Producers announced Thursday that the Spice Girls musical will close at London's Piccadilly Theater June 29 after a disappointing six-month run.

Producer Judy Craymer said despite tweaks since the show opened in December, "we just can't make it work."

Written by "Absolutely Fabulous" comedian Jennifer Saunders, the show is a modern-day tale of female friendship and mother-daughter bonds set to songs by the 1990s "Girl Power" icons.

It set out to take a timely satirical axe to our information-saturated age of Twitter and TV talent shows, but the critics were overwhelmingly hostile.

The Independent newspaper's Paul Taylor called the show "lacking in any truly original or challenging spark," while the Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer found it "tawdry, lazy and unedifying."

Others felt that aside from a few hits - "Wannabe," `'Stop," `'Who Do You Think You Are?" - the Spice Girls' catalogue was not strong enough to support a two-and-a-half hour show.

The five-member group, known for its brash attitude and "Cool Britannia" branding, shot to fame in 1996 and sold 75 million records around the world. The Spice Girls still have many fans, but, 15 years later they were not enough to sustain a West End show.

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In Iceland, a country with a population of 320,000 where most everyone is distantly related, inadvertently kissing cousins is a real risk.

A new smartphone app is on hand to help Icelanders avoid accidental incest. The app lets users "bump" phones, and emits a warning alarm if they are closely related. "Bump the app before you bump in bed," says the catchy slogan.

Some are hailing it as a welcome solution to a very Icelandic form of social embarrassment.

"Everyone has heard the story of going to a family event and running into a girl you hooked up with some time ago," said Einar Magnusson, a graphic designer in Iceland's capital, Reykjavik.

"It's not a good feeling when you realize that girl is a second cousin. People may think it's funny, but (the app) is a necessity."

The Islendiga-App — "App of Icelanders" — is an idea that may only be possible in Iceland, where most of the population shares descent from a group of 9th-century Viking settlers, and where an online database holds genealogical details of almost the entire population.

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Bishop of London Richard Chartres referred to the strong feelings the former prime minister still evokes 23 years after leaving office in his address to the 2,300 mourners at St. Paul's Cathedral.

"The storm of conflicting opinions centers on the Mrs. Thatcher who became a symbolic figure — even an -ism," he said. "Today the remains of the real Margaret Hilda Thatcher are here at her funeral service."

"There is an important place for debating policies and legacy ... but here and today is neither the time nor the place."

More than 700 soldiers, sailors and air force personnel lined the route to the cathedral and around 4,000 police officers were on duty. Security was stepped up after Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon that killed three people and wounded more than 170.

Spectators lining the route broke into applause — and scattered boos — as the carriage passed by, escorted by young soldiers, sailors and airmen.

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Agent Simon Beresford announced Friday that Griffiths died a day earlier of complications following heart surgery at University Hospital in Coventry, central England.

He paid tribute to Griffiths as "a remarkable man and one of our greatest and best-loved actors."

Griffiths appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, but will be most widely remembered as a pair of contrasting uncles — the hero's grudging Muggle guardian in the "Harry Potter" series, and flamboyant Uncle Monty in 1980s cult classic "Withnail and I."

"I was proud to say I knew him," said "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe.

A large man and a huge stage presence, Griffiths was one of Britain's leading theater actors, creating roles including the charismatic teacher Hector at the emotional heart of Alan Bennett's "The History Boys" — a part he took to Broadway, winning a Tony Award, and repeated for the film adaptation.

National Theatre artistic director Nicholas Hytner, who directed "The History Boys," called Griffiths' performance in that play "a masterpiece of wit, delicacy, mischief and desolation, often simultaneously."

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Publisher Weidenfeld and Nicolson announced that it would release "I am Malala" in Britain and Commonwealth countries this fall. Little, Brown and Co. will publish the 15-year-old's memoir in the United States and much of the rest of the world.

"Malala is already an inspiration to millions around the world. Reading her story of courage and survival will open minds, enlarge hearts, and eventually allow more girls and boys to receive the education they hunger for," said Michael Pietsch, executive vice president and publisher of Little, Brown.

A Taliban gunman shot Malala on Oct. 9 in northwestern Pakistan. The militant group said it targeted her because she promoted "Western thinking" and, through a blog, had been an outspoken critic of the Taliban's opposition to educating girls.

The shooting sparked outrage in Pakistan and many other countries, and her story drew global attention to the struggle for women's rights in Malala's homeland. The teen even made the shortlist for Time magazine's "Person of the Year" in 2012.

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The singer insisted he had only been 40 minutes late, and blamed "technical issues."

