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King Charles III briefly hospitalized for observation following side effects from cancer treatment

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LONDON (AP) — King Charles III was briefly hospitalized for observation on Thursday after experiencing “temporary side effects’’ related to a scheduled cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

His engagements for Thursday afternoon and Friday were canceled.

“His majesty has now returned to Clarence House and as a precautionary measure, acting on medical advice, tomorrow’s diary program will also be rescheduled,’’ the palace said. “His majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.’’

The king’s health has been closely watched ever since early last year when he announced that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. Charles, 76, stepped away from public duties for about three months but continued fulfilling state duties, such as reviewing government papers and meeting with the prime minister.

Charles’ cancer diagnosis has heaped pressure on the British monarchy, which is still evolving after the 70-year reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave as they arrive by carriage on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting at Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave as they arrive by carriage on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting at Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave as they arrive by carriage on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting at Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

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Britain's King Charles III holds up flowers he was given as he leaves after a visit to University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Britain’s King Charles III holds up flowers he was given as he leaves after a visit to University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Britain’s King Charles III holds up flowers he was given as he leaves after a visit to University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

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Britain's King Charles III smiles during his visit to the Forsinard Flows Visitor Centre in Forsinard, Highland, Scotland, July 31, 2024. (Jane Barlow/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Britain’s King Charles III smiles during his visit to the Forsinard Flows Visitor Centre in Forsinard, Highland, Scotland, July 31, 2024. (Jane Barlow/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Britain’s King Charles III smiles during his visit to the Forsinard Flows Visitor Centre in Forsinard, Highland, Scotland, July 31, 2024. (Jane Barlow/Pool Photo via AP, File)

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When he succeeded his mother in September 2022, Charles’ task was to demonstrate that the 1,000-year-old institution remains relevant in a modern nation whose citizens come from all corners of the globe. But this task takes much time and energy.

Although the duties of a constitutional monarch are largely ceremonial, the royal whirl can be exhausting. Besides the occasional procession in full royal regalia, there are meetings with political leaders, dedication ceremonies and events honoring the accomplishments of British citizens. That added up to 161 days of royal engagements during Charles’s first year on the throne.

Charles’ illness came as his daughter-in-law, Kate, the Princess of Wales, was also diagnosed with cancer. Kate, the wife of Prince William, took more than six months off before returning to public duties in late September.

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Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/royalty



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Tariff-related price increases for new clothes may increase demand for used ones

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NEW YORK (AP) — Stores selling secondhand clothes, shoes and accessories are poised to benefit from President Donald Trump’strade war even as businesses the world over race to avert potential damage, according to industry experts.

American styles carry international influence, but nearly all of the clothing sold domestically is made elsewhere. The Yale University Budget Lab last week estimated short-term consumer price increases of 65% for clothes and 87% for leather goods, noting U.S. tariffs “disproportionately affect” those goods.

Such price hikes may drive cost-conscious shoppers to online resale sites, consignment boutiques and thrift stores in search of bargains or a way to turn their wardrobes into cash. Used items cost less than their new equivalents and only would be subject to tariffs if they come from outside the country.

“I think resale is going to grow in a market that is declining,” said Kristen Classi-Zummo, an apparel industry analyst at market research firm Circana. “What I think is going to continue to win in this chaotic environment are channels that bring value.”

The outlook for preowned fashion nevertheless comes with unknowns, including whether the president’s tariffs will stay long enough to pinch consumers and change their behavior. It’s also unclear whether secondhand purveyors will increase their own prices, either to mirror the overall market or in response to shopper demand.

A new audience courtesy of sticker shock

Jan Genovese, a retired fashion executive, sells her unwanted designer clothes through customer-to-customer marketplaces like Mercari. If tariffs cause retail prices to rise, she would consider high-end secondhand sites.

“Until I see it and really have that sticker shock, I can’t say exclusively that I’ll be pushed into another direction,” Genovese, 75, said. “I think that the tariff part of it is that you definitely rethink things. And maybe I will start looking at alternative venues.”

The secondhand clothing market already was flourishing before the specter of tariffs bedeviled the U.S. fashion industry. Management consulting firm McKinsey and Co. predicted after the COVID-19 pandemic that global revenue from preowned fashion would grow 11 times faster than retail apparel sales by this year as shoppers looked to save money or spend it in a more environmentally conscious way.

