USA Update

An air strike strike on an airport in Darfur has killed at least 40 suspected mercenaries from Colombia, officials say.

A SOAP star has sensationally quit a hit show after just 18 months – leaving fans stunned by their sudden exit.

The actor, who quickly became a fan favourite on Days of Our Lives, has already filmed their final scenes, with a dramatic departure storyline set to air in the coming weeks.

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Al Calderon is bowing out of Days of Our Lives[/caption]

NBC

The actor, who played Aaron Greene, hinted he might return in the future[/caption]

Al Calderon has broken his silence after bowing out of the soap, telling fans: “It’s not goodbye, just see you later.”

The actor, who played Aaron Greene, took to social media to thank viewers for their support and hinted that the door may still be open for a return down the line.

Taking to Instagram, he wrote: “My time on Days of Our Lives has been truly life-changing.

“I’m endlessly grateful to the cast, crew, and creatives who made me feel seen, valued, and part of a legacy of family.

“I’ll carry the love, lessons, and memories with me on every journey I go on. While I’m just a small grain of sand, I’m just happy I got to pass through the hourglass.

“As my mom used to tell me — it’s not goodbye, just see you later. I love you forever.”

Al Calderon is saying goodbye to Salem after landing a major new role in hit US drama Brilliant Minds.

The star, who joined the soap in February last year as fiery but lovable Javi Hernandez, is swapping the drama of daytime TV for primetime prestige, with Deadline revealing he’s been snapped up for Season 2 of the NBC medical series.

Javi — described as the bloke you’d want to date, but not dare cross — will be recast, with Calderon still appearing on screen until May next year.

With filming wrapped on Days, Calderon’s now scrubbing in for his next gig in Brilliant Minds.

Calderon will star alongside Zachary Quinto, playing Nurse Scotty Silva – the man who runs the hospital floor and turns heads doing it.

Dubbed the “Mayor of Bronx General”, Scotty’s got charm, cheek and a knack for knowing everyone’s business — all while keeping the place running like clockwork.

With bags of charisma and a warm, funny streak, he’s the guy everyone loves… and no one can keep secrets from.

The hit NBC drama, inspired by the life and work of neurologist Oliver Sacks, follows Quinto’s character, Dr Oliver Wolf, and his team of interns as they dive deep into the human mind — while battling their own personal struggles behind the scenes.

Brilliant Minds also stars Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Teddy Sears and Donna Murphy. 

Bellamy Young recently joined as a recurring guest star.

Production on Season 2 of the medical drama is currently underway in Toronto.

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He took to social media to thank viewers for their support[/caption]

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Al Calderon will star alongside Zachary Quinto in Brilliant Minds[/caption]

INSTAGRAM has officially launched its repost feature, allowing users to share public Reels and grid posts directly to their feeds, a similar function to retweet in X.

The launch from the social giants went global on August 6, with the aim of boosting engagement for creators, businesses, and brands, Meta says.

The reposts will appear on friends’ and followers’ feeds, as well as a separate reposting tab added to users’ profiles to ensure the shared content can easily be tracked.

The repost feature allows users to reshare public posts and Reels with added personal text, appearing in followers’ feeds like regular posts. 

What does this mean for content creators?

For influencers it broadens their audience and reach as it means celebrities or brands can repost their content.

Though feeds could cluttered with second-hand content due to the overuse of this function which could lead to a loss of a audience.

So it will be a balancing act on how often and for what this function should be used as if its over used it could feel like Twitter.

What does it mean for Brands?

For brands it create a new area of lost-cost revenue.

Any fan, partner or employee can repost branded content into their own network and it will no longer have a 24-hour expiry date with original links preserving.

Reposted content is also eligible to be recommended to new audiences outside the brand’s followers base.

This function has a low plagiarism risk with logos and handles credited and visible.

Though the platform has emphasised the importance’s of respecting the original creators’ rights to avoid copyright issues.

What is the location and Instagram map function?