But, he added in a tweet to his 35 million followers: "There is no excuse for that and I apologize for anyone we upset. However it was great show and I'm proud of that."

Concertgoers said the teenage star appeared onstage at the 02 Arena on Monday at 10:30 p.m., when the start time had been listed as 8:30. Many in the audience, who had been waiting for hours, faced the choice between leaving early or missing the last trains home.

"There were teenage girls crying outside," said financial analyst Louise Cooper, who had taken her 9-year-old daughter to the gig as a birthday present.

"The ladies sitting with us had to leave after 20 minutes and they had spent 70 quid (70 pounds, about $106) each on a ticket, which is really bad.

"It's one thing if your demographic is 50-year-olds, but his demographic is lots of little girls who need to go home and go to bed."

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Epic musical "Les Miserables" and boy-meets-tiger saga "Life of Pi" received nine nominations each Wednesday for Britain's equivalent of the Oscars. James Bond adventure "Skyfall" got eight - rare awards recognition for an action movie - and Iran hostage thriller "Argo" took seven.

"Lincoln" focuses on the last months in the life of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, as he struggled to end the Civil War and pass a constitutional amendment banning slavery.

Britain's Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated for leading actor for his uncanny embodiment of the iconic president, and there are supporting nominations for Sally Field as his wife Mary Todd Lincoln and Tommy Lee Jones as abolitionist firebrand Thaddeus Stevens.

The best picture nominees are "Lincoln," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Argo" and Osama bin Laden thriller "Zero Dark Thirty."

"Les Miserables" is also a contender in the separate category of best British film, alongside "Anna Karenina," "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," "Seven Psychopaths" and "Skyfall."

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But which generation? When the band members first sang "My Generation," they were in their 20s. Now they are pushing 70.

Like the Olympic torch passing from one runner to another, the London games' closing ceremony was an all-ages affair designed to show the flame of British creativity leaping from one age group to the next.

The 21-year-old singer Ed Sheeran sang "Wish You Were Here" with members of Pink Floyd and Genesis. Jessie J belted out "We Will Rock You" with Queen's Brian May. The Kaiser Chiefs played The Who's "Pinball Wizard."

The Spice Girls took us back to the "Cool Britannia" 1990s and the Pet Shop Boys to the synth-loving 1980s.

A ceremony that director Kim Gavin called an "elegant mashup" of music and creativity was designed to show that the British Invasion never ended, thank you very much.

"It's about how good British music is in the world, and how global it is," Gavin said a day before the ceremony.

So there was Annie Lennox and George Michael, who got their start in the 80s — but the roars that greeted Michael's "Freedom" and Lennox's "Little Bird" suggested both are still going strong.

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Here's a guide to some of the key elements:

FROM ELGAR TO ADELE

Organizers say the ceremony will be a celebration of British music "from Elgar to Adele." Many viewers will have heard of Adele, the big-voiced singer who won six Grammys with her album "21." Edward Elgar was the composer of the "Pomp and Circumstance" marches and the "Enigma Variations." His composition "Nimrod," regarded as quintessentially English, was played at the opening ceremony of the London Games — one of several elements linking the first night of the Olympics with the last.

From there, the ceremony explodes in a kaleidoscope of musicians and eras — from 1960s Mods with The Who, to the 1990s "girl power" of the Spice Girls.

A WAY WITH WORDS

The ceremony will pay tribute to Britain's rich literary heritage, with a montage of newspaper headlines that turn out to be lines from a millennium of classics, from the Anglo-Saxon ballad "Beowulf" to works by Geoffrey Chaucer, William Wordsworth, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens — and of course William Shakespeare. Lines from his play "The Tempest" — "Be not afeard: The isle is full of noises" — inspired director Danny Boyle's opening ceremony. Expect them to echo again here.

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Two weeks of sporting drama wrap up Sunday with what music director David Arnold has called "the greatest after-party in the world."

"If the opening ceremony was the wedding, then we're the wedding reception," Arnold told the Daily Telegraph — with everyone from the Pet Shop Boys to Annie Lennox and Fatboy Slim on hand to get people dancing.

Although organizers have tried to the ceremony under wraps, many details have leaked out in the British media — and some of the performers have let the cat out of the bag themselves.

The Who, George Michael, Muse and Ed Sheeran have all said they will take part in a show that will include performances of 30 British hit singles from the past five decades.

Tips and photos have emerged from the rehearsal venue, an old car plant in east London.

The Spice Girls were photographed dancing atop black London taxis, so a rendition of their biggest hit, "Wannabe," seems certain.

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The Spice Girls and The Who are among the acts celebrating two weeks of sporting competition with a finale that artistic director Kim Gavin calls "a mashed-up symphony" of British hits.