While millennials and members of Generation Z were known as the primary buyers of used clothing, data from market research firm Sensor Tower shows the audience may be expanding.

The number of mobile app downloads for nine resale marketplaces the firm tracks — eBay, OfferUp, Poshmark, Mercari, Craigslist, Depop, ThredUp, TheRealReal and Vinted — increased by 3% between January and the end of March, the first quarterly gain in three years, Sensor Tower said.

The firm estimates downloads of the apps for eBay, Depop, ThredUp and The RealReal also surged compared to a year earlier for the week of March 31, which was when Trump unveiled since-paused punitive tariffs on dozens of countries.

Circana’s Classi-Zummo said that while customers used to seek out collectible or unusual vintage pieces to supplement their wardrobes, she has noticed more shoppers turning to secondhand sites to replace regular fashion items.

“It’s still a cheaper option” than buying new, even though retailers offer discounts, she said.

A tariff-free gold mine lurking in closets and warehouses

Poshmark, a digital platform where users buy and sell preowned clothing, has yet to see sales pick up under the tariff schedule Trump unveiled but is prepared to capitalize on the moment, CEO Manish Chandra said.

Companies operating e-commerce marketplaces upgrade their technology to make it easier to find items. A visual search tool and other improvements to the Poshmark experience will “pay long dividends in terms of disruption that happens in the market” from the tariffs, Chandra said.

Archive, a San Francisco-based technology company that builds and manages online and in-store resale programs for brands including Dr. Martens, The North Face and Lululemon, has noticed clothing labels expressing more urgency to team up, CEO Emily Gittins said.

“Tapping into all of the inventory that is already sitting in the U.S., either in people’s closets or in warehouses not being used,” offers a revenue source while brands limit or suspend orders from foreign manufacturers, she said.

“There’s a huge amount of uncertainty,” Gittins said. “Everyone believes that this is going to be hugely damaging to consumer goods brands that sell in the U.S. So resale is basically where everyone’s head is going.”

Stock analysts have predicted off-price retailers like TJ Maxx and Burlington Stores will weather tariffs more easily than regular apparel chains and department stores because they carry leftover merchandise in the U.S.

Priced out of the previously owned market

Still, resale vendors aren’t immune from tariff-induced upheavals, said Rachel Kibbe, founder and CEO of Circular Services Group, a firm that advises brands and retailers on reducing the fashion industry’s environmental impact.

U.S. sellers that import secondhand inventory from European Union countries would have to pay a 20% duty if Trump moves forward with instituting “reciprocal” tariffs on most trading partners and eliminates an import tax exception for parcels worth less than $800, Kibbe said.

A circular fashion coalition she leads is seeking a tariff exemption for used and recycled goods that will be offered for resale, Kibbe said. Trump already ended the duty-free provision for low-value parcels from China, a move that may benefit sellers of secondhand clothing by making low-priced Chinese fashions pricier, she said.

James Reinhart, co-founder and CEO of the online consignment marketplace ThredUp, said the removal of the “de minimis” provision and the 145% tariff Trump put on products made in China would benefit businesses like his. He doubts creating resale channels would make a big difference for individual brands.

“Brands will explore this and they may do more, but I don’t see them massively changing their operations,” Reinhart said. “I think they’re going to be figuring out how to survive. And I don’t think resale helps you survive.”

Rebag, an online marketplace and retail chain that sells used designer handbags priced from $500 to tens of thousands of dollars, expects tariffs to help drive new customers and plans to open more physical stores, CEO Charles Gorra said.

Gorra said the company would analyze prices for new luxury goods and adjust what Rebag charges accordingly. The two historically rose in tandem, but Rebag could not match Chanel’s 10% price increase last year because of lower resale demand, Gorra said.

“That has nothing to do with the tariffs,” he said. “Consumers are feeling priced out.”

Norah Brotman, 22, a senior at the University of Minnesota, buys most of her own clothes on eBay. She also thrifts fashions from the 1990s and early 2000s at Goodwill stores and resells them on Depop.

If tariffs upend the economics of fast fashion and discourage mindless consumption, Brotman would count that as a plus.

