Kate Middleton Celebrates Her 44th Birthday with King Charles and Queen Camilla Leading Well Wishes

Karwai Tang/WireImage

NEED TO KNOW

• King Charles and Queen Camilla led the birthday wishes for Kate Middleton as she turned 44 on Friday, Jan. 9

• "Wishing a Happy Birthday to The Princess of Wales," the Royal Family's social media accounts posted, alongside a birthday cake emoji and a photo of Princess Kate

• Princess Kate stepped out with Prince William and their children at Sandringham on Christmas, before resuming royal duties the day before her birthday

Happy birthday,Kate Middleton!

On Friday, Jan. 9, Princess Kate was feted with well-wishes on social media, including from members of the royal family, as she turned 44.

King CharlesandQueen Camillaled the tributes with a post on the officialRoyal Family Instagram account.

"Wishing a Happy Birthday to The Princess of Wales," they wrote alongside a birthday cake emoji and a photo of Princess Kate smiling.

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Toby Shepheard/Kensington Palace via The Royal Family/Instagram

The post came as Princess Kate shared a personal video onInstagramabout healing through nature on her special day.

The video, titled "Winter," marks the fourth — and final — installment in the royal's quarterly "Mother Nature" series, which she began in 2025.

Thepoignant film sees Princess Kate strolling over a bridge, dipping her hand in a stream and looking reflective as she stands in a frosty field, while providing a voiceover about her own personal experience with healing.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales resumed royal duties the day before Kate's birthday, visiting Charing Cross Hospital in London for theirfirst official duty of 2026. There, they met with staff and volunteers to thank them for their work, especially during the busy winter months.

Prince Williamand Princess Kate are parents toPrince George, 12,Princess Charlotte, 10, andPrince Louis, 7. The family of fivestepped out for the royal family's church outing at Sandringham on Christmas Day.

HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty

Former royal butler Grant Harrold recently spoke withHeart Bingoabout how the royals celebrate their birthdays,hinting at some of the presentsPrincess Kate may receive this year.

Harrold revealed, "You might get something a little bit silly because the royals like to give silly presents," or there could be something shinier in store.

"There are a couple of options for presents from William," he said. "It could either be something jewelry-based, or it could be something that she needs for the home, or it could be a mixture of both."

Harrold said that King Charles and Queen Camilla may give Princess Kate a "joint gift, in addition to throwing her a small party or dinner.

"It could be a hand-me-down from his mother. It could be something from his private collection of things that he likes to give family members... things that are sentimental to him," he explained. "When he was Prince of Wales, he would give things that had the insignia on them, depending on who it was. It's possible that he could do something like that. Or it might be something he's advised from the Royal Collection, maybe something that's a family heirloom that he's allowed to pass on."

"You've got to remember, family heirlooms — a lot of the items do personally belong to the King, but some of them are not personally owned by the King, but they're in the Royal Collection. He could still give something that remains in the Royal Collection."

Last year was significant for the Wales family, as Princess Kate announced in January 2025 that she wasin remissionafter receivingtreatment for cancerin 2024.

The Princess of Wales announced in March 2024 that she wasundergoing treatment for cancerfollowing a planned abdominal surgery that January. She reduced her royal duties to focus on her health and said in September 2024 that she completedchemotherapy treatment.

After sharing that she was in remission, the Princess of Wales returned to a more regular schedule of royal duties. In July, she spoke aboutadjusting to a "new normal" after cancer treatment— and the struggles that come with finding that balance.

"You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment's done, then it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal,' but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult," the Princess of Wales said at the RHS's Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital, in a stop made to highlight the healing power of nature.

"You're not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you're not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to," she continued. "You have to find your new normal and that takes time… and it's a roller coaster, it's not smooth, like you expect it to be. But the reality is you go through hard times."

Read the original article onPeople

byDonna Devi

in

January 09, 2026

Kate Middleton Celebrates Her 44th Birthday with King Charles and Queen Camilla Leading Well Wishes

Karwai Tang/WireImage NEED TO KNOW King Charles and Queen Camilla led the birthday wishes for Kate Middleton as she turned 44 on Friday, ...

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Chris Stapleton releases 2026 tour dates

Chris Stapletonis celebrating the start of 2026 with new tour dates.

The country star will criss-cross the country in upcoming months, alongside opener Lainey Wilson, as part of his All-American Road Show, the ongoing tour he launched in 2017. The "Tennessee Whiskey" singer announces some three dozen tour stops Thursday, Jan. 8, with stadium shows in cities like Toronto, Boston, Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Kentucky native is up for four Grammy Awards at the Feb. 1 ceremony in L.A. — including best country song for his Miranda Lambert duet "A Song to Sing" — as he aims to add to his career tally of 11.

