Two films made big waves over the weekend, racking up hundreds of millions in sales thanks to the vision of two relatively unknown YouTube creators.

“Backrooms,” a horror film overseen by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, raked in $118 million in worldwide ticket sales. The film, which cost $10 million to spin out as a feature from an adaptation of a series of YouTube shorts, marked the biggest opening in A24’s history, and made Parsons the youngest filmmaker ever to open at No. 1, Deadline notes.

A24’s success aligns with that of another YouTube creator. “Obsession," the brainchild of 26-year-old Curry Barker, was produced by Focus Features for around $750,000 and has so far brought in $150 million.

Ticket sales for “Obsession” have grown every weekend since its May 15 release, the first film to do so, according to Focus, since “E.T.” way back in 1982.

The insurgent success stories stand in sharp contrast to the performance of other, would-be blockbusters of yesteryear.

An entrant in Disney’s “Star Wars” franchise, “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” saw a 70% drop in ticket sales this weekend, coming in third behind “Backrooms” and “Obsession.”

Comscore’s head of marketplace trends, Paul Dergarabedian, told Variety this doesn’t necessarily need to be a doom-and-gloom moment for old Hollywood.

“Whether or not this is ushering in a new era or a paradigm shift for the business remains to be seen, but this YouTube creator-to-big screen pathway should be viewed as complementary,” he said. “It’s a production pipeline that has not existed until now.”

LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - The British government published on Monday a second batch of documents relating to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, a saga which has led to questions over Prime Minister Keir Starmer's judgment and leadership.

Starmer sacked Mandelson last year, but the prime minister's decision to hand Britain's top diplomatic post to a man with known ties to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, prompted calls for Starmer to resign earlier this year.

Mandelson is under police investigation for allegedly leaking government documents to the late Epstein. He does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.

An initial tranche of documents was released in March, which showed Starmer was warned of the risks of the appointment, not just from his ties to Epstein but over Mandelson's previous resignations from government and his support for closer ties with China.

Starmer's position has weakened further since the furore over Mandelson. Last month, he faced a new challenge to his leadership after dozens of Labour lawmakers called on him to step down after defeats in local elections.

The publication of the Mandelson documents on Monday, which are likely to show messages between the Labour veteran and ministers and lawmakers, could also prove embarrassing if they criticise Starmer or comment on U.S. President Donald Trump.

Mandelson was a government minister when Starmer's Labour Party was last in power more than 15 years ago. He was sacked as U.S. ambassador when the depth of his friendship with Epstein became clear from U.S. file releases.

Starmer has said he was "wrong" to appoint Mandelson and has expressed regret but says all proper processes were followed. He has also criticised officials for failing to tell him that a security vetting body had advised against the appointment.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Holton and William James)

ABC talk show host Jimmy Kimmel told Variety he feels “a little bit defeated” after CBS’s abrupt cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show,” and thinks “in a lot of ways, I feel like I’m looking at my own future.”

“We’re not just dying of natural causes. We’re being poisoned,” he said of the uncertainty that late-night shows face after CBS controversially canceled Colbert’s program.

Kimmel said he doesn’t buy CBS' excuse that money was the reason, saying the network blamed “made-up numbers” for axing the program.

Kimmel said executives at ABC told him his show is profitable, yet his contract was extended in December by just one year instead of the standard of three.

Tina Peters, a former elections clerk from Colorado accused of tampering with voting machines after the 2020 presidential election, was released from prison Monday.

The AP and Colorado Public Radio both reported on her release.

Gov. Jared Polis (D) had commuted her sentence, arguing he felt it was overly harsh.

Tennis legend Serena Williams is making a comeback. The 23-time Grand Slam champion announced Monday she’ll play in the doubles competition at the HSBC Championships, held at the Queens Club in London from June 8-14.

Williams will play as a wild card entry in the grass court tournament, having previously announced her retirement from the sport in 2022.

At the time, she said in an essay for Vogue that making her “reluctant” decision was “the hardest thing that I could ever imagine.”

“I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me,” she wrote. “I’m torn: I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next.”

Williams’ sister, Venus, also recently un-retired, with an appearance in the 2026 Australian Open — her first appearance in the tournament since 2021.

Health officials in Brazil said they are monitoring two people for possible Ebola infection after they developed symptoms after returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where outbreaks are underway.

The man in Sao Paulo tested positive for meningitis and the person in Rio tested positive for malaria. Neither diagnosis rules out the possibility that they have Ebola as well, local health authorities told Reuters.

In Italy, a man who flew back from Congo on Saturday with some Ebola symptoms tested negative for the virus in Sardinia, Italy’s health ministry said Monday, according to local reports.

