LOS ANGELES: Ariana Grande has called off two London concerts and five in Europe after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at her performance in Manchester, England, the US pop singer’s representatives said on Wednesday.
Monday’s bombing, which killed 22 people and wounded 64, also resulted in the cancelation of next week’s London premiere of the superhero film “Wonder Woman” and increased security for a music festival this weekend featuring pop star Katy Perry in the northern English city of Hull.
Grande, 23, who tweeted earlier this week that she was “broken” by the Manchester attack, had been due to perform on Thursday and Friday at London’s O2 arena as part of her “Dangerous Woman” tour.
Both shows have been canceled, as well as performances in Belgium, Poland, Germany and Switzerland through June 5, her record label said in a statement.
“Due to the tragic events in Manchester the Dangerous Woman tour with Ariana Grande has been suspended until we can further assess the situation and pay our proper respects to those lost,” the statement said. “Our way of life has once again been threatened but we will overcome this together.”
Concert promoter Live Nation said ticket holders will get refunds. Grande, 23, was unharmed in the attack and was photographed arriving in Florida on Tuesday to be with family and friends.
British-born Salman Abedi, 22, blew himself up on Monday night at the packed Manchester Arena at the end of Grande’s concert, attended by thousands of children and teenagers, killing 22 people and injuring 64.
Daesh claimed responsibility, Britain’s official terror alert was raised to “critical,” and hundreds of soldiers were deployed on Wednesday to guard key London sites, including London’s Houses of Parliament.
Hollywood studio Warner Bros. said on Wednesday it had called off the May 31 “Wonder Woman” red-carpet event in London “in light of the current situation.”
Organizers of Radio 1’s Big Weekend music festival, slated this weekend in Hull, a hundred miles (160 km) east of Manchester, said those attending would have to go through two rounds of searches.
US rock group Blondie canceled a London performance scheduled a day after the attack, while British band Take That postponed shows at the Manchester Arena and in Liverpool this week.
The cancelation of Grande’s concerts came as a disappointment to some fans of the former Nickelodeon cable TV star, who is known for upbeat pop tracks such as “Problem” and “Break Free.”
Annalize Gandy, 22, paid 36 pounds ($47) for front-row seats at Grande’s Friday concert in London. She said that while the attack was “absolutely terrifying,” she still wanted to attend.
“I would go not only because I paid for those tickets, but because a concert is where people let themselves go and have fun,” Gandy, who lives in London, said in a telephone interview. “I’m not going to live in fear.”
Ariana Grande cancels tour dates after Manchester attack
Ariana Grande cancels tour dates after Manchester attack
How science is reshaping early years education
DUBAI: As early years education comes under renewed scrutiny worldwide, one UAE-based provider is making the case that nurseries must align more closely with science.
Blossom Nursery & Preschool, which operates 32 locations across the UAE, is championing a science-backed model designed to close what it sees as a long-standing gap between research and classroom practice.
“For decades, early years education has been undervalued globally — even though science shows the first five years are the most critical for brain development,” said Lama Bechara-Jakins, CEO for the Middle East at Babilou Family and a founding figure behind Blossom’s regional growth, in an interview with Arab News.
She explained that the Sustainable Education Approach was created to address “a fundamental gap between what we know from science and what actually happens in nurseries.”
Developed by Babilou Family, the approach draws on independent analysis of research in neuroscience, epigenetics, and cognitive and social sciences, alongside established educational philosophies and feedback from educators and families across 10 countries. The result is a framework built around six pillars; emotional and physical security, natural curiosity, nature-based learning, inclusion, child rhythms, and partnering with parents.
Two research insights, Bechara-Jakins says, were particularly transformative. “Neuroscience shows that young children cannot learn until they feel safe,” she said, adding that stress and inconsistent caregiving can “literally alter the architecture of the developing brain.”
Equally significant was evidence around child rhythms, which confirmed that “pushing children academically too early is not just unhelpful — it can be counterproductive.”
Feedback from families and educators reinforced these findings. Across regions, common concerns emerged around pressure on young children, limited outdoor time and weak emotional connections in classrooms. What surprised her most was that “parents all sensed that something was missing, even if they couldn’t articulate the science behind it.”
At classroom level, the strongest body of evidence centres on secure relationships. Research shows that “secure attachments drive healthy brain development” and that children learn through trusted adults. At Blossom, this translates into practices such as assigning each child “one primary educator,” prioritising calm environments, and viewing behaviour through “a neuroscience lens — as stress signals, not misbehaviour.”
Bechara-Jakins believes curiosity and nature remain overlooked in many early years settings, despite strong evidence that both accelerate learning and reduce stress. In urban centres such as Dubai, she argues, nature-based learning is “not a luxury. It is a developmental need.”
For Blossom, this means daily outdoor time, natural materials, gardening, and sensory play — intentional choices aimed at giving children what science says they need to thrive.
