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.
Blake Lively has shared her feelings after a big update in her legal case with Justin Baldoni.
A judge recently dismissed many of her claims, including the sexual harassment ones but the case is still going on.
Even after this decision, Lively did not step back as she said that she is thankful that the most important part of her case will still go to a jury next month.
However, this means the legal fight is not over yet.
A Simple Favor actress also explained why she filed the case in the first place and according to her, she faced serious backlash after speaking up about wanting a safe working environment.
Talking about how this has affected her, Lively called the experience “unfathomably painful” and said clearly, “I will never stop fighting.”
The court has now reduced the case, but some claims like retaliation are still active and will be heard during the trial.
On the other side, Baldoni has denied everything and his team believe that the court’s decision supports him.
The case, connected to their film It Ends With Us will move ahead in May, where both sides will finally present their side of the story in court.
The White House stated on Saturday, April 4, to deny all claims related to U.S. President Donald Trump being admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Social media is buzzing with rumours that the 79-year-old president is not in good health.
The speculations started when the White House announced at 11:08 a.m. (local time) that Trump would not make any appearances for the rest of the day.
This is a surprising statement from Trump because he is expected to be at the Mar-a-Lago facility over the weekend, where he plays golf.
The White House immediately responded, declaring that the claim was totally baseless and that Trump had remained committed to his responsibilities.
Health issues have become a consistent theme throughout Trump’s presidency. In particular, his mental and physical ability to serve as president has been brought into question due to several mistakes on his part.
His last known visit to Walter Reed occurred in October when he took an MRI. At that time, Trump said the scan was “perfect.”
In 2025, White House made it public that Trump is suffering from chronic venous insufficiency.
In this condition, veins in the legs struggle to return blood to the heart. However, the doctors assure that the condition is very common in older people.
The U.S. President is also seen wearing cosmetic patches often on the back of his hand.
The White House also denied all these rumours of a possible connection between the disease and cosmetic patches, citing that bruising is due to repeated handshaking, not linked to any vein disease.
The rubbery toy made by Massachusetts-based Schylling, NeeDoh squishies, has unexpectedly gone viral on social media.
The sales of the squishies have skyrocketed, leaving stores empty and resellers charging triple the price.
CEO Paul Weingard reported that the company sold through the entire year’s inventory within the first nine weeks of 2026.
While talking to Business Insider, Weingard said, “Literally within the first nine weeks of the year, we’d sold through the whole year’s inventory. No company can plan for that.”
NeeDoh was introduced by Schylling in 2017, but demand skyrocketed this holiday season after the advent calendar-style pack took off on TikTok and elsewhere online.
Schylling claims that NeeDoh is its biggest-selling product in 52 years.
The toy is priced between $6 to $10, but due to supply chain shortages, resellers on Walmart are selling it for $200.
Where to buy NeeDoh?
The toy is available at Schylling’s official website, the company’s Amazon store, Walmart, and Target. But due to the shutdown of factories in China during the Lunar New Year in February, the company is facing a significant shortage.
Are NeeDoh safe for kids?
According to manufacturers, NeeDosh squishies are manufactured from non-toxic thermoplastic rubber.
Additionally, there’s no BPA, phthalates, or latex. It also complies with U.S. toy safety standards. These standards make it safe for kids.
However, for extra caution, parents are advised not to give squishies to children under 3 years old as they pose choking hazards. The company recommends the toy for ages 5 and up.
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