Millions of people worldwide are already using Apple Music

Less than a month after the launch of streaming service Apple Music, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook announced that “Millions and millions of customers are already experiencing Apple Music and the number is growing substantially every day” as part of today’s poorly-received Q3 earnings report. The question will be how many users continue to pay once their free trials expire and they are automatically billed $10 a month.

Cook noted on today’s earnings call that 15,000 artists are already sharing social updates including unreleased songs and videos on Apple Music’s Connect tab. For example, rapper Drake premiered his new music video on the service. Cook also said that millions of people are listening to the apps Beats 1 radio station.

While vague, the number ranges shows progress for Apple’s successor to its iTunes download store. It’s important to note that Apple Music offers a free three-month trial. Of course, the Apple Music app came with a software update on July 1st that went out to hundreds of millions of iPhones. With that pre-install base, Apple shouldn’t have had trouble getting a least a few million to give its streaming service a shot.

Apple jump started development of it streaming service by acquiring Beats Music, a streaming service sharing a brand name with the Beats Electronics headphone business. That app was shut down and users migrated to Apple Music, which may have contributed to the subscriber base.

Apple Music competes with more established services like Spotify and Google Music. For comparison, Apple Music’s top competitor Spotify has 75 million total listeners, breaking down to 55 million ad-supported free tier users and 20 million paying subscribers.

But Apple Music’s real opportunity it recruiting $10 a month subscribers from the vast majority of people who’ve never seriously streamed music. Hundreds of millions use iTunes, so today’s report is just the first step in a long journey shifting Apple from a music download sale to a streaming subscription company.

Ukraine says forces retake two more rebel-held cities

The Ukrainian government says its forces have retaken two more eastern cities from pro-Russian rebels.

The website of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the national flag was raised in Artyomivsk and Druzhkivka.

It comes a day after government forces regained control of the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk.

Meanwhile, large crowds have attended a rally in the regional capital, Donetsk, in support of the rebels.

Rebel fighters have re-grouped in Donetsk and are reported to have attacked the state prison guard headquarters in an attempt to seize weapons.

Many of the pro-Russian fighters pulled back to the regional capital of Donetsk

The BBC's David Stern in Kiev says Artyomivsk and Druzhkivka are not considered as strategic as Sloviansk but re-taking them indicates momentum is currently with government forces.

Despite their recent losses, the rebels still hold the regional capitals of Donetsk and Luhansk and other key areas.

However, senior Ukrainian security official Mykhaylo Koval said Luhansk and Donetsk would now be besieged until separatist forces there surrendered.

"There is a clear strategic plan, which has been approved. These cities will be completely blockaded," he said.

"These measures will result in the separatists - let us call them bandits - being forced to lay down arms."

Analysis: David Stern, BBC News, Kiev

On Saturday morning, the insurgents abruptly abandoned two of their main bases of operations, cities which they triumphantly overran three months ago and have maintained as a symbol of their dominance in Ukraine's east.

The question that no-one can answer right now, however, is whether this in fact constitutes a turning point in the conflict.

The rebels still seem to have large numbers in their ranks, and significant stores of weapons and military hardware. They continue to control a decent amount of territory in the east, though this apparently has been circumscribed somewhat in recent days.

They say they are motivated and will fight to the last man.

Nevertheless, there are indications that the fall of Sloviansk may indeed have been a watershed moment.

Sloviansk: Turning point for Ukraine?

Ukraine crisis timeline

At the rally in central Donetsk, separatist fighters were cheered by thousands of supporters waving the flags of Russia and of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

Many called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to come to their aid.

Correspondents said armed fighters from Sloviansk could be seen walking through Donetsk on Sunday, many still wearing military camouflage.

Pavel Gubarev, the self-proclaimed governor of the Donetsk People's Republic, told the crowd: "We will begin a real partisan war around the whole perimeter of Donetsk. We will drown these wretches in blood."

