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Robbie Williams, Tom Cruise, and Jennifer Hudson among stars expected at 2026 World Cup closing ceremony
via Le Matin2 min read
The 2026 World Cup closing ceremony, scheduled for July 19, will feature performances by Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, IShowSpeed, and a special appearance by Tom Cruise, according to FIFA. Jennifer Hudson will perform the United States national anthem. The ceremony, created in partnership with Balich Wonder Studio, aims to celebrate the passion, emotion, and universal spirit of this 23rd World Cup, which is the first to include 48 teams. Heimo Schirgi, World Cup 2026 Operations Director, stated that the closing ceremony will conclude the event, bringing together music, culture, and football before the final match. This year's final will also include the first-ever Super Bowl-inspired halftime show, curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay. This 11-minute show will feature Shakira, Justin Bieber, Madonna, and BTS, with proceeds benefiting Global Citizen's educational fund. Additional artists and special guests for the closing ceremony are expected to be announced by FIFA in the coming days.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
Hachette Book Group, Cengage Learning, Elsevier, and writer Scott Turow, along with his publishing company S.C.R.I.B.E., have filed a lawsuit in New York against Google. They allege that Google secretly copied millions of works from its digital library, Google Books, and other services, which were provided for limited use, to train its AI model, Gemini. The plaintiffs claim that Gemini can create books and compete with human authors at an unprecedented scale and speed, and that it even imitates the stylistic elements and creative choices of specific authors. They argue that content generated by Gemini directly competes with the original authors' works. The lawsuit seeks a court order to stop these practices and unspecified damages. This legal action is part of a series of copyright infringement lawsuits against AI companies. Several of these publishers, including Hachette, Cengage, Elsevier, and Scott Turow, had previously sued Meta in May in a New York court for similar reasons. In a related case, Anthropic, developer of the Claude AI models, reached an agreement in September to pay at least $1.5 billion to authors and publishers who sued it for illegally downloading millions of books. However, a judge in that case ruled that feeding a generative AI model with works theoretically protected by copyright did not constitute an infringement.
Two meetings were held by Laftit with leaders of political parties to review organizational and operational measures for the upcoming legislative elections. Discussions included the electoral list revision, which took place from May 15 to July 10, 2026, under the supervision of administrative commissions led by magistrates. A new electronic platform for submitting candidacies was presented, alongside the process for submitting original application files directly to the receiving authority. Legislative and regulatory provisions concerning state funding for electoral campaigns by political parties participating in the general elections for the House of Representatives were also reviewed. Party leaders were informed of King Mohammed VI's High Instruction to activate the central election monitoring commission, comprising the Minister of Interior and the President of the Public Prosecutor's Office. This commission will ensure the security and integrity of the electoral process at all stages. Regional commissions, composed of the Wali and the King's Attorney General, and provincial commissions, consisting of the Governor and the King's Prosecutor, will extend this oversight territorially. Political party leaders exchanged views on measures to ensure the legislative elections proceed smoothly. They expressed gratitude to King Mohammed VI for activating the central and regional/provincial election monitoring commissions. The meetings fostered a positive environment, with party leader
Peru's incoming government has committed to supporting Morocco's territorial integrity and its sovereignty over its Southern Provinces. This position was articulated during a meeting between the President-elect, Keiko Fujimori, and Morocco's Ambassador to Peru, Amin Chaoudri. Ambassador Chaoudri presented a congratulatory message from His Majesty King Mohammed VI following Fujimori's election. The President-elect's office stated that the upcoming Peruvian government's intention to support Morocco's territorial integrity and sovereignty over its Southern Provinces was emphasized during the discussion. Keiko Fujimori also reaffirmed her full adherence to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797, which recognizes the Autonomy Plan as a basis for a settlement to achieve a definitive solution to the regional dispute concerning the Sahara. In his congratulatory message, King Mohammed VI expressed his warm felicitations to Fujimori for the trust placed in her by the Peruvian people to fulfill their aspirations for further progress and prosperity. The King also commended the distinguished relations between Morocco and Peru, founded on strong friendship, mutual esteem, and shared values. He conveyed his determination to work with the Peruvian President to give new impetus to these relations and elevate them to a multidimensional partnership, benefiting both friendly peoples.