Category: 5. Entertainment

The publishing industry has warned that books created by artificial intelligence – often imitating autobiographies – are a growing concern, and called on retailers to issue clearer warnings to consumers.

Sky News has spent months tracking apparent AI recreations, particularly sports books, that have been sold on Amazon as Kindle e-books, as well as printed versions.

Some titles were removed after we informed the e-commerce giant.

But we understand there are no immediate plans for Amazon to label content that AI was involved in generating.

“AI created books are an increasing problem for us,” Publishers Association chief executive Dan Conway told Sky News. “It is incredibly easy using these new, amazing tools to create content.

“The problem is that on the consumer side, it’s really, really difficult to tell the difference often between a properly researched book that covers a topic that you want to read about versus something that’s been spun up incredibly quickly using AI technology. And you’ve got some real consumer confusion out there.”

In recent days, we found several books quickly feeding off England’s success at the Women’s Euros, which appeared to be created by AI.

Books on scoring stars Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang shared the same style covers, even featuring the wrong ball – from American football.

Fewer than 50 pages each, they sell in paperback for about £11.

The Agyemang book was published the day after her dramatic equaliser in the Euros semifinal against Italy, while the Kelly book appeared online the day after her winning penalty in the final against Spain.

The named author, who has no digital trail beyond Amazon and other online retailers, has more than 45 books to their name since the start of July, on politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs and musicians, as well as sports stars.

It is frustrating for sports stars telling heartfelt stories in books only to see imitations online, confusing consumers.

‘It’s scary’

At the recent Sports Book Awards, former England football captain Steph Houghton was shocked to be told about a 50-page imitation of her autobiography, Leading From The Back, which runs for more than 300 pages.

“It takes a lot of hard work to make a book,” she said. “It’s poor that, in terms of Amazon allowing it to be on there as well.”

Former Liverpool and Tottenham player Neil Ruddock was in disbelief about a book aping Toxic, his account of addiction, Toxic.

His literary agent, James Wills, said: “We do have a real concern about generative AI, which is what this is, somebody putting it in and using it that way.”

Former Afghanistan football captain Khalida Popal produced My Beautiful Sisters, a harrowing account of sexual abuse in her team and helping players flee the Taliban. She was stunned to be shown a similar account of her life had been produced and placed on sale online.

“It’s scary,” the award winner told Sky News. “This story matters a lot. It’s the voices and the stories of hundreds and thousands of women who suffered and who are victims and survivors of brutality and war, and challenges in Afghanistan.

“Those sisters, those voices and stories, are very important for me. That’s why I really took care of it, telling that story.”

Those AI versions of the Popal, Ruddock and Houghton books are no longer available on Amazon but they were for some time without it being obvious how they could have been created.

What is Amazon doing?

An Amazon spokesperson told Sky News: “We have content guidelines governing which books can be listed for sale, and we have proactive and reactive methods that help us detect content that violates our guidelines, whether AI-generated or not.

“We invest significant time and resources to ensure our guidelines are followed, and remove books that do not adhere to those guidelines.

“We aim to provide the best possible shopping, reading, and publishing experience, and we are constantly evaluating developments that impact that experience, which includes the rapid evolution and expansion of generative AI tools.

“We continue to enhance our protections against non-compliant content, and our process and guidelines will keep evolving as we see changes in publishing.”

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People releasing books via Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) are required to inform Amazon if content is AI-generated, but that information is not passed on to consumers. KDP authors can be asked by Amazon to verify their identities.

Unofficial biographies are a staple of the publishing industry, often written by journalists on celebrities and politicians, but involving their own research and writing. The growing concern is the limited human involvement in putting together books – without it being clear to those browsing online platforms and searching for books to buy.

Those churning out AI books are often rapidly reacting to news, such as the election of Pope Leo in May, when few could have been prepared to write at such length about him.

The Publishers Association is discussing the framework for AI with the government.

“These large language models that exist now are so powerful that it’s become incredibly easy to create content of all types,” Mr Conway said. “You’ve effectively got the threat of information saturation.

“So a cookbook comes out on a topic and is particularly well-received. You can have, within days, thousands of other titles that are spun up that then compete directly with that product.”

Brooklyn Beckham’s beloved wife, Nicola Peltz, has once again garnered attention among critics worldwide.

The 29-year-old, who is long rumoured to have caused tensions between Brooklyn and his family, is currently being described as a “viper” amid the ongoing feud.