In the US, Instagram users can share their location on the Instagram Map, which will allow users to share their last location with specific accounts they desire to share it with.

Meta have said there is an option to turn it off at anytime.

Another element of the shared location is user can explore location-based content which could be restaurant spots that are in friends Instagram reels.

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison is set to miss the majority of the new season after the club confirmed he has ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament.

Jurassic World Rebirth Box Office Collection Day 34: After a great weekend, Jurassic World Rebirth earned 0.13 crores on Wednesday, bringing India's total net collection to 100.39 crores.

X Hashtag Strategy 2025: 100+ Top Hashtags & Proven Growth Tactics With over 611 million monthly active users and 118 million brands fighting for attention, success on X (formerly Twitter) in 2025 requires more than just witty posts—it demands strategic precision. Hashtags remain one of the most powerful tools in your social media toolkit. In ... Read more

The post X (Twitter) Hashtag Strategy Guide for 2025 appeared first on AiTechtonic - Informative & Entertaining Text Media.

BRANDON Blackstock has worked behind the scenes in the music industry for several years.

His job was how he met his second ex-wife and mother of his two youngest children, Kelly Clarkson.

Getty Images - Getty

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock were married for seven years[/caption]

Who is Brandon Blackstock?

Born on December 16, 1976, Brandon Blackstock is an American music manager from Fort Worth, Texas.

He is the former stepson of legendary entertainer and country music star Reba McEntire.

In 1988, Brandon’s father, Narvel Blackstock, founded the recording studio and music management company Starstruck.

Through Starstruck, he has managed Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, and his ex-wife Kelly Clarkson.

In August 2015, Narvel and Reba announced they were getting a divorce after 26 years of marriage.

Although his father and Reba hit splitsville, Brandon remains close to the GRAMMY Award winner.

While Brandon was married to Kelly, Reba was often publicly seen with both parties.

On 6th August Clarkson announced that she has had to cancel her Las Vegas residency for the second time, this time due to Brandon falling ill.

She took to Instagram to say: “Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas.

“While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them.

“I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”

The singer had four more Las Vegas shows scheduled for August.

How did Brandon meet his ex-wife, Kelly Clarkson?

In 2006, Kelly met Brandon during her rehearsals with Rascal Flatts for that year’s Academy of Country Music Awards.

The American Idol alum recalled to Ryan Seacrest: “We were just in a room together, and then he came up and said he was from the same hometown as me and I was like, ‘Oh we’re so getting married.'”

At the time, Brandon was managing Rascal Flatts while his father was managing Kelly.

Brandon was also married to Melissa Ashworth White, they separated in 2012 and divorced in 2013.

Following his divorce from Melissa, he began dating Kelly when they reconnected at the 2012 Super Bowl.

They crossed paths because Kelly was performing the National Anthem and Brandon’s client Blake Shelton was scheduled to perform America the Beautiful.

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From left to right: Narvel Blackstock, Reba, Kelly Clarkson, Brandon Blackstock[/caption]

How long were Brandon and Kelly married?

On May 31, 2012, Brandon and Kelly made their public debut as a couple.

In December of the same year, The Voice coach revealed she and Brandon were engaged.

She shared with her Twitter followers: “I’m engaged! I wanted y’all to know! Happiest night of my life last night! I am so lucky and am with the greatest man ever.”

On October 20, 2013, the pair tied the knot and held their ceremony at Blackberry Farms in Tennessee.

In the wake of their seven years of marriage, the singer filed for divorce in June 2020.

The Kelly Clarkson Show host told her viewers: “2020 has brought a lot of change also to my personal life. Definitely didn’t see anything coming that came.

“You know, we have four kids and divorce is never easy, and we’re both from divorced families, so we know the best thing here is to protect our children and their little hearts.”

On March 8, 2022, Brandon’s divorce from Kelly was finalized and the latter was granted primary custody of their two children together.

In addition to his children with Kelly, Remington and River, the music manager also has two children, Savannah and Seth, from his marriage to Melissa.