“I would love if this would steer people in a different direction,” she said.



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What to Stream: ‘Andor,’ ‘Babygirl’ and new Wu Tang Clan music

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NEW YORK (AP) — The second season of the Star Wars series “Andor” and the streaming release of the Wu Tang Clan’s latest album are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Willie Nelson releases his 77th solo studio album, “Oh What A Beautiful World,” and the arrival of Nicole Kidman’s “Babygirl” on Max.

New movies to stream from April 21-27

– Halina Reijn’s “Babygirl” (streaming April 25 on Max) stars Nicole Kidman as a CEO who has an affair with a much younger male intern ( Harris Dickinson ). The A24 film, which earned Kidman a Golden Globe nomination, resurrects the steamy, campy atmosphere of erotic thrillers like “Basic Instinct” and “9 ½ Weeks” but tells it from a more female perspective. In my review, I wrote that the “ever-shifting gender and power dynamics make ‘Babygirl’ seldom predictable — even if the film is never quite as daring as it seems to thinks it is.”

– Gareth Evans, the Welsh filmmaker of “The Raid” franchise, returns with more brutal, choreographed mayhem in “Havoc” (Netflix, April 25), an action thriller starring Tom Hardy as a detective battling a criminal underworld. Jessie Mei Li, Timothy Olyphant, Forest Whitaker and Luis Guzmán co-star.

New music to stream from April 21-27

Wu-Tang Clan is forever, but their touring days are numbered. In June, the legendary hip-hop group will embark on a final tour titled the “Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber.” Whether you’re planning on attending or not, there is no bad time to throw on one of their records. On Friday, April 25, Wu-Tang’s joint album with Mathematics, “Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman,” released earlier this month as a Record Store Day exclusive, will hit streaming platforms. Why not start there?

— Calling Willie Nelson prolific is about as revelatory as saying the sky is blue; it is self-evident. On Friday, he’ll release his 77th solo studio album, “Oh What A Beautiful World,” celebrating the work of songwriter Rodney Crowell. Nelson embodies many Crowell classics – like 1976’s “Banks Of The Old Bandera,” recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker and 1981’s “Shame On The Moon” for Bob Seger. Crowell and Nelson join forces on the song’s title cut. The album also arrives just five months after his 76th solo studio album, “Last Leaf on the Tree,” his first produced entirely by his son Micah. “He’s a real artist,” Nelson described his son to The Associated Press at the time. “He picked all the songs.”

Twangy punk band Rodeo Boys are experts in sugary, spirited hooks – from 2019’s debut “Cherry” to their 2023 Don Giovanni Records debut “Home Movies.” But the Lansing, Michigan, group’s 2025 album “Junior,” out Friday, that takes them to great new heights — a collection of sardonic, queer Americana, melodic songs for and by the heartland. The best description of the band is the one they wrote themselves: “Rodeo Boys is what happens when the Miller High Life gets legs and starts walking around on its own.” Yeehaw.

New television to stream from April 21-27

— The “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” prequel series “Andor” returns for its second and final season Tuesday on Disney+. Diego Luna stars as Rebel spy Cassian Andor and follows his radicalization against the Galactic Empire leading up to “Rogue One” and “Star Wars.” The first season of “Andor” was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding drama series and received praise from critics. It also stars Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgard, Fiona Shaw and Genevieve O’Reilly.

— Penn Badgley is closing out his chapter as the stalking serial killer Joe Goldberg –who is also disturbingly likeable but that’s for a therapy session– in Netflix’s “You.” Its fifth and final season debuts Thursday. While Season 4 took place in London with Joe working as a literature professor, he’s now returned to his hometown of New York. Joe is married to Kate Lockwood (played by Charlotte Ritchie) whom he met in season four — and they’re a New York power couple. Joe is happy with Kate and intends to stop killing people, but the guy is prone to building tangled webs of obsession that leave dead bodies in his wake. The new episodes also feature Madeline Brewer of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and Anna Camp.