Chris Stapleton tour dates

• Feb. 4, 2026 – Dolby Live – Las Vegas

• Feb. 5, 2026 – Dolby Live – Las Vegas

• Feb. 6, 2026 – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco

• Feb. 20, 2026 – Winstar Lucas Oil Live – Thackerville, Oklahoma

• Feb. 21, 2026 – Winstar Lucas Oil Live – Thackerville, Oklahoma

• Feb. 27, 2026 – Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, Connecticut

• Feb. 28, 2026 – Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, Connecticut

• March 3, 2026 – Houston Rodeo – Houston

• April 14, 2026 – Two Step Inn – Georgetown, Texas

• May 23, 2026 – Nissan Stadium – Nashville

• May 29, 2026 – Gulf Coast Jam – Panama City Beach, Florida

• June 11, 2026 – Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena – Jacksonville, Florida

• June 13, 2026 – Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Florida

• June 17, 2026 – The Pavilion at Star Lake – Burgettstown, Pennsylvania

• June 20, 2026 – Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, North Carolina

• June 24, 2026 – HersheyPark Stadium – Hershey, Pennsylvania

• June 26, 2026 – North Charleston Coliseum – North Charleston, South Carolina

• July 7, 2026 – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, California

• July 14, 2026 – CA Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, California

• July 17, 2026 – Providence Park – Portland

• July 19, 2026 – Under the Big Sky – Whitefish, Montana

• July 22, 2026 – Rogers Arena – Vancouver

• July 24, 2026 – The Gorge – George, Washington

• July 29, 2026 – Mystic Lake Amphitheatre – Shakopee, Minnesota

• Aug. 1, 2026 – Paycor Stadium – Cincinnati

• Aug. 6, 2026 – Rogers Center – Toronto

• Aug. 8, 2026 – Ford Field – Detroit

• Aug. 14, 2026 – Fenway Park – Boston

• Aug. 18, 2026 – Veterans United Home Amphitheatre – Virginia Beach, Virginia

• Aug. 21, 2026 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta

• Aug. 26, 2026 – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, New York

• Aug. 28, 2026 – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion – Philadelphia

• Oct. 2, 2026 – Jiffy Luve Live – Bristow, Virginia

• Oct. 7, 2026 – Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska

• Oct. 9, 2026 – Morton Amphitheater – Kansas City, Missouri

How to get Chris Stapleton tour tickets

Tickets for Stapleton's shows will go on sale at 10 a.m. ET Jan. 16via Ticketmaster, following presale opportunities for fan club members, Citi cardholders and Verizon customers set to run from 10 a.m. EST Jan. 13 through 10 p.m. ET Jan. 15.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press:Chris Stapleton tour dates: How to get tickets

byDonna Devi

in

January 09, 2026

Chris Stapleton releases 2026 tour dates

Chris Stapletonis celebrating the start of 2026 with new tour dates. The country star will criss-cross the country in upcoming months, alo...

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“Harry Potter ”star remembers racist bullying after getting cast: 'It affected me'

Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett Collection

Starring in theHarry Potterfilms wasn't always magical for one of the actors.

Katie Leung, who played Cho Chang across five of the movies, remembers experiencing a lot of racist bullying online after she was cast to play the love interest for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) in the fourth film. Looking back on it now, she doesn't know if she ever actually dealt with the trauma at the time.

"It was overwhelming from the get-go," Leung said in a new interview withThe Guardian. "Being in the spotlight from that age, when you're already insecure, was difficult, to say the least... At the time, I was having a lot of fun. I thought: this is different from school, and I really did not enjoy school. So it was a way to escape. I'm still trying to figure it out, really, how it affected me."

Leung, now 38, made her big screen debut in 2005'sHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. She was excited about her first major role in the popular franchise, but before she began filming, news of her casting leaked online, leading to harassment and racist, hateful comments.

Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty

"I don't know if anything could have been done back then to make things better or easier," Leung said. "At that age, you're curious. I remember being very curious about what people were saying about me, and I was Googling myself. Nobody could have stopped me, because I was old enough to make up my own mind."

Leung added that she "didn't" know how to cope or deal with the hurtful things people were saying about her online.