For the unversed, the couple recently renewed their vows on August 2 in Westchester County, with Brooklyn’s family notably absent from the main event.

Speaking to The Mirror, a source opened up about the current situation, “It’s so rooted in misogyny that all of the heat for his parents not being invited is on Nicola.

“Everyone seems to forget that Brooklyn is an adult man and fully capable of speaking out. Nicola would have respected whatever he chose.

“It breaks Brooklyn’s heart to see his wife being painted as this vixen and viper.”

Relations between the two families have been strained ever since Brooklyn married Nicola.

Meanwhile, tensions further escalated after Peltz’s father reportedly misbehaved with a guest at the lavish wedding.

This raised concerns among the Beckhams, who found the behaviour highly questionable.

Geo TV to air Pakistan Idol 2.0 ahead of other TV channels and streaming platforms

In a significant development for Pakistan’s entertainment industry, Pakistan Idol is making its long-awaited return through a high-profile partnership between MHL Global and Fremantle, the powerhouse behind the Idol franchise.

Pakistan Idol 2.0 is set to launch nationally, with the announcement made on Pakistan’s top entertainment channel, Geo TV, sparking a surge of excitement among the youth across various social media platforms.

Geo TV, known for blockbuster hits like Khuda Kay Liye, Bol, The Glassworker, and The Legend of Maula Jatt, will air the competition first ahead of all other channels and streaming platforms — setting the stage for a nationwide celebration of musical talent.

The upcoming season of Pakistan Idol will feature an all-new judging panel, which includes some of the most influential figures in the country’s music scene.

With a refreshed format and broader vision, this season — produced under licence from Fremantle and helmed locally by MHL Global — aims to uncover the next generation of musical stars while offering world-class mentorship and nationwide exposure.

Judging this new season are four of Pakistan’s most celebrated artists: Fawad Khan (actor, musician, and cultural icon), Zeb Bangash (folk-fusion pioneer, songwriter, and acclaimed vocalist), Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (renowned qawwal, classical, and playback singer), and Bilal Maqsood (creative force behind the now-disbanded Strings, former Coke Studio executive producer, creator of Velo Sound Station, music director, and singer-songwriter).

Together, this panel combines extensive experience and diversity, providing contestants and viewers with insightful critique and guidance while remaining the heart of the show.

“Our partnership with Fremantle on Pakistan Idol marks a major step forward for Pakistan’s creative and entertainment industries,” said Zoya Merchant, Director of MHL Global. “This launch represents more than entertainment — it’s a cultural movement. Pakistan has incredible musical talent, and this platform will not only spotlight it nationwide but elevate it to the global stage.”

Audiences can expect live performance rounds, themed competition nights, behind-the-scenes digital content, and a multi-platform voting experience. Auditions are now officially open through the online platform Begin, with on-ground auditions scheduled to take place later this month across major cities as well as remote regions. Schedules for audition cities are now available online, with broadcast details and premiere dates to be announced in the coming weeks.

If you’re wondering why this season of Pakistan Idol is a second season or a reboot, it’s because this is technically not a debut season. The iconic music competition first aired in 2013-2014 with a different set of judges, rules, and overall production value in an exclusive deal with Geo TV.

Ali Azmat, Hadiqa Kiani, and Bushra Ansari were brought in as judges — each bringing their distinct musical perspective to the competition. The first season ran until April 2014, drawing thousands of aspiring singers from across the country, including regions such as Swat, Hunza Valley and Nawabshah among many others. After a competitive journey that included golden tickets, theatre rounds, semifinals, and public voting, Zamad Baig was crowned the winner in a finale reportedly receiving over a million votes.

Afusic’s blazing glory

We love our living legends and miss the ones who are no longer with us. Both live in our memories through their incredible talent. We love different genres, and some of us find all music equally fascinating. But what must be remembered is that music is never about one artist. Some remain popular for decades, some rise to the top and slowly slip, while others blaze a path few can maintain. The point is one: music (and by proxy, musicians) are always emerging, and the name that’s popping up in music right now is Afusic.

Spotify has named Afusic as RADAR Pakistan Artist for Q3 2025. This spotlight marks a pivotal moment in the rising trajectory of Affan Khan, known professionally as Afusic, whose viral hit ‘Pal Pal’ continues to amass streams and playlist placements on Spotify.