GAMERS, listen up, a mega deal has landed and its about to save you a tonne of cash.

The top-selling Warner Bros. Games bundle is back, and from Batman to Mortal Kombat, there is something for every game lover.

What’s included

In the bundle discount there is a bunch of first-class games to get your hands on.

While the bundle in full would cost approximately £477, but with two different options on offer customers can choose how much discount they want!

Pay at least £10.93 for these 16 items:

Gotham Knights
The open-world action RPG where the gamer takes on the role of either Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, or Robin in place of Batman, and they can control Gotham’s distinct boroughs as they go.

Back 4 Blood
The successor to the Left 4 Dead franchise. Gamers can play in this four-player co-op shooter game.

Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate Edition
The critically acclaimed fighting game returns with its definitive version Mortal Kombat 11.

It features the base game, both Kombat Packs (adding characters like The Joker, Spawn, RoboCop, and more), and the Aftermath story expansion.

FEAR: Ultimate Shooter Edition
Play as Point Man, a F.E.A.R. operative with superhuman reflexes, investigating a paranormal threat, engaging in visceral slow-motion gunfights.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition
The sequel to Shadow of Mordor includes all DLC, expanding the story and gameplay and follows the journey of Talion, forging a new Ring of Power to raise an army against Sauron.

Batman: Arkham Knight Premium Edition
The epic conclusion to the Arkham trilogy, and as the “Premium Edition” includes the base game and the Season Pass content, adding new story missions.

Injustice 2 Legendary Edition
The super-powered sequel to Injustice: Gods Among Us, featuring a massive roster of DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains. It continues the cinematic storyline where Batman struggles against Superman’s tyrannical regime, with a new threat emerging that jeopardizes Earth’s existence.

Batman: Arkham Origins
A prequel to the Arkham series, set early in Batman’s career on Christmas Eve. Players will be a younger less experienced Batman, facing iconic villains, including The Joker (voiced by Troy Baker), Deathstroke, Bane, and more.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition
An action RPG set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, bridging the gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The “Game of the Year Edition” includes all DLC, offering new missions, challenges, and runes.

There is also the option to pay at least £6.37 for these 7 items:

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Set in the same universe as the Arkham games in an expansive open-world Metropolis. Play as Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark, members of the infamous Suicide Squad in either solo mode or four player co-op!

Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 1 and 2 Bundle
Set in 1970s New York City, play as either Rorschach or Nite Owl II (with voice acting by the film’s stars) in single-player or co-op. Part 1 and Part 2 tell distinct but connected stories.

Mad Max
An open-world action game set in the savage post-apocalyptic wasteland from the Mad Max film franchise, where players are Max Rockatansky, a lone warrior struggling for survival.

MORTAL KOMBAT XL
The ultimate version of Mortal Kombat X, a high-octane fighting game that propels the iconic franchise into a new generation. Mortal Kombat XL includes the base game along with all content from both Kombat Packs and more.

Batman: Arkham City – Game of the Year Edition
The highly acclaimed sequel to Arkham Asylum where Batman is forced into Arkham City, a district of Gotham “home” to Gotham’s criminals. The “Game of the Year Edition” includes the base game plus all previously released downloadable content.

Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition
The groundbreaking game that redefined superhero video games. The “Game of the Year Edition” includes the original game and additional challenge maps.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition
DC heroes and villains clash in this fighting game from the creators of Mortal Kombat.

How to buy

To get their hands on this huge bundle normally worth £477, gamers can pay £6.37 or more, saving them hundreds of pounds.

Gamers can redeem the discount on Steam where all the games are available.

It is recommended that gamers review the system requirements before purchasing.

The only annoying thing about the weekend in a city like Bangkok is deciding what to do. There’s too much happening, too many pop-ups to browse, exhibitions to catch before they’re gone, and film screenings you’ll kick yourself for missing. More often than not, you end up wishing you can be at several different places …

The story What to do in Bangkok this weekend (August 8 to 10) as seen on Thaiger News.

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