The Rock pens emotional tribute to Hulk Hogan: 'Thank you for the house'

The Rock pens emotional tribute to Hulk Hogan: 'Thank you for the house'

A pro wrestling great paid tribute to a pro wrestling icon on Friday. Pro wrestling legendHulk Hogan– real name Terry Bollea –died on Thursday, July 24, leaving behind an indelible mark on the world of professional wrestling. In the 1980s, Hogan became one of wrestling's biggest superstars, helping propel the American wrestling scene to greater heights. Dwayne Johnson, known in professional wrestling as The Rock, has a history with Hogan that goes beyond the squared circle. Johnson spent time in wrestling locker rooms during his childhood as his father Rocky Johnson traveled the country with the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). MORE:Hulk Hogan remembered by Ric Flair, Vince McMahon On Friday, July 25, Johnson posted a lengthy tribute to Hogan on X, thanking him for the path he set as a professional wrestler when he was a young boy: Rest in Peace, Terry Bollea aka The Immortal Hulk Hogan 🕊️💐To millions of little kids you were a childhood hero - myself included.In 1984, I gave you your "HULKSTER" headband back, in the locker room in Madison Square Garden - I was the lucky kid caught it when you threw it…pic.twitter.com/6kl67EZ8g1 — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock)July 25, 2025 He wrote: "To millions of little kids you were a childhood hero – myself included. In 1984, I gave you your "HULKSTER" headband back, in the locker room in Madison Square Garden – I was the lucky kid caught it when you threw it in the crowd. "You were wrestling 'Mr Wonderful', Paul Orndorff that night in the main event. You were shocked and so happy after the match because you told me that was your very last headband and if it weren't for me, you'd have no way of getting that exact one made again. "You promised me that you would get more made and give me a Hulkster headband of my own as a thank you gift. A month later in Madison Square Garden, you did just that. You kept your word, with a handshake and a 'thanks kid'. And that meant the world to that little 12 year old boy. "Just 17 years later, and still a kid at the age of 29 years old – I'm standing in the middle of the ring and facing you – one of my wrestling heroes in the main event of WRESTLEMANIA. The match was to decide who would go down in history, as The Greatest of All Time. "When you kick out of my Rock Bottom finisher – just listen and FEEL that crowd go ELECTRIC… all for you. I've never felt anything like that in my entire wrestling career. It takes two to tango, but that historic crowd reaction was all for you. "You may have 'passed the torch' to me that night, but you, my friend…. … you 'drew the house' meaning you sold out every arena and stadium across the country in your prime as Hulk Hogan, on your way of becoming the greatest of all time. "From deep in my bones, and on behalf of this wild and crazy world of professional wrestling that we love, I say to you now, and forever… Thank you for the house, brother… Thank you, for the house. RIP Terry Bollea aka Hulk Hogan." MENDOZA:Hogan won't be remembered for changing wrestling While the Rock and Hogan didn't actually main event WrestleMania 18 – that was an honor reserved for Triple H and Chris Jericho in a championship fight – their match is widely considered the biggest on that card and one of the biggest WrestleMania bouts in the event's history. Johnson, now a Hollywood star while sitting on the board of TKO (WWE's parent company) has made sporadic appearances for WWE in recent years. Hogan was 71. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson pens tribute to Hulk Hogan

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July 25, 2025

The Rock pens emotional tribute to Hulk Hogan: 'Thank you for the house'

The Rock pens emotional tribute to Hulk Hogan: 'Thank you for the house' A pro wrestling great paid tribute to a pro wrestling icon ...

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Top Boy actor Micheal Ward charged with rape

Top Boy actor Micheal Ward charged with rape

Bafta-winning actor Micheal Ward, known for roles in shows and films including Top Boy, Small Axe and Blue Story, has been charged with rape. Mr Ward, 27, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, is charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, the Metropolitan Police said. He said: "I deny the charges against me entirely," and added that he had co-operated with police fully throughout their investigation and had full faith it would lead to his name being cleared. The alleged offences relate to one woman and are reported to have taken place in January 2023, according to the police force. The actor made his name as one of the stars of cult hit Blue Story in 2019, and won the Rising Star prize at the Bafta Film Awards the following year. He played Jamie in Netflix hit Top Boy from 2019 to 22, and was nominated for best supporting actor at the Bafta TV Awards for Small Axe in 2021. The Jamaican-born actor also starred in acclaimed 2022 drama Empire of Light, and will be seen in forthcoming US pandemic-era Western movie Eddington, which is due to be released in the UK on 22 August. Mr Ward is due to appear at Thames Magistrates' Court in London on 28 August. Metropolitan Police Det Supt Scott Ware said: "Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward - we know investigations of this nature can have significant impact on those who make reports." Catherine Baccas, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London South, said: "Having carefully reviewed a file of evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Micheal Ward, 27, with two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault against a woman in January 2023." She added: "We remind all concerned that proceedings against the suspect are active and he has a right to a fair trial. "It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings."