Gavin — who has directed rock tours and London's 2007 Princess Diana memorial concert — said Saturday he wants the spectacular to be "the best after-show party that's ever been."

"If the opening ceremony was the wedding, then we're the wedding reception," music director David Arnold told the Daily Telegraph.

Although organizers have tried to keep the ceremony under wraps, many details have leaked out in the British media — and some performers have let the cat out of the bag themselves.

The Who, George Michael, Muse and Ed Sheeran have all said they will take part in a show that will include performances of 30 British hit singles from the past five decades — whittled down by Gavin from a possible 1,000. The Pet Shop Boys, Annie Lennox and Fatboy Slim will also be on hand to get people dancing.

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FUNKY JIGS

Kenyan steeplechase winner Ezekiel Kemboi celebrated his gold medal with a hip-swiveling, arm-shaking peacock dance for 80,000 people in the Olympic Stadium.

At the ExCel center, U.S. boxing champ Claressa Shields broke into a combination jig-and-fist-bump when she took gold in one of the first-ever Olympic women's boxing contests.

Over at the beach volleyball venue, American Misty May-Treanor — a former "Dancing With the Stars" contestant — broke into a funky jig in the sand as she celebrated winning gold with partner Kerri Walsh Jennings.

"I just had to get out there and let it out," May-Treanor said.

WALK THIS WAY

Tennis star Serena Williams celebrated Olympic gold with a "Crip Walk" — a fancy-footwork dance that originated with the Los Angeles street gang and later spread around the world.

Her sister Venus, sitting in the stands, looked delighted. Wimbledon, the very proper home of the All-England Lawn Tennis Association, had never seen anything like it, and a few commentators were not amused.

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British equestrian Carl Hester won gold in team dressage in London. Midfielder Megan Rapinoe has scored three goals for the U.S. women's soccer team and several other lesbian players are part of the Dutch field hockey team heading into Friday's final.

But it's likely there have been more triumphs by gay and lesbian competitors that the world doesn't know about.

There are more than 10,000 athletes competing at the London games, but when the gay website OutSports.com set out to count how many were openly gay, it came up with 23.

"It's an absurdly low number," said site co-founder Jim Buzinski. He said that compared to the arts, politics or business worlds, "sports is still the final closet in society."

Estimates of the percentage of gay people in any given population vary widely. In a 2010 survey by Britain's Office for National Statistics, 1.5 percent of respondents identified themselves as gay or bisexual, although many consider that an underestimate.

Only a handful of Olympic competitors have publicly identified themselves as gay, including Hester, Rapinoe, U.S. basketball player Seimone Augustus, Australian diver Matthew Mitcham and South African archer Karen Hultzer, who came out to the media during the games.

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Amid the mayhem, a religious volunteer army is on hand to offer spiritual succor.

Roaming London's transport network in blue baseball caps are 300 volunteer "games pastors" from a range of Christian denominations. Deployed at airports and train stations, they are ready to step in for the most minor or most serious situation, from a lost contact lens to a potential suicide.

They say they are there to offer a listening ear and a helping hand, not to shove religion down anyone's throat.

"They're not giving out tracts and Bibles," said pastors organizer Mike Freeman. "They're giving out a listening ear."

From dawn until the wee hours, St. Pancras station, terminus of fast trains to Olympic Park, is full of harried, confused and lost people. The Olympics has brought hundreds of thousands of extra visitors to the British capital, many far from home, disoriented or simply tired.

The volunteer pastors, who are not officially part of the Olympics, but are authorized by transport authorities, roam the station in easy-to-spot sky-blue caps and vests.

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A walk around Olympic Park is a non-stop musical mystery tour — all part of a boisterous music policy that aims to keep spectators pumped up.

Songs waft from speakers mounted on poles and from buskers dotted around the park. Half-heard snatches of music mix with the booming roar of the crowds coming from venues.

The music is inescapable — but for visitors and staff, mostly welcome.

"It's kind of 'down with the kids' music," said volunteer Olympic worker Anna Letts, standing outside the main stadium. "Poppy, modern — no old songs.

"When it's 10 o'clock and you're knackered," or tired, "that comes on and it gets you going,"

Music drove the British Invasion in the 1960s and Cool Britannia in the 1990s, and it's key to the way the island nation is projecting itself through these games. Assembling a suitably Olympian soundtrack has been a crucial, complex task.

Director Danny Boyle's opening ceremony was packed with choice British cuts, from The Kinks to the Sex Pistols to Dizzee Rascal. Sunday's closing ceremony promises "a symphony of British music," with live performances by acts including The Who.