Iran's Tasnim news agency said on Monday that Tehran's negotiating team is stopping exchanges of messages with the United States through mediators due to attacks on Lebanon, as diplomatic efforts to end the three-month-old Iran war continue.

The agency said Iran and the Resistance Front, which includes its Shiite allies in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq, have set an agenda to completely block the Strait of Hormuz and activate other fronts, including the Bab El Mandeb Strait, in order to "punish" Israel and its supporters.

If the Houthis, Iran's allies in Yemen, open a new front in the conflict, one obvious target would be the Bab El Mandeb Strait off the coast of Yemen, a key shipping chokepoint and narrow passageway that controls sea traffic towards the Suez Canal.

"Violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The U.S. and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X on Monday, referring to Israeli operations in Lebanon.

The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28 has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. It has also caused global economic pain by pushing up energy prices since Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global supply route for oil and liquefied natural gas.

"The immediate cessation of the Zionist regime's aggressive and brutal army operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the necessity of the regime’s complete withdrawal from the occupied areas in Lebanon have been emphasized by Iranian officials and negotiators, and there will be no talks until Iran and the resistance's views on this matter are met," Tasnim added.

The British government published on Monday a second batch of documents relating to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, a saga which has led to questions over Prime Minister Keir Starmer's judgment and leadership.

Starmer sacked Mandelson last year, but the prime minister's decision to hand Britain's top diplomatic post to a man with known ties to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, prompted calls for Starmer to resign earlier this year.

Mandelson is under police investigation for allegedly leaking government documents to the late Epstein. He does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.

An initial tranche of documents was released in March, which showed Starmer was warned of the risks of the appointment, not just from his ties to Epstein but over Mandelson's previous resignations from government and his support for closer ties with China.

Starmer's position has weakened further since the furor over Mandelson. Last month, he faced a new challenge to his leadership after dozens of Labour lawmakers called on him to step down after defeats in local elections.

The publication of the Mandelson documents on Monday, which are likely to show messages between the Labour veteran and ministers and lawmakers, could also prove embarrassing if they criticize Starmer or comment on U.S. President Donald Trump.

Mandelson was a government minister when Starmer's Labour Party was last in power more than 15 years ago. He was sacked as U.S. ambassador when the depth of his friendship with Epstein became clear from U.S. file releases.

Starmer has said he was "wrong" to appoint Mandelson and has expressed regret but says all proper processes were followed. He has also criticized officials for failing to tell him that a security vetting body had advised against the appointment.

Today marks the first day of hurricane season in the Atlantic, with a below-normal storm season predicted.

A total of eight to 14 named storms, with winds of 39 mph or higher, are forecast for the six-month season, which ends Nov. 30, according to the National Weather Service.

Of those storms, three to six are predicted to become hurricanes, and one to three expected to become major hurricanes (categories 3, 4 or 5), with winds of 111 mph or higher.

“Remember, even if the Atlantic hurricane season ends up being below to near normal, it only takes one storm in your community to make it a bad hurricane season for you,” the National Hurricane Center warned. “Prepare this year like you would any other!”

Atlantic #HurricaneSeason Outlook 2026: 8-14 named storms of which 3-6 could become hurricanes, including 1-3 major hurricanes:https://t.co/qz1krFJOLV@NWSCPC #HurricaneOutlook #WeatherReadyNation pic.twitter.com/WoaN9H3zs2

Senate Democrats will do everything they can to eliminate President Donald Trump's "Anti-Weaponization Fund," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said Monday.

The $1.8 billion fund has already been blocked by a court and prompted Senate Republicans to consider ways to set "guardrails" on the fund, but Schumer said Democrats will accept nothing less than wholesale elimination.

"This week, Senate Democrats will launch a coordinated effort to kill the slush fund before one cent goes out the door," Schumer said in a public letter to his colleagues. "You do not fix a corrupt slush fund by promising to manage it better. You end it."

U.S. commentators Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur say they have been blocked from entering the U.K. to attend speaking events over their views on Israel.

Uygur, a left-wing, Turkish American political activist who co-hosts the popular YouTube channel The Young Turks, and Piker, who is also a left-wing commentator and influencer, said they were scheduled to speak at the SXSW London festival later this week but were denied entry.

“I’ve been banned for criticizing Israel. Are we free anymore?” Uygur posted online Sunday after he said he was barred from boarding a flight to attend the festival and also give a speech at Oxford.

“The UK has revoked my visa as well. All at the behest of Israel,” Piker, who is Uygur's nephew, responded to his post.

Britain's interior ministry confirmed to Reuters that their travel had been canceled as "their presence in the UK may not be conducive to the public good.” The statement did not mention their stance on Israel as the reason.