Since entering the local music conversation in 2020, Afusic has cultivated a sound that fuses South Asian melodies with contemporary hip-hop and pop. A case can be made that his music is reaching audiences everywhere, according to data from Spotify, the world’s most popular audio streaming platform.

With over 440,000 per cent growth in streams since February — when he first appeared on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Pakistan playlist — Afusic has rapidly emerged as one of Pakistan’s most promising musical voices. Since April 2025, Afusic’s audience has grown by more than 1,200 per cent, according to Spotify’s streaming data. His songs have appeared in nearly 270,000 playlists globally, indicating his growing international appeal. The data also shows a clear demographic trend: Afusic’s music resonates most with younger listeners aged 18–24, followed closely by the 25–34 age group, with a 60/40 split between male and female fans.

“Being selected as Spotify’s RADAR Pakistan artist is a huge milestone for me,” said Afusic. “RADAR is such an incredible platform — it gives independent artists like me the chance to reach new listeners and helps fans connect with the person behind the music. I’m truly grateful for the support Spotify has shown. Watching ‘Pal Pal’ rise from Fresh Finds to Hot Hits Pakistan demonstrates how powerful this journey can be,” he said.

According to Spotify’s press statement, “RADAR is Spotify’s global emerging artist programme, designed to elevate new voices through strategic marketing, prominent editorial support, and curated opportunities that connect artists with fans both on and off the platform.”

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy reveals the 2025 Fellows for the seventh edition of Patakha Pictures – Stories She Tells

Two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has announced the eight fellows for the 2025 edition of Stories She Tells, a six-month documentary mentorship and funding programme under her initiative, Patakha Pictures, in collaboration with the Scottish Documentary Institute and the British Council. The programme will support four filmmaker pairs from Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan in creating women-led short documentaries exploring resilience through empowerment, music and culture, and climate change.

Over six months, the fellows will receive mentorship, funding, and training in story-telling, direction, sound design, and editing, culminating in a premiere of their films at a closing event in Karachi. Selected Fellows for Stories She Tells are: Faryal Diwan & Syeda Abqurah Shaukat, from Karachi, Sindh; Maryam Missal & Mahjabeen Abid, from Multan, Punjab; Mehrosh Alam & Sana Hussain, from Punjab & Khyber Pakhtun-khwa; and Fizza Kanwal & Sumbal Khokhar from Quetta, Balochistan.

“With every edition of Patakha Pictures, we’re investing in the future of storytelling by supporting young women who are dis-covering their creative voice through film. Stories She Tells is not just a mentorship programme but our commitment to arts funding and to creating a safe space where emerging filmmakers can take risks, experi-ment, and grow. These eight fellows are a powerful reminder of the talent and imagination that exists across Pakistan,” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

Since its launch in 2022, Patakha Pictures has supported 61 filmmakers, won more than 20 awards, and screened at over 50 film festivals worldwide, including New York, Seoul, Montreal, Milan, Karachi, and Canberra.

“We’re excited to see such a dynamic and promising partnership selected for this edition. The concept notes submitted by these eight women reflect both creativity and deep engagement with important topics. We look forward to supporting their learning journeys and seeing their stories come to life through powerful, thoughtful filmmaking,” said Maarya Rehman, Deputy Director Pakistan, British Council.

Patakha Pictures is an initiative of SOC (S

Sydney Sweeney was hit with fresh career troubles this weekend as her latest movie struggled to connect with audiences. 

The actress, who recently faced backlash over her American Eagle ad campaign, saw her new film Americana fail to make an impact at the box office.

The crime drama, directed by Tony Tost, premiered at South by Southwest in 2023 but only reached theaters nationwide this Friday. 

It told the story of a rare Lakota Ghost Shirt appearing on the black market in a small South Dakota town, setting off violent twists in the lives of several strangers. 

Sweeney played Penny Jo, a young woman chasing her dream of becoming a country singer, alongside co stars Halsey and Paul Walter Hauser.

Although the film earned some festival attention, reviews were mixed and it currently holds a 68 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, industry reports suggested that it would collect only $850,000 from 1,100 theaters on its opening weekend, placing it in 16th spot. 

And by Saturday, it didn’t enter the top 20 lists on major box office tracking sites.

Ahead of the release, Sweeney promoted the film online, writing, “a few years ago I filmed this little movie with some friends and now you get to meet penny jo.”

The actress’ post quickly drew mixed reactions, with critics pointing to her politics and her registration as a Republican in Florida. Some voiced anger while others defended her, saying she has talent for sparking conversation just by being herself.