— In Season 1 of Hulu’s “Vanderpump Villa,” Lisa Vanderpump oversaw a young staff at French chateau that both lived and worked together for the summer. For Season 2, she’s relocated to a castle in Italy and brought roughly half of the “Villa” staff with her. She’s also invited “Vanderpump” all-star, Stassi Schroeder to be a special VIP and to serve as her eyes and ears with the staff. Schroeder starred on “Vanderpump Rules” for eight seasons before she was fired for slurs and racial profiling in 2020. Schroeder has since written two best-selling books, launched a new podcast, got married and become a mother of two. She also has her own show for Hulu in the works. “Vanderpump Villa” premieres Thursday.

— When Brett Goldstein isn’t writing and acting in hit shows like “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking,” he’s a busy stand-up comedian. Goldstein recently taped his first comedy special called “Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life” for Max. It premieres Saturday.

— Bravo has tapped some of its most famous single ladies from “The Real Housewives” to star in a new dating show called “Love Hotel.” Cameras follow Shannon Storms Beador (“The Real Housewives of Orange County”), Luann de Lesseps (“The Real Housewives of New York City”), and Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby (“The Real Housewives of Potomac”) as they stay at a hotel in Los Cabos, Mexico and meet eligible bachelors who are just visitors to the property, unless they get an official invite from one of the ladies to check in. Bravo superfan Joel Kim Booster hosts as their “Love Concierge.” “Love Hotel,” premiering Sunday on Bravo, streams next day on Peacock.

New video games to play week of April 21-27

— Every year, the mystical Paintress paints a new number, and every person of that age dies. This year’s number is 33, so its up to the crew of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to try to stop her. It’s the debut title from French developer Sandfall Interactive, and it aspires to the storytelling, exploration and turn-based team combat of classic role-playing games like Final Fantasy and Persona. The graphics evoke the lush glamor of Belle Epoque Paris, while the voice cast features heavyweights like Charlie Cox (“Daredevil”) and Andy Serkis (“The Lord of the Rings”). It’s rare for a young studio to launch such an ambitious RPG series — and we’ll see if it pays off Thursday, April 24, on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

Lou Kesten



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A Pentecostal church in South Africa holds mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous

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JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A Pentecostal church in South Africa celebrated Easter Sunday with mass wedding ceremonies for around 3,000 people, with many of them entering into polygamous marriages.

The International Pentecost Holiness Church said mass weddings are part of its Easter festivities and the tradition of polygamy, which is observed in some African cultures, has been incorporated into the church.

Sunday’s ceremonies would see some men marry their sixth or seventh wives, church spokesperson Vusi Ndala said. Other grooms were set to marry multiple brides at one time, Ndala said.

“Polygamy is not only embraced but held in high regard” in the church, Ndala said.

A man with his wife and two of his brides walk, during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A man with his wife and two of his brides walk, during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A man with his wife and two of his brides walk, during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

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Couples dance as they enter the church building during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church, in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Couples dance as they enter the church building during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church, in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Couples dance as they enter the church building during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church, in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

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People queue during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

People queue during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

People queue during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

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The International Pentecost Holiness Church was founded in South Africa in the early 1960s. It is an African-initiated church, meaning it was founded by Africans rather than foreign missionaries, and blends Pentecostal beliefs with local traditions.

The church has held mass weddings before, including in 2023 when around 400 couples or bridal parties tied the knot. It says this year’s event was its largest by far.

Ndala said the large number of people being married this year was because of “a large number of men marrying more than one wife at a go.”

In some cases, grooms brought their current wife or wives to be with them for their new marriage.

The weddings were held at the church’s headquarters, a huge, dome-shaped building in the town of Heidelberg, near Johannesburg, that can seat 60,000 people.

The congregants who were being married waited in long white tents set up in open fields next to the church building, where they were given bridal flowers, food packs and water. They then filed into the church building in long queues, the women wearing white bridal gowns and many of the men in matching white suits and red ties.

Polygamy is legal in South Africa if the union is registered as a customary marriage.

A man with his wife and two of his brides sits inside a marquee ahead of the mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A man with his wife and two of his brides sits inside a marquee ahead of the mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A man with his wife and two of his brides sits inside a marquee ahead of the mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

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A groom in a wheelchair is assisted by a fellow member whilst his two brides walk in front, during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at The International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A groom in a wheelchair is assisted by a fellow member whilst his two brides walk in front, during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at The International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A groom in a wheelchair is assisted by a fellow member whilst his two brides walk in front, during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at The International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa



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