I’ve been banned from the UK. I tried to get on a flight to London to attend SXSW London and give a speech at Oxford. I’ve been banned for criticizing Israel. Are we free anymore? This is oppression of Western citizens by our own governments on behalf of a different country!

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday reiterated that the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. also covers the fighting in Lebanon.

"Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts," Araghchi wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "The U.S. and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation."

Araghchi's statement comes as Israel ordered strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut in Lebanon.

Iran and the U.S. also traded strikes, raising questions about the ceasefire and a possible peace deal to end the war.

For immediate attention:The ceasefire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation.

Anthropic has decided to allow the European Union's cybersecurity agency to join Project Glasswing, an initiative enabling participants to test its Mythos model ahead of its wider release, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

The company informed the European Commission of its decision over the weekend after officials from the 27-nation bloc traveled to San Francisco last week to request access to the model, the report said.

Read more at Bloomberg:

Prominent 2020 election denier Tina Peters is set to be released from prison on Monday, about two weeks after she was granted clemency by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D).

Peters, a former Colorado elections clerk, had been serving a prison sentence for tampering with voting machines as part of a failed effort to show that the 2020 election was rigged against Donald Trump.

Trump had repeatedly called for Peters' release.

It's unclear what time Peters will be set free, and her lawyer said she has no plans to speak to reporters upon her release, according to The Associated Press.

When you ask Adam Hamawy why he’s running for Congress, he sounds like a lot of other progressives.

He goes over his experience as a doctor, squabbling with insurance companies and seeing the cost of care rise. He mentions his time in the Army National Guard, serving as a combat trauma surgeon, and his time volunteering in war zones around the world.

"I've seen where we're spending our money," he told HuffPost in an interview. "We're told that we can't afford Medicare For All. But we always find money for bombs."

But it doesn't take long to get to the experience that helped put him on a more direct path to serving in Congress: His stint as a trauma doctor in Gaza during Israel’s assault on the region, when Israel’s seizure of a nearby border crossing left him and his colleagues trapped for a week at their hospital.

Read more here:

Moderna said on Monday it has partnered with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to develop a potential vaccine against Bundibugyo ebolavirus, the strain linked to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Under the agreement, CEPI has committed up to $50 million to support preclinical development and early clinical testing of Moderna's investigational BDBV vaccine candidate.

CEPI said it would also initially invest up to $8.6 million for a shot developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and an initial $3.2 million for a vaccine developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.

The World Health Organization last week recommended prioritizing several experimental drugs, including antibodies, antivirals and vaccines, for the treatment and prevention of BDBV.

CEPI is a global partnership working to accelerate the development of vaccines against epidemic and pandemic threats.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday said his party "will launch a coordinated effort to kill" President Donald Trump's "Anti-Weaponization Fund," adding that Democrats will force Republicans to vote on the fund.

"Trump’s nearly $2 billion MAGA slush fund is his most brazen act of self-dealing yet and one of the most corrupt schemes ever launched by a president. Senate Democrats will not let it stand," Schumer wrote in a Dear Colleague letter. "This week, Senate Democrats will launch a coordinated effort to kill the slush fund before one cent goes out the door. And no matter what Republicans do, we will force them to vote."

"There will be no escape hatch," he continued. "No fake guardrails or backroom promises to hide behind. No Justice Department announcement that makes this corruption acceptable."

Meanwhile, three Democratic senators, Adam Schiff (Calif.), Mark Kelly (Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (Mich.), are introducing a bill challenging the billion fund, aiming to "prevent taxpayer dollars" from being paid to the president and his allies, among other things, according to NBC News.

Read Schumer's letter in full here.

President Donald Trump offered some advice to the nation early Monday morning as the United States and Iran renewed hostilities amid a fragile ceasefire.

"Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end," the president wrote on Truth Social at 1:02 a.m. "It always does!"

Read more here:

Tough-on-crime outsider Abelardo de la Espriella took the lead in Colombia’s presidential race in the first round of voting Sunday night, setting up a runoff with Iván Cepeda, an ally of Colombia’s outgoing President Gustavo Petro who questioned the results of the election.

With no candidate taking an outright majority of the vote, the election will head to a second round in June.

But Cepeda and Petro sowed doubt in the results of the first round.

Read more at The Associated Press:

The U.S. said it struck Iranian military sites at the weekend and Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday it had targeted a U.S. base in response, the latest exchange of attacks amid negotiations to end the three-month-old war.

The U.S. and Iran have sporadically exchanged strikes since their ceasefire took effect in early April as diplomacy aimed at a more durable agreement drags on. A similar exchange occurred last Thursday and was described in near-identical terms by both sides.

Read more at Reuters:

For previous updates from HuffPost, click here.

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