"I think it just sat with me, and it affected me in ways like, 'Oh yeah, I made that decision because people were saying this about me,'" she said. "It probably made me less outgoing. I was very self-aware of what was coming out of my mouth... For the longest time, I may have tried to make up for it, and overcompensate."

Leung revealed that she only agreed to go to the open audition forHarry Potterin the hopes that it would bring her divorced parents back together,Parent Trap-style. She thought she had no chance in actually getting the role.

"My mum and dad hadn't seen each other for a long time, but I was really excited, because I guess in my 16-year-old mind there was still a possibility that they might get back together," Leung said.

She'll next be seen starring in season 4 ofBridgerton(premiering Jan. 29) as the cold aristocrat Lady Araminta Gun, the cold and scheming stepmother to the Cinderella-like diamond ingénue of the ton, Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha).

"It feels quite familiar, in a sense," Leung said of stepping into the world of Netflix's regency era romance series after debuting inHarry Potter. "Also I'm older, and at a place in my life where I'm not too fazed going into something seemingly so huge... I'm envious of the younger generation who are getting to see people that represent them on screens now. I know it would have done me good."

Leung applaudsBridgerton's groundbreaking "color-conscious" casting, the term coined by creator Shonda Rhimes to describe the inclusive and diverse cast.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

"Their inclusion and diversity behind and in front of the camera is just ... " Leung said with a smile. "You can see it and feel it, and that made me feel really safe to be able to kind of play as an actor. The more we can have it, the less of a thing it becomes. But for now, we're kind of in the middle of it. The reason it's successful is because the writing is great, the directing is great, the acting, the relationships between the characters."

Now as a mother herself, Leung is better prepared for any kind of online backlash, harassment, or bullying over landing a role on a massive franchise.

"I still care about the craft [of acting], I still want to do well, but I can park it once I'm done for the day and go home and live this other life," she said. "It's more like a job for me than the be-all and end-all, which is how I felt about acting when I was in my 20's."

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byDonna Devi

in

January 09, 2026

“Harry Potter ”star remembers racist bullying after getting cast: 'It affected me'

Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett Collection Starring in theHarry Potterfilms wasn't always magical for one of the actors. Katie Leung...

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Avalanche Advisory And Flood Watches In Juneau As Rain Arrives In Snow-Buried Alaska Capital

Schools and city buildings across Juneau, Alaska, are closed Friday as a fresh round of snow and rain will hit the massive piles of snow already in the capital, bringing the risk of disastrous flooding and avalanches.

City officials issued an avalanche advisory Thursday, saying the risk remains "high and very likely to significantly increase." Evacuations were not ordered, but residents in avalanche zones were advised to stay on alert and be ready to evacuate if necessary.

(MORE:Weekend Severe Weather Threat In The South)

Flood watches are in effect across the Alaska Panhandle for Friday into Saturday night. TheNational Weather Servicesays several inches of snow could fall by early Friday before transitioning into heavy rain.

That's on top of the more than 30 inches of snow already on the ground after back-to-back storms. Teams of workers and volunteers have been shoveling rooftops, digging out vehicles and sunken boats and hauling out truckloads of snow.

But the city is running out of places to pile up all that precipitation.

(MORE:Tornado Strikes Central Oklahoma)

Some of the snow was being shoved off piers and ports into the Gastineau Channel after Alaska's Department of Energy gavespecial authorizationfor clean, freshly fallen snow to be dumped in open water.

But the melting snow is already causing some flooding, in aFacebook postthe city shared video showing a bus navigating through a flooded street Wednesday.

Governor Mike Dunleavy declared a state disaster Wednesday, one day after Juneau officials announced anemergency disaster declaration, requesting state assistance.

This all follows record snow in Juneau during Christmas and into the New Year. December was the second snowiest month on record, which dates back to 1948.

(MORE:Which American City Saw Most Lightning Strikes?)

The Alaska capital picked up 82 inches (almost 7 feet) of snowfall, more than half of which fell in just five days from Dec. 27-31. That's almost an entire year's worth of snow.

The crushing weight sank boats and caused roofs to cave in on multiple homes and buildings.

Fifty inches of snow at the airport on New Year's Eve set an all-time snow depth record.

And now a soaking rain is ahead for the snow-clogged city.Weather.comsenior meteorologistJonathan Erdmanexplains that rain on top of the snowpack makes it significantly heavier and that will likely result in more roof collapses over the next few days, especially on flat roofs.

