music

Imagine Dragons frontman chases childhood video game dream

  • But when Imagine Dragons "just blew up" while they were at university, Dan, a fan of "Starcraft" and "League of Legends", went with the flow, enlisting Mac along the way as manager.
  • A childhood dream of making video games is becoming a reality this week for Imagine Dragons' singer Dan Reynolds, as his company's debut title "Last Flag" is released Tuesday.
  • But when Imagine Dragons "just blew up" while they were at university, Dan, a fan of "Starcraft" and "League of Legends", went with the flow, enlisting Mac along the way as manager.
A childhood dream of making video games is becoming a reality this week for Imagine Dragons' singer Dan Reynolds, as his company's debut title "Last Flag" is released Tuesday.
Games had been a passion of Reynolds and his brother and band manager Mac long before the group became a global name.
Now the pair have used some time away from music to build a team-based shooter inspired by the games of Capture the Flag they played in the woods as young Boy Scouts.
"Last Flag" is "not a passion project, (we've) been working on it now for five-plus years," Reynolds told journalists during a virtual news conference.
Their roughly 30-strong studio, Night Street Games, has been working on "Last Flag" since its 2020 founding.
The game sorts players into two teams of five who can battle online, competing to hide their own flag and snatch the opposing team's banner.
"I grew up in a family of eight boys and one girl, and we were all nerdy kids," 38-year-old Dan Reynolds remembered.
Creating their own game had been "this dream that we talked about all the time" as they learned skills such as programming and 3D modelling.
But when Imagine Dragons "just blew up" while they were at university, Dan, a fan of "Starcraft" and "League of Legends", went with the flow, enlisting Mac along the way as manager.
Tracks such as "Believer", "Thunder" and "Radioactive" have made the band one of the most popular pop rock groups worldwide.
It has sold 74 million albums and racked up 160 billion streams, according to record label Warner Music Group.
The band's ride has been "just incredible", Dan said.
"But we talked all the time during that about 'what if?'" the brothers had gone through with their gaming dream, he added.
When the time finally came, they devised a brightly coloured world filled with seventies stylings.
"Last Flag" bears visual similarities to the genre juggernaut "Fortnite", but the Reynolds say their title stands out from the pack with a focus on playing the objective -- not simply eliminating opponents.
Several high-value productions in the team shooter genre have fallen flat in recent years, with titles such as "Concord" or "Highguard" quickly taken offline after failing to win a loyal player base.
"Even though there's a ton of competition, I think we've seen even recently that a new game... can break through if it provides something different," Mac Reynolds said.
kf/tgb/js

music

Justin Bieber fans flood Coachella festival for headlining show

BY PAULA RAMON

  • Held in the scorching California desert, where the beating sun pushed the thermometer to 86 F (30 C) early Saturday, thousands of the "Baby" singer's fans -- known as Beliebers -- took over the festival grounds sporting clothing, hats and banners paying tribute to their idol.
  • "Beliebers" were celebrating the return of pop superstar Justin Bieber on Saturday, ahead of his return to major stages with a headlining appearance on the second day of the Coachella music festival.
  • Held in the scorching California desert, where the beating sun pushed the thermometer to 86 F (30 C) early Saturday, thousands of the "Baby" singer's fans -- known as Beliebers -- took over the festival grounds sporting clothing, hats and banners paying tribute to their idol.
"Beliebers" were celebrating the return of pop superstar Justin Bieber on Saturday, ahead of his return to major stages with a headlining appearance on the second day of the Coachella music festival.
The Canadian singer of "Sorry" will appear at the event in Indio, California as festival season kicks off in the United States. 
"This is what I've been looking forward to for months," 28-year-old Alexis Sierra said as she entered the venue just after gates opened. 
Held in the scorching California desert, where the beating sun pushed the thermometer to 86 F (30 C) early Saturday, thousands of the "Baby" singer's fans -- known as Beliebers -- took over the festival grounds sporting clothing, hats and banners paying tribute to their idol.
Bieber hasn't performed at a venue of Coachella's size since 2022, when he appeared at Rock in Rio in Brazil before canceling the remainder of his international tour due to health issues.
The singer announced he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a shingles outbreak that can cause facial paralysis.
Over the past year, he's made a gradual return to the scene. 
In 2025, Bieber released the album "Swag." The rollout saw the star perform the single "Yukon" while stripped down to his boxers at the Grammys in February. 
The release was quickly followed by "Swag II," his eighth studio album.
While Bieber has recently played smaller shows, Coachella is expected to mark his full-scale comeback.
"We WILL be singing at the top of our lungs on Saturday," Bieber promised in an Instagram post this week.
  