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Mick Jagger has dropped by Olympic Stadium to watch some track and field, providing relief to celebrity-watchers who worried that the world's biggest sporting event has been a little lacking in star power — off the field, that is.

The Rolling Stones singer, who was photographed Monday chatting with London organizing committee chief Sebastian Coe at the stadium, is not the only A-lister to take in the games. But most are keeping a low profile.

It's as if they know that for this brief period, they're not the stars. The athletes are.

"My advice would be, go on holiday for two or three weeks," PR guru Max Clifford advised celebrities.

"I think the danger is that they could be seen to be cashing in, and the public would find that offensive," he said. "And it would remind people how empty most of them are."

The London Games have played to huge crowds, dozens of dignitaries and a healthy sprinkling of royalty, with Prince William, his wife Kate and Prince Harry popping up at everything from swimming to sailing to gymnastics to cheer on the British team.

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It wasn't: Six gold medals, including three in track and field within the space of an hour Saturday night, had given the country its best day at an Olympic Games since 1908.

A country accustomed to sporting disappointment could scarcely contain its disbelief.

"Don't choke on your cornflakes," said a BBC morning TV presenter, before telling viewers that Britain, population 63 million, lay third in the medal table, behind the United States (population 310 million) and China (population 1.3 billion).

British Sunday newspapers tried to outdo one another in front-page superlatives.

The Observer declared it "Britain's greatest day," and the Sunday Times — reaching for wartime resonances — said it was "Our finest Olympic hour." For the Sunday Telegraph, it was simply "Sensational."

"The six pack," said The Sun — referring, in true tabloid style, both to the gold medalists and to the washboard abs of heptathlon champ Jessica Ennis.

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted that Ennis' triumph was "awe inspiring." It was followed by victories in the 10,000 meters for Mo Farah and in the long jump for Greg Rutherford, in what London games organizer Sebastian Coe called "the greatest day of sport that I have ever witnessed."

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Many athletes use headphones to help keep focused before competitions and several have been photographed wearing the Beats by Dr. Dre brand.

The reason for their popularity? British Olympic officials say batches were shipped to hotels outside London where Team GB athletes were staying

Diver Tom Daley was seen on television wearing them before competing Monday and soccer player Jack Butland tweeted his support for the brand.

But no more. British Olympic Association spokesman Darryl Seibel said Thursday that officials have reminded team leaders of "the importance of protecting our corporate partners" and of rules against endorsing commercial products on Twitter.

He said no one had received any formal warnings or sanctions over the matter.

Olympic officials are vigilant about protecting the rights of games sponsors, which include McDonald's, Coca-Cola and electronics giant Samsung.

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There are more than 200 countries at the Olympics, and they have two ways to stand out. One is on the medal podium — the other is by partying.

Dotted across London, national hospitality houses offer a base for a country's athletes, officials and occasional celebrities. Some are open to the public, showing a festive side to tourists from around the world. Others are strictly invitation only, like the American pavilion at the Royal College of Art.

Here's an eclectic, unscientific guided tour:

RUSSIA: 2014 IS OURS

Russia, home to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, has pulled out all the stops with two open-air attractions, Russia Park and Sochi Park, set in London's Kensington Gardens.

Russia Park is a vast sea of Astroturf dotted with bean bags, ping pong, chess and mini-golf. Medal winners and artists share the stage, with entertainment ranging from Central Asian throat singers to jazz bands to mini-rock festivals.

Inside scoop: Admission is free. Blinis and beef stroganoff are available but alcohol is not, and you must be able to stomach an endless loop of Queen's "We Are the Champions."

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The British musician performed his most famous composition, "Tubular Bells," during Friday's spectacular, and says it was an honor — and a vindication for a much-reviled musical genre: instrumental rock.

The album "Tubular Bells" was released in 1973, used as theme music for "The Exorcist" and sold millions. But a few years later the punk movement triggered a backlash against its brand of swirling progressive rock.

Oldfield says it's time for a comeback.

Sales of "Tubular Bells" took off after Friday's ceremony — rising 757 percent at music chain HMV — and Oldfield said Tuesday he hopes to use the ceremony "as a relaunch for instrumental music — real music."

"Let's throw away all the computer software," Oldfield said from his home in the Bahamas.

He said the sophistication of modern technology means "you just get a load of software and click a few buttons. You don't have to have the slightest bit of musical talent."

He said 'Tubular Bells' was played on real musical instruments.

Despite his disenchantment with some modern music, Oldfield praised other musicians at Friday's show — especially the electronic duo Underworld, the London ceremony's musical directors.

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