City officials released maps of storm drains, encouraging residents to help clear them to prevent flooding. They also encouraged residents to stay off the roads as crews work to prepare for the melting snow and rain.

byDonna Devi

in

January 09, 2026

Avalanche Advisory And Flood Watches In Juneau As Rain Arrives In Snow-Buried Alaska Capital

Schools and city buildings across Juneau, Alaska, are closed Friday as a fresh round of snow and rain will hit the massiv...

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The pope in a major foreign policy address blasts how countries are using force to assert dominion

VATICAN CITY (AP) — In his most substantial critique of U.S., Russian and other militaryincursions in sovereign countries, Pope Leo XIV on Friday denounced how nations were using force to assert their dominion worldwide, "completely undermining" peace and the post-World War II international legal order.

"War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading," Leo told ambassadors from around the world who represent their countries' interests at the Holy See.

Leodidn't name individual countries that have resorted to force in his lengthy speech, the bulk of which he delivered in English in a break from the Vatican's traditional diplomatic protocol of Italian and French. But his speech came amid the backdrop of the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela to removeNicolás Madurofrom power, Russia'songoing war in Ukraineand other conflicts.

The occasion was the pope's annual audience with the Vatican diplomatic corps, which traditionally amounts to his yearly foreign policy address.

In his first such encounter, history's first U.S.-born pope delivered much more than the traditional roundup of global hotspots. In a speech that touched on threats to religious freedom and the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion and surrogacy, Leo lamented how the United Nations and multilateralism as a whole were increasingly under threat.

"A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies," he said. "The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined."

"Instead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one's own dominion. This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence," he said.

A geopolitical roundup of conflicts and suffering

Leo did refer explicitly to tensions in Venezuela, calling for a peaceful political solution that keeps in mind the "common good of the peoples and not the defense of partisan interests."

The U.S. military seized Maduro, the Venezuelan leader, in a surprise nighttime raid. The Trump administration is now seeking to control Venezuela's oil resources and its government. The U.S. government has insisted Maduro's capture was legal, saying drug cartels operating from Venezuela amounted to unlawful combatants and that the U.S. is now in an"armed conflict"with them.

Analysts and some world leaders havecondemned the Venezuela mission, warning that Maduro's ouster could pave the way for more military interventions and a further erosion of the global legal order.

On Ukraine, Leo repeated his appeal for an immediate ceasefire and urgently called for the international community "not to waver in its commitment to pursuing just and lasting solutions that will protect the most vulnerable and restore hope to the afflicted peoples."

On Gaza, Leo repeated the Holy See's call for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and insisted on the Palestinians' right to live in Gaza and the West Bank "in their own land."

Comments about abortion, surrogacy and discrimination

In other comments, Leo said the persecution of Christians around the world was "one of the most widespread human rights crises today," affecting one in seven Christians globally. He cited religiously motivated violence in Bangladesh, Nigeria, the Sahel, Mozambique and Syria but said religious discrimination was also present in Europe and the Americas.

There, Christians "are sometimes restricted in their ability to proclaim the truths of the Gospel for political or ideological reasons, especially when they defend the dignity of the weakest, the unborn, refugees and migrants, or promote the family."

Leo repeated the church's opposition to abortion and euthanasia and expressed "deep concern" about projects to provide cross-border access to mothers seeking abortion.

He also described surrogacy as a threat to life and dignity. "By transforming gestation into a negotiable service, this violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a product, and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family," he said.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP'scollaborationwith The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

byDonna Devi

in

January 09, 2026

The pope in a major foreign policy address blasts how countries are using force to assert dominion

VATICAN CITY (AP) — In his most substantial critique of U.S., Russian and other militaryincursions in sovereign countries...

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550-pound bear finally evicted from California home after bizarre strategy ends monthlong ordeal

A 550-pound bear that had been living beneath a California man's home for over a month has finally left after a bizarre strategy ended a long streak of failed removal attempts by state officials.

Themale black bearwas reportedly removed from the crawl space Tuesday after bear-removal experts from Tahoe traveled to the Altadena home. One team member crawled inside and fired paintballs filled with vegetable oil, wildlife organization BEAR League told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

According to surveillance video, the large bear has been wedging itself in and out of a small crawl space beneath Ken Johnson's house since late November. Johnson said that the animal caused extensive damage to his home, costing tens of thousands of dollars. It also created a dangerous, unlivable situation involving structural and gas line issues.

"Right after surviving theEaton fire, I lost my job, and shortly after that the bear began tearing into the structure of my home," Johnson said in a GoFundMe page. "I have video footage of it twisting gas pipes, which created an extremely dangerous situation and forced me to shut off my utilities just to stay safe."