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July 25, 2025

Top Boy actor Micheal Ward charged with rape

Top Boy actor Micheal Ward charged with rape Bafta-winning actor Micheal Ward, known for roles in shows and films including Top Boy, Small A...

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Nicole Kidman Applies for Residency in Portugal (Exclusive Details)

Nicole Kidman Applies for Residency in Portugal (Exclusive Details)

Omar Vega/WireImage Nicole Kidmanis applying for residency in Portugal, but there aren't signs she andKeith Urbanare moving there anytime soon. Aftermultipleoutletsreportedon Thursday, July 24 that Kidman, 58, and herhusband of 19 yearsUrban, 57, applied to become residents of the western European country, PEOPLE can confirm that Kidman filed an application for Portugal residency while shefilmsPractical Magic 2in London. However, don't expect the couple to make an official move to Portugal at this time. Urban, who is currently on tour in the U.S. — hisnext showis scheduled for Saturday, July 26 in Inglewood, Calf. — could not make the residency appointment due to his touring commitments across the country. The Portuguese outletSic Noticiasfirst reported that Kidman was in Portugal and had applied for a residence permit with the country's Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum on Tuesday, July 22. At that time, the outlet reported that Kidman, who sharesteenage daughtersSunday, 17, and Faith, 14, with Urban, had been in Portugal since Sunday, July 20. (The familytypically resides in Nashville.) John Shearer/Getty Kidman most recently gave her fans a glimpse into her life on July 18, when she shared a behind-the-scenesInstagram videofrom the set of her in-productionPractical Magicsequel that showed her and costarSandra Bullockembracing during their first day of filming. "The witches are back ✨ Owens sisters' first day on set! #PracticalMagic," she wrote in a caption to the video. Kidman first confirmed with PEOPLE that she wasworking on aPractical Magicsequel— the original movie released in 1998 — back in June 2024.  In May, Warner Bros.announcedthe sequel will release in theaters on Sept. 18, 2026. In addition to Bullock, 60, reprising her role as Sally Owens and Kidman reprising her character Gillian Owens,Stockard ChanningandDianne Wiestarereprising their rolesas the character's aunts fromthe original film. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Richard Pelham/Getty Urban, meanwhile, has tour dates booked through October. After his show in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 25, he heads to Australia for a series of concerts beginning Aug. 13 and returns to North America in September for performances across Canada and the United States through Oct. 17. In March 2026, he is scheduled to perform in the Bahamas, and he resumes shows in the U.S. in May 2026 with a show at Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City, Fla. Read the original article onPeople

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July 25, 2025

Nicole Kidman Applies for Residency in Portugal (Exclusive Details)

Nicole Kidman Applies for Residency in Portugal (Exclusive Details) Omar Vega/WireImage Nicole Kidmanis applying for residency in Portugal, ...

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Journalists In Gaza Are Documenting Their Own Starvation

