

Social media companies caught flouting the laws will face fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million).

On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world.

But some experts are concerned that the law will be merely symbolic because of the difficulty in implementing and policing online age verification.





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‘No fun in being perfect’

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‘No fun in being perfect’


Meghan Markle talks ‘As Ever’ mistakes: ‘No fun in being perfect’

Meghan Markle is opening up about making mistakes as she creates her own lifestyle brand.

The Duchess of Sussex, who sat with Harper’s Bazaar on their latest cover for December, spoke about little setbacks as she works on ‘As Ever.’

“I can give myself the same grace as a founder,” she notes. “There’s no such thing as perfect. I, too, get to make mistakes… There’s also not a lot of fun in trying to be perfect. So why try to do that if you want to have fun?”

“My office is right by the kitchen, and I love that I can work from home. It’s a great luxury,” she added, before noting how her kids fill up a large part of her day.

Prince Harry left the Royal Family back in 2020 alongside wife Meghan Markle and son, Prince Archie. The couple later accused the Royal Family of showcasing racism towards their son and publicly shared their grievances on television. Harry and Meghan now live in California, where they also welcomed their daughter, Princess Lilibet.





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