Bear Remains Under California Home After Weeks Of Failed Removal Attempts

The bear eviction finally took place after Johnson contacted BEAR League, an organization that specializes in bear removal emergencies in Lake Tahoe, located seven hours north of Altadena.

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BEAR League told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the organization was "pleased to have helped Ken Johnson with this bear."

"A Southern California homeowner had a large male bear living under his house for more than a month before reaching out to the BEAR League for help," the organization added in a post on Facebook on Thursday.

BEAR League told Fox News Digital that the league used paintballs filled with vegetable oil that hit the bear in the backside. The wildlife rescue group reportedly finished the job in less than 20 minutes.

Wild Bear Makes 'Very Polite' Surprise Visit To California Zoo Before Returning To Forest

"After earlier removal attempts by state wildlife officials were unsuccessful, BEAR League first responders Scott and Dave traveled to theLos Angelesarea to assist," the organization added. "Scott, one of our most experienced responders, crawled beneath the home—fully aware the bear was still there—to get behind him and encourage him to exit through the crawl space opening."

To prevent the bear from denning in the crawl space again, the organization said it "loaned electric unwelcome mats to give the homeowner time to make repairs and secure the crawl space to prevent another visit."

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According tosocial media footageposted by the organization, the mat worked just as designed, and the bear scurried away when it returned.

BEAR League emphasized that residents should be cautious about having open crawl spaces, noting that properly securing them helps people coexist safely with wildlife.

"We remind those who live in bear country that a poorly-secured crawl space is an open invitation for a winter visitor like this bear," the league said to Fox News Digital. "BEAR League responds multiple times per day at this time of year to evict bears from under homes in the Lake Tahoe region, and we've done so for 30 years without cost to the homeowner.  We work hard to educate people who share space with the bears that if humans take some very simple steps, they can live in harmony with the bears."

Tuesday's success ended a long streak of failed eviction attempts by theCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife, which had been trying to remove the bear for over a month. At one point, a trap even caught the wrong bear. Efforts that included bait, noisemakers and even a trap that caught the wrong bear all failed.

Original article source:550-pound bear finally evicted from California home after bizarre strategy ends monthlong ordeal

byDonna Devi

in

January 09, 2026

550-pound bear finally evicted from California home after bizarre strategy ends monthlong ordeal

A 550-pound bear that had been living beneath a California man's home for over a month has finally left after a bizar...

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Soccer-Japan's ageless 'King Kazu' delighted with J-League return

By Irene Wang

TOKYO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Japan soccer great Kazuyoshi Miura, 58, said on Friday he had all but given up on a return ​to the J-League before signing for Fukushima United, adding that he hopes ‌to contribute with goals and assists in the latest chapter of his age-defying career.

Miura, known as 'King Kazu', ‌signed a loan deal last month with the Japanese third division side, setting him up for his 41st season as a professional footballer.

The move brings him back to the J-League, Japan's top three tiers of professional football, for the first time since 2021.

"My passion ⁠grows, the more I pursue ‌it (my career). Though I'm getting older - this year I will turn 59, I feel that my passion is only growing," Miura told ‍reporters in Tokyo.

"While I was in the Japan Football League (fourth-tier), I felt that I wouldn't be able to return to the J-League unless my team was promoted. So when I received the ​offer (from Fukushima United), my desire to play in the J-League grew even stronger."

The ‌forward, who began his professional career at Brazilian club Santos in 1986, has also played for several European clubs across Italy (Genoa), Croatia (Dinamo Zagreb) and Portugal (Oliveirense).

He made eight appearances for fourth-tier side Atletico Suzuka last season, scoring no goals as the team were relegated to Japan's regional leagues.

"My expectation is the same every year - I just want ⁠to be on the pitch for even one ​minute or one second longer. That's really it," Miura ​added.

"It's a bit difficult to put it into numbers, but I'd love to be able to score goals or provide assists. If that's ‍what helps the team ⁠the most, then I think I will fully devote myself to that role."

Miura scored 55 goals in 89 appearances for Japan after making his debut ⁠in 1990, but was famously dropped from the side for their first World Cup appearance in 1998, ‌before he retired from international football in 2000.

(Reporting by Irene Wang; Writing ‌by Aadi Nair; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

byDonna Devi

in

January 09, 2026

Soccer-Japan's ageless 'King Kazu' delighted with J-League return

By Irene Wang TOKYO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Japan soccer great Kazuyoshi Miura, 58, said on Friday he had all but giv...

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