Journalists In Gaza Are Documenting Their Own Starvation

Last month, unable to carry the weight of two cameras, a work laptop, and his body armor, Gazan photojournalist Bashar Taleb made the decision to prioritize his health over his work. The 35-year-old, who has worked with Agence France-Presse since 2010, had lost 35 pounds, he says, and began to calculate the distances he needs to cover. "Can I make it back home, or not? Will I be able to find a means of transportation, or not?" He describes feeling weak and dizzy every day. The starvationforecastfrom over a year ago has now taken hold in Gaza. The U.N. World Food Programme this weeksaid100,000 women and children suffer from acute severe malnutrition, and a third of the territory's 2.1 million residents have missed meals for more than multiple consecutive days. On Wednesday, at least 10 Palestinians died of starvation, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, raising the total number of hunger-related deaths to 113, including at least 80 children. Journalists like Khalil Alkahlut, who lives in Al-Karama, North Gaza, are facing starvation along with the community they cover. "Today we ate one meal, that's enough for us to live another day," says Alkahlut, who works for the Anadolu Agency, a state-run Turkish news agency headquartered in Ankara. The 22-year-old photojournalist estimates that he has lost 60 pounds, speaking to TIME on Tuesday. Alkahlut was, like his three younger brothers, getting by on one serving of lentils a day, no breakfast, and no dinner. "Tomorrow, I don't know what we will eat." With international journalists barred by Israel from working independently in Gaza, local reporters are providing first-person accounts of hunger—provided they still have the strength to work. On Monday, the Société des Journalistes de l'Agence France-Presse, the union of Agence France-Presse,warnedthat AFP's remaining freelance staff in Gaza were at risk of death from malnutrition. Taleb posted on Facebook that his "body is thin" and he can "no longer work." "Hunger is the hardest thing I've ever experienced," Taleb tells TIME from Jabaliya, a city about two miles north of Gaza City. "We [must choose] between death by starvation or death by killing in an attempt to get food from aid trucks." Since barring international aid agencies and taking over food relief operations, Israeli forces have killedmore than 1,000Palestinians gathering to seek food, the UN reports. The distribution system—managed by the newly-established U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—has been widelycriticizedby the UN as an opaque mechanism that concentrates aid in a handful of guarded areas andviolatescore humanitarian principles. AFP currently maintains ten freelance journalists in Gaza—one writer, three photographers, and six video freelancers within the territory. Many international news organizations withdrew their foreign staff from Gaza in 2024 under Israel's bombardment, leaving local Palestinian journalists as the primary source of information for global audiences. More than 173 of them have beenkilled."Journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in warzones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them," read astatementissued Thursday by the BBC, Reuters, AP and AFP. While declining to provide TIME with contacts for the local journalists working in Gaza, a Reuters spokesperson noted that "We are providing our contributors with additional financial support to help them and, should they wish to leave the territory, we will provide any assistance possible to help them get out." According to the union's statement, AFP's Gaza-based journalists receive monthly salaries but face the reality that "there is nothing to buy, or only at completely exorbitant prices." When journalists withdraw their funds from the few remaining cash points to purchase whatever food is left, they're also met with exorbitant withdrawal fees. "When I go to withdraw $1000 from my bank account, I only receive $550 in cash," Taleb says. "This is also a big problem." Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news channel that Israel has made movesto ban, released astatementWednesday calling for global action to protect their journalists in the region. "I haven't stopped covering for a moment in 21 months," Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif wrote online. "I am drowning in hunger, trembling in exhaustion, and resisting the fainting that follows me every moment … Gaza is dying. And we die with it." Famine has not been officially declared in Gaza primarily because, with international aid groups largely barred, the collective Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system lacks sufficient verifiable on-the-grounddatato meet the technical thresholds for a formal declaration. The hunger crisis has intensified since March, when what humanitarian organizations describe as anaid blockadebegan, pushing Gazans into what the World Health Organization has described as a "dangerous cycle" following thereductionof aid distribution points from 400, during the spring ceasefire, to just the four military-controlled sites currently operating. That system was put in place at the end of May. Under it, Israel restricts the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) to delivering only 1,600 calories per persondaily—significantly below the standard humanitarian requirement of 2,100 calories. Distribution, besides being lethal, is uneven, withreportsof aid being diverted or stolen before reaching intended recipients. Israeli Government Spokesman David Mencer was asked Wednesday about mass starvation in Gaza. Speaking from Jerusalem, hesaidhe wanted to talk about "facts, not fiction." On Wednesday, more than 100 NGOs released a joint statement pleading with the Israeli government to allow food, water, medical supplies and other life saving aid into the Strip. The statement quoted an aid worker providing psychosocial support to children in Gaza: "Children tell their parents they want to go to heaven, because at least heaven has food." The statement of the AFP's union observed: "None of us can recall seeing a colleague die of hunger." Contact usatletters@time.com.

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July 25, 2025

Journalists In Gaza Are Documenting Their Own Starvation

Journalists In Gaza Are Documenting Their Own Starvation Last month, unable to carry the weight of two cameras, a work laptop, and his body ...

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A science journal pulled a controversial study about a bizarre life form against the authors' wishes

A science journal pulled a controversial study about a bizarre life form against the authors' wishes

NEW YORK (AP) — A microscopic discovery in aCalifornia lakesparked buzz and controversy more than a decade ago when it was first revealed. Scientists said they'd discovered bacteria that used the element arsenic — poisonous to life as we know it — to grow. If true, it expanded the possibilities for where life could exist on Earth —or on other worlds. Several research groups failed to replicate the results, and argue it's not possible for a living thing to use something so toxic to make DNA and proteins. Some scientists have suggested the results of the original experiments may have been skewed by undetected contaminants. On Thursday, the journal Science, which first published the research, retracted it, though not because of misconduct on the researchers' part. "If the editors determine that a paper's reported experiments do not support its key conclusions, even if no fraud or manipulation occurred, a retraction is considered appropriate," the journal's editor-in-chief Holden Thorp wrote in the statement announcing the retraction. The researchers disagree with the journal's decision and stand by their data. It's reasonable to pull a paper for major errors or suspected misconduct — but debates and disagreements over the findings are part of the scientific process, said study co-author Ariel Anbar of Arizona State University. "One doesn't retract a paper because the interpretation is controversial, or even because most disagree with the interpretation," wrote Anbar in an email. "At least, that hasn't been the case until now." Science has more frequently retracted papers for reasons beside fraud in recent years, wrote Thorp and Vada Vinson, Science's executive editor,in a blog post. NASA helped fund the original work. The space agency's science mission chief Nicky Fox said in a statement that NASA does not support the retraction and encourages Science to reconsider. —- The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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July 25, 2025

A science journal pulled a controversial study about a bizarre life form against the authors' wishes

A science journal pulled a controversial study about a bizarre life form against the authors' wishes NEW YORK (AP) — A microscopic disco...