Sweeney’s focus now shifts to her next project Christy, a biopic about boxer Christy Martin. The film will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Nakoa-Wolf Momoa, or Wolf, is set to debut in the forthcoming Dune: Part Three. He is just 16, and his father, Jason Momoa, is over the moon.

Appearing on the Smartless podcast, the actor who played in the franchise, gushed about his son’s passion for acting.

“He’s trained in martial arts his whole life. He always wants to act. I’m like, you’re not acting. There’s no way — I’m not letting you act. He does, like, school plays in Topanga, right? That’s it,” he said of his kid.

The Game of Thrones alum recalled his concern about how hard the rehearsals for fight scenes were, where one has to wear heavy suits, as he pointed out that making movies at his level is “not digging ditches,” it’s still “******* hard.”

But the 46-year-old recalled when the producer Cale Boyter noticed Wolf; his first words, Jason remembered, were, “He oughta be in pictures!”

Cut short, the teenager was cast as one of the kids of Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya’s characters.

Moreover, his son’s first acting job, Jason said, came in the middle of a whirlwind schedule which involved “the premiere of Chief of War, we flew to Hawaii. We did the premiere, I think, the 18th. We got on a plane that night. We landed on the 19th. My daughter’s 18th [birthday] was the 20th.”

He continued, “We flew out the 21st. We landed in Budapest on the 22nd. He went to work on the 23rd. His first goddamn scene, I’m sitting there ****** my pants.”

Despite being nervous, Jason said he was proud of him, “He’s with Zendaya. I’m like, ‘He’s in it.’ And I’m like, ‘My baby, 16 years old.’ And he just killed it. I’m just crying. I was a ******* wreck. I was so proud of him.”

In the end, Jason summed up Wolf’s future in the acting industry, “You want your kids to just be better than you. I’m like, ‘This *********** gonna be, like… he’s gonna blow me away.’”

Dune: Part Three will be out on Dec. 18, 2026. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new Netflix deal was a “demotion dressed as a promotion”, according to a PR expert, who described it as a “polite breakup” between the two sides so the Sussex couple avoid embarrassment. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s media company, Archewell Productions, triumphantly announced that they are “extending their partnership” with Netflix as the couple’s previous lucrative contract, reported to be worth around £74 million, is nearing its end next month.

But instead of renewing their current contract, the Sussexes now have a new “multi-year first look” deal, which is different to the one they previously had. Netflix will now be able to see the Sussex couple’s ideas first before deciding whether to pursue any of them.

Now, a PR expert claimed that the new deal was a “clever way” for the streaming giant to avoid headlines about dropping the Sussex couple.

Harry and Meghan previously had signed a lucrative deal with Spotify, which axed them after only producing 12 episodes for a podcast series, Archetypes.

Renae Smith, founder of PR agency The Atticism, told the Express: “This ‘partnership extension’ is basically a demotion dressed as a promotion.

“My bet is it’s a clever way for Netflix to avoid headlines about dropping them, and for the Sussexes to say they still have a deal. But it feels more like a polite break-up. Netflix may also be trying to manage a soft exit.”

The PR specialist claimed that the Sussex couple do not have the “easiest break up style,” which could explain the streamer’s move in a bid to avoid drama.

She said: “They’re more the ‘throw a grenade back as you leave the building’ type and I am sure Netflix considered the blowout if Meghan did decide to complain about being ‘dumped’ etc.

“Whether they’ll actually do anything significant together after this is questionable.”

In a recent interview, Gal Gadot blamed the “pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel” as the reason that “greatly affected” the box office failure of Disney‘s live-action Snow White.

The actress appeared on the Israeli celebrity interview program The A Talks on Thursday, per The Jerusalem Post, where one interviewer questioned if she was angry about the dismal theatrical performance of the adaptation also starring Rachel Zegler.

“First of all, I have to say that I really enjoyed filming this movie,” Gadot said in Hebrew, per the Post.

When pressed specifically on how it was to work with Zegler, Gadot responded, “I even enjoyed working with Rachel Zegler. We laughed, we talked and it was fun. I was sure that this movie was going to be a huge success.”

Gadot served in the Israeli Defense Forces for two years as part of her mandatory conscription, during which she participated in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war; Lebanon cited her service as the reason for banning Wonder Woman upon its 2017 release, The Washington Post reported at the time. Meanwhile, Zegler has been a vocal supporter of Palestine and Gaza, which reportedly did not go over well with Snow White producer Marc Platt amid promotion of the film.

