Selena Gomez has revealed she is engaged to songwriter Benny Blanco.

The actress and singer posted a picture of a large engagement ring on Instagram, with the caption “forever begins now”.

It comes after the couple confirmed their relationship last year.

Pop star Taylor Swift was among the famous figures to offer congratulations.

Two-time Grammy-nominated Gomez posted further pictures of her beaming, wearing the ring, and one of Blanco embracing her in what appears to be a closet.

“Hey wait… that’s my wife,” Blanco commented on the post.

Swift replied: “Yes I will be the flower girl.”

Rapper Cardi B, actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Suki Waterhouse, and singer Lil Nas X also sent well wishes.

In an Instagram Story shared with her 423 million followers, the most-followed woman on the app also revealed a video showing her ring to loved ones on the phone.

“Yes to this,” she can be heard saying, evoking screams on the other end of the video call.

Gomez and record producer Blanco had collaborated on songs I Can’t Get Enough in 2019 and Single Soon in 2023, before announcing their relationship.

Blanco, who has also worked with the likes of Rihanna, Calvin Harris and Justin Bieber, was effusive about his love on the Drew Barrymore Show back in May.

“She’s just like the best, most genuine person,” he said on the chat show.

“Everything is completely real. Everyday when I wake up, I, like, walk by the mirror as I’m, like, walking to her and I ask myself, ‘How did I get here’…

“She’s one of the sweetest, one of the most charming, one of the most humble people I’ve ever met.”

Come & Get It singer Gomez was previously in a high profile on-and-off relationship with fellow singer Justin Bieber.

The Texas-born star rose to fame as a child actress on Barney and Disney Channel, before forging a career as a singer and in acting.

This year she joined the billionaire celebrity rich list, according to Bloomberg, amassing a $1.3bn (£1bn) fortune – mainly deriving from her Rare Beauty make-up company.

On Monday, she received two Golden Globe nominations – one in the best supporting actress category for her role in operatic musical Emilia Pérez and the other for best actress in a TV series, musical or comedy, for her recurring role in Only Murders in the Building.

(BBC News)

Replicas of a sword featured in the Harry Potter film franchise have been recalled in Japan for violating the country’s strict weapons law.

The full-sized replicas of Godric Gryffindor’s sword – which measure 86cm (34 inches) and are affixed to a wooden display plaque – were sold by Warner Bros. Studio Japan LLC from May 2023 to late April of this year.

But it was only in November that authorities told the company those pieces were sharp enough for people to be categorised as an actual sword.

More than 350 replicas of Godric Gryffindor’s sword were sold, reports add, with each one going for 30,000 yen ($200; £158).

The sword was sold at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter, which opened in 2023 in Tokyo. It is billed as the first such studio tour in Asia and the largest indoor Harry Potter attraction in the world.

Warner Bros. Studios Japan LLC has published a recall notice for the sword on its site, citing “a distribution issue in Japan” and requesting people who bought it to get in contact for “necessary action including logistics and refund”.

The company did not respond immediately to the BBC’s request for comment.

Under Japan’s strict weapons law, carrying knives over 6cm (2 inches) is banned, with violators facing up to two years in prison. Replicas that are sharp enough to be classified as swords under the Firearms and Swords control law must be registered with authorities – unless the swords are meant for training or decoration and cannot be sharpened.

Japan has very low levels of violence, though crimes involving weapons do occasionally take place.

Last year, a 78-year-old man was arrested in Yokohama after attacking his neighbour with a ceremonial samurai sword during an dispute. In 2017, a samurai sword was found along with other knives in a Tokyo shrine after an attack that left three people dead.

(BBC News)

The Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka hosted a traditional Japanese musical concert at its premises on Nov. 26.

This special event celebrated traditional Japanese music, showcasing the incredible talents of two renowned Japanese musicians, Mr. Shogo Hiyoshi and Mr. Koga Michio.
Mr. Hiyoshi captivated the audience with his mastery of the koto and sangen, while Mr. Koga mesmerized everyone with the soulful melodies of the shakuhachi. The harmonious blend of these traditional instruments provided a rare and authentic experience of Japan’s rich musical heritage.

This event not only promoted cultural exchange between Japan and Sri Lanka but also strengthened the strong bilateral ties between the two nations, the embassy adds.

The musicians

Mr. Hiyoshi Shogo is a master of the Ikuta-ryu school of koto and sangen music. Today he plays both koto and sangen. In addition, he plays the kokyu, a Japanese 3-stringed bowed instrument, and the Heike-biwa, which is believed to be an ancestor of the sangen.

He has been a guest lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts since 2023. He has performed overseas, with his international debut in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2009, followed by Italy, France, Switzerland, Poland and so on.

Mr. Koga Michio is the former chairman of Metatechno Inc., the parent company of LNBTI.

Koga Michio started learning shakuhachi almost 50 years ago at Kochiku-kai, a shakuhachi club at Waseda University. He received his stage name, Chikusuke, when he achieved the status of master of the Kinko-ryu shakuhachi school ten years ago.