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Can Volodymyr Zelenskyy recover from his self-made crisis?

Can Volodymyr Zelenskyy recover from his self-made crisis?

KYIV, Ukraine — The reversal was almost as swift as the outpouring of public fury. But the question is how muchthis week's sudden crisisinUkrainehas nonetheless tarnished the talismanic image of its leader, a man crucial in rallying support at home and abroad for the fight against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday appeared to reversehis attempt to seize sweeping powersover the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. Saying he heardthe concerns of his people and Western backers, he has now introduced a law that he said would guarantee their independence — and the agencies themselves said they were satisfied. Many Ukrainians are eager to point out that this open-eared approach — taking immediate action to remedy the problem — is a drastic change from past administrations that dismissed or even silenced such concerns. But some fear the damage may already be done. "For Zelenskyy, this is a serious crisis of legitimacy," Oleksandra Keudel, an assistant professor of public policy and governance at the Kyiv School of Economics, told NBC News in an email. "I'm not sure it's reversible." Now known as a camo-clad wartime leader, Zelenskyy was a comedianelected in 2019promising to root outthe corruption that has plagued Ukrainesince it gained modern independence in 1991. He was widely lauded for his anti-corruption fight — adding fuel to the dismay over his quixotic power grab. Ukrainians took to the streets in their thousands, some shouting "shame!" outside the legislature in Kyiv. With his legislative about-face Thursday, Zelenskyy has at least undone the immediate machinery that so worried observers, domestic and foreign. "It is important that Ukrainians are responding with such dignity to everything thatʼs happening," he said. He conceded in a conversation with journalists that "probably, there should have been a dialogue" before going ahead with the law. "I am focused on the issue of the war," he added. "For me, it was very important that we listened and responded adequately. People asked for changes. We responded." When asked for comment on the criticisms, Zelenskyy's office referred NBC News to the comments made Thursday. What hurts Ukrainians is the perception that the government could so easily undo the hard-fought progress won duringthe Maidan uprising of 2014that ousted the Kremlin-backed leaderViktor Yanukovych. Mykhailo Sobaliev, an 18-year-old student, says that back then, his father was the head of the parliament's anti-graft committee and was directly involved in establishing the two bodies whose power Zelenskyy's law sought to curb. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, his father immediately signed up with the territorial defense units protecting the capital, and nowhe is fighting in Zaporizhzhia. Sobaliev describes Zelenskyy's law as "ugly" and "outrageous," and knows criticizing the government during wartime is a gift to Ukraine's enemies. But he sees the public outrage as "a manifestation that democracy still exists and is alive." Indeed, many here are eager to point out that the protests, during a period of martial law when such large gatherings can be restricted, would not be possible in Russia,which has brutally crushedfar meeker displays of dissent. Many Ukrainians see this civic surge as intrinsically linked with the attritional violence on the front lines; if these values are not protected at home, then what are the troops fighting for? The war has become "hard — very hard," said Aristarkh, 50, a Ukrainian special forces officer, who like most Ukrainian soldiers uses only one name for security reasons. "It's very difficult to stay motivated," he said. However "when I saw this number of people" protesting and "also fighting for their country," he felt "incredible pride," he added. "It just raises your level of motivation an order of magnitude." Jessica Berlin, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington think tank, is a vocal supporter of Ukraine. The initial law was one of Zelenskyy's "worst political mistakes since the full scale invasion began," she said, breaking "the unspoken contract between the Ukrainian government and people that has held through over three traumatic, exhausting years." The public has "refrained from mass protests" in "the good faith belief that the government is doing everything to win the war and restore security while not overstepping their wartime powers or threatening the democratic progress," she said. But "for many Ukrainians, this bill crosses a red line." The opprobrium was far from just domestic, with leaders across Europe voicing their disquiet and urging Zelenskyy to rethink. Others fear his standing has been undermined for the longer term. "Until now, Zelenskyy and his team have been recognized as 'good guys,'" said Drago Kos, former chairman of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions. But this week has posed uncomfortable questions: "Why are the 'good guys' afraid of anti-corruption efforts within their own country?" he said. Daryna Mayer reported from Kyiv, and Alexander Smith from London.

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July 25, 2025

Can Volodymyr Zelenskyy recover from his self-made crisis?

Can Volodymyr Zelenskyy recover from his self-made crisis? KYIV, Ukraine — The reversal was almost as swift as the outpouring of public fury...

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