In another development, Ukraine's prison service chief said rebels had attacked and destroyed the prison guard's headquarters in Donetsk in a bid to seize weapons. Serhiy Starenkyy told Interfax-Ukraine news agency that staff had been evacuated.

Monty Python stage return earns mixed reviews

The surviving members of comedy act Monty Python have received mixed reviews after the first of their live comeback shows at London's O2 Arena.

The Express called the reunion of John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam "comedy history in the making", giving it five stars.

The Independent gave the "desperately lazy production" two stars.

Monty Python Live (Mostly) featured classic sketches such as the Four Yorkshiremen and the Lumberjack Song

The show, the first of 10 performances at the venue, which holds 20,000 people, ended with a singalong of Always Look On the Bright Side of Life.

"Not a great deal of effort has gone into updating the script," wrote The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw in his three-star critique, adding the jokes "have dated".

But having declared himself a fan he added, "you'd have to have a heart of stone not to enjoy hearing them again just a bit."

"If Abba re-formed, nobody would expect them to avoid Dancing Queen in favour of new compositions and songs that didn't pass muster at the time."

Monty Python
The show featured a number of well-known sketches
Monty Python
The Pythons have said this run of shows is their last
Monty Python
Fans said the Pythons appeared to enjoy the night
Other famous sketches in the reunion show that received rapturous approval from the audience - which included Chancellor George Osborne - included the fish-slapping sketch.

Some of the biggest cheers of the night came when archive footage of Graham Chapman, who died in 1989, was played.

Chapman died of cancer aged 48.

Giving the show four stars, The Telegraph's comedy critic Dominic Cavendish branded it "more golden than olden".

"John Cleese was hoarse, Terry Jones relied on cue-cards and at times they looked lost amid the spectacular," he wrote.

"Yet you don't need to be a die-hard fan to take the view that none of that really mattered. The Pythons came, they doddered, but they conquered."

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One show down, nine to go
By Neil Smith, BBC News entertainment reporter
The O2 has hosted its fair share of reunions over the years, from Led Zeppelin and the Spice Girls to the mighty Mott the Hoople.

It is doubtful, however, whether any have received as warm and rapturous a welcome as that that greeted the Monty Python team on Tuesday.

This may not have been the verbally dexterous, physically nimble comic performers of yore. Yet the audience were willing to forgive them any fumble or stumble.

Familiar sketches were saluted like old friends. Ancient punchlines prompted ecstatic roars of approval. And when a mischievous Michael Palin caused John Cleese to giggle, it practically brought the Dome down.

For a concert starring five septuagenarians who only had a fortnight of rehearsals together, it was a surprisingly slick and polished affair.

Elaborate dance routines, choreographed by former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Philips, helped fill a cavernous stage while giving the stars the time they needed to change in and out of costumes.

It wasn't perfect. Stephen Fry's cameo was a dud, while far too much time is spent watching old TV footage on giant screens.

Gratifyingly, though, an effort has clearly been made to give the punters something for their money. The Pythons might getting on a bit, but they still know how - and want - to put on a show.

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Guest appearances
In a three-star review The Daily Mail's Quentin Letts said: "Once they were the sharpest thing in satire. Last night, quite often, they looked and sounded like a dodgy tribute band."

He added: "But the show finally reached something worthy of the hype and the high prices (some tickets on the black market were going for close to £200) when they gave us such old favourites as the Spam sketch, the dead parrot sketch and best of all I Want An Argument."

The reunion also featured a cameo appearance from Stephen Fry, who took part in a sketch about a game show host blackmailing misbehaving celebrities.

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Professor Brian Cox and Stephen Hawking featured elsewhere in the performance.

Daniel Sanderson, from Hammersmith in London, said: "They looked like they enjoyed it as well, which was great, so maybe they'll do more shows."

Sally Baxter, from Swindon, said: "I saw them on TV when they started out so this was a little bit of my youth up on stage."

Monty Python's Flying Circus was made for TV between 1969 and 1974. The group also made several films including Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python's Life of Brian.

The Pythons have said their show on 20 July will be their last ever.