Gadot continued, “And then October 7 happened, and what’s happening in all kinds of industries, and also in Hollywood, is that there’s a lot of pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel.” She added that she “can always explain and try to give people in the world context about what’s happening and what the reality is here, but in the end, people decide for themselves. I was disappointed that the movie was greatly affected by that and didn’t do well at the box office.” 

According to leading humanitarian groups and experts — such as the UN Special Committee, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders and international law scholars — Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. A May 2025 IPC analysis projected catastrophic levels of food insecurity for the entire population of Gaza by September, meaning at least half a million people are expected to be in IPC Phase 5 — the highest phase, known as catastrophe — which is marked by acute malnutrition and mortality.

In late May, five protesters were detained after reportedly targeting the central London set of Gadot’s upcoming movie The Runner. Two months earlier, the actress’ Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony was delayed by protesters representing both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel groups.

Ultimately, Disney weathered an estimated $115 million loss on Snow White.

Kanye West often had been in the news for his controversial behaviour. Amid this, a report claimed his wife, Bianca Censori, recently met his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, for coffee.

The topic, the source told the Heat World, is the tips the Yeezy architect sought from the SKIMS mogul on how to “calm Ye down.”

“They met up recently for coffee and Bianca confided about some of the problems she and Kanye have been having,” the bird chirped.

The mother-of-four, insiders say, offered the Melbourne-born model to play a peacemaker between her and the Grammy winner.

“She asked for tips about how to calm him down and offered to play peacemaker between Kim and Kanye so they can hopefully figure out a more respectful and less chaotic co-parenting dynamic,” the mole squealed.

Given what the 30-year-old views on the aspiring lawyer, the bird said, “Bianca has always had the utmost respect towards Kim, even if they’ve clashed in the past over how she dressed in front of the kids and the way she’s shamelessly copycatted her style.”

The source also pointed out the benefits for Bianca in keeping in touch with Kim over the handling of Ye.

“That went a long way with Kim, who’s now seeing Bianca in a whole new light. And let’s face it, there’s no question Bianca will benefit from her support if she does finally pull the trigger and divorce Kanye,” the tipster tattled.

Bianca and Kanye tied the knot in 2022, as their marriage was often under the spotlight for divorce rumours.

Demi Lovato recently made headlines after offering fans a glimpse into her weight loss transformation.

The 32-year-old star, known for her role in the Camp Rock, showcased her dramatic physical changes.

Taking to Instagram, the Cool for the Summer singer shared a carousel of images highlighting her transformation.

The photo that particularly caught the most attention showed Demi flaunting her toned, tanned curves in a selfie.

In the viral third slide, the Let It Go hitmaker is seen wearing a red bikini.

She captioned the photo dump, “bits and pieces.”

Fans couldn’t stop swooning over the singer’s appearance, flooding the comments section with compliments such as “hot,” “beautiful,” and “so pretty”.

However, some fans of the Sonny with a chance alum accused her of using Ozempic to lose weight.

This comes after Lovato revealed that she is working on her eating disorder.

In an exclusive 2024 conversation with Penn Badgley on Podcrushed, she shared, “I have a treatment team that I work with that helps me stay in recovery, and I’ve been in recovery from bulimia for about five, going on six, years now. I’m trying to learn body acceptance rather than body positivity, because body positivity feels like I can’t even reach that yet. I have to work on body acceptance, body neutrality because that feels like a goal I can reach.”

On professional front, Demi reunited with the Jonas Brothers on their Jonas20: Greetings From Your Hometown Tour.

In addition, the American singer recently released her single Fast on Friday, August 1.

Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet are working hard towards keeping their romance afloat.

The makeup mogul and her actor boyfriend have not been able to meet each other, considering their tough schedule, but are happier about their respective places.

“They haven’t seen each other for a few weeks only because Timothée’s been filming Dune in a studio in Budapest, and Kylie’s been working too,” a source tells PEOPLE. “She visited him in July.”

“But even though Kylie has a private jet, the flight is still 12 hours,” the source adds. “She’s a mom and she works as well. She has a lot of responsibilities in LA. Timothée’s schedule is grueling, with very little downtime.”

“They’re making it work though,” the insider continues. “They FaceTime most days. They miss each other and are totally fine.”