Who will be making the news in the next seven days?

The Top 40 countdown will begin at 4pm on Radio 1 as part of Greg James’ drivetime show. The move coincides with the music industry’s launch of New Music Fridays in more than 45 countries, which will see all albums and singles will now be released globally at 12.01am on a Friday.

• Marvel Comics

It’s the summer, so it must mean a new big budget superhero film is about to hit cinemas. Step forward Ant-Man. He might not sound quite as terrifying as Hellboy, but early reviews of the film, which premieres in the UK this week, have been good. Paul Rudd plays the title role.

• The Budget

It promises to be less of a thrill than Ant-Man, but there will be no avoiding talk of Chancellor George Osborne’s budget this week. Freed from the constraints of the coalition Government, this will be the first truly Conservative budget and significant cuts to public spending are likely. The axe is expected to fall most heavily on welfare, with working tax credits and child benefit both at risk.

• Brian Wilson

The Beach Boys helped create the sound of the 60s with the release of their seminal album Pet Sounds, but the life of the man who arranged, composed and produced it was unravelling. A new film, Love and Mercy, charting Wilson’s rise and fall opens in UK cinemas this week with Paul Dano as the young singer/songwriter and John Cusak as his older self.

• Castle Howard

If you have a few thousand pounds to spare, Sotheby’s is the place to be this Wednesday as the North Yorkshire stately home sells an estimated £10m of its treasures at auction. The lots range from Roman antiquities to Old Master paintings and 17th-century Italian furniture and it is hoped proceeds from the sale will secure the “long-term future” of the estate.

• Yves Saint Laurent

His natural home might have been the catwalks of London and Paris, but Yves Saint Laurent will posthumously arrive in the North East next week with the opening of the Style is Eternal exhibition. The first ever exhibition in the UK dedicated to the Dior designer’s life and work runs at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle until October and is expected to draw a wave of international visitors to the area.

• Stephen Sutton

Remember Stephen Sutton, the teenager who used Facebook to chart his battle with cancer? The 19 year old raised £4.9m for the Teenage Cancer Trust and next week, Stephen’s family and friends will continue his good work with a charity fundraiser in which they will attempt to set a new world record for tandem parachute jumps within 24 hours at a single venue.

• Qales

You won’t be able to move for red carpet in Wales next week. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall begin a five day tour of the country, so expect at least one photograph of them eating Welsh cakes. The Snowdon Mountain Railway will be welcoming opera royalty when Katherine Jenkins attends sees a carriage named after her in recognition her musical and charitable achievements.

• The Ashes

We’ve saved the best till last. Or at least we hope we have. While Australia may be the hot favourites to take The Ashes, which begin on Wednesday, with the likes of Yorkshire’s Joe Root in the squad, anything could - and probably will - happen.