Eclectic offerings

Other acts in the spotlight Saturday include Nine Inch Noize, the collaboration between legendary industrial band Nine Inch Nails and German producer Boys Noize, who also have an album on the way.
Nate Martin, 24, said they were his main draw to Saturday's show. 
"Industrial, electro combined? Gonna be mental," he told AFP.
With nine stages, the festival will host a wide range of genres, including Brazil's Luisa Sonza, influencer-turned-singer Addison Rae, Britain's PinkPantheress, K-pop star Taemin and David Byrne, the legendary co-founder of the band Talking Heads. 
New York City rockers The Strokes will also be back on stage after a years-long hiatus.
Coachella kicked off Friday with performances from headliner Sabrina Carpenter, Moby, Devo, and surprise appearances from Lizzo, David Lee Roth and HUNTR/X, who performed their Oscar-winning "Golden" alongside KATSEYE.
Carpenter's performance of hits like "Manchild," "Espresso" and "Please, Please, Please" was helped by big-screen stars Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell, who rounded out her 90-minute set.
A hotly anticipated performance from Italian DJ Anyma was canceled, with organizers blaming strong winds that threatened the safety of stage structures.
The festival runs this weekend and next weekend, with a nearly identical lineup, and can be viewed on YouTube.
pr/mvl/sla/acb

music

Sabrina Carpenter transforms Coachella into her own 'Sabrinawood'

BY PAULA RAMON

  • "Two years ago, I wanted to put on a little song for Coachella," Carpenter said on Friday as fans belted out the words to the megahit.
  • Pop princess Sabrina Carpenter took fans on a nostalgic journey through a Hollywood-themed fantasy world dubbed "Sabrinawood" on Friday as Coachella wrapped up its first day in the California desert.
  • "Two years ago, I wanted to put on a little song for Coachella," Carpenter said on Friday as fans belted out the words to the megahit.
Pop princess Sabrina Carpenter took fans on a nostalgic journey through a Hollywood-themed fantasy world dubbed "Sabrinawood" on Friday as Coachella wrapped up its first day in the California desert.
The 26-year-old headliner packed 20 songs into a Tinseltown-inspired set complete with A-lister cameos, vintage film props and a "Sabrinawood" billboard in huge white letters evoking the Hollywood sign.
The "Manchild" singer made her Coachella debut in 2024, the year she released her catchy summer smash "Espresso." 
"Two years ago, I wanted to put on a little song for Coachella," Carpenter said on Friday as fans belted out the words to the megahit.
Her performance also included live debuts from her latest album "Man's Best Friend" as well as appearances from Susan Sarandon and Will Ferrell.
The star-studded Coachella line-up -- which also features headliners Justin Bieber and Colombia's Karol G -- will grace the stage in Indio on two consecutive weekends, kicking off the US music festival circuit for 2026.
Under Coachella's desert sun, with temperatures reaching 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) on Friday, music fans donned cowboy boots, short shorts and glitter galore for the festivities.
Two-time Grammy nominee Teddy Swims took to the festival's main stage at dusk with an enthusiastic set that included hits such as "The Door" and "Bad Dreams," before closing out with "Lose Control."
Soon after, thousands of fans packed another stage to sing, dance and cheer the much-anticipated Coachella debut of girl group KATSEYE.
Italian DJ Anyma cancelled his set due to "strong wind conditions" that affected stage build, organizers said in a statement.

Bieber Fever

The party continues across Coachella's nine stages on Saturday, with a heavy dose of yesteryear's biggest stars.
The 90s are back with industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, who will team up with German producer Boys Noize for a performance, and the aughts will be repped by New York City rockers The Strokes -- who are slated to release a new album in June after a six-year hiatus.
But peak nostalgia may hit like a bout of "Bieber fever," on the heels of the 32-year-old singer's comeback at the Grammy Awards this year, with hits such as "Sorry" and "Where Are U Now."
The night will also feature performances by techno stalwarts like Armin van Buuren and Adam Beyer, K-pop stars such as Taemin and British dance sensation PinkPantheress.
French DJ and producer David Guetta returns to the desert in Indio, and David Byrne, the legendary co-founder of Talking Heads, will make an appearance.
As a testament to the diversity of genres on display at Coachella, the festival's main stage will host influencer-turned-singer Addison Rae.
- 'Tropicoqueta' - 
Sunday's cherry on top will be reggaeton star Karol G, the first Latina to headline the festival.
The winner of eight Latin Grammy Awards made her Coachella debut in 2022 with a performance that paid tribute to Latin music icons such as Selena, Celia Cruz, and Daddy Yankee.
For this year's show, the "Provenza" singer is expected to embrace the "Caribbean showgirl" aesthetic of her latest project, "Tropicoqueta."
Sunday also promises the festival debut of K-pop kings BIGBANG, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a highly anticipated return to the international stage. 
Also appearing will be the godfather of punk Iggy Pop, and British DJ and producer Fatboy Slim, who dominated the electronic music scene in the 1990s. 
Other acts include Major Lazer, indie-pop band Foster the People and British singer, dancer, and visual artist FKA twigs.
The festival will close with a screening under the stars of the first episode of the third season of "Euphoria," the HBO high school drama series starring Zendaya, returning to television after four years.
Coachella is streamed live on YouTube.
pr/hol/aks

tourism

Benin leans into painful past to attract tourists

BY PIERRE DONADIEU

  • Nearby, a life-size replica of L'Aurore -- one of the last three-masted ships to leave Ouidah for Cuba around 1860 -- is set to open soon as an immersive museum of the slave trade.
  • Tourists crowded beneath the Door of No Return, an arch built by the beach at Ouidah in southern Benin in memory of those crammed onto slave ships bound for the New World.
  • Nearby, a life-size replica of L'Aurore -- one of the last three-masted ships to leave Ouidah for Cuba around 1860 -- is set to open soon as an immersive museum of the slave trade.
Tourists crowded beneath the Door of No Return, an arch built by the beach at Ouidah in southern Benin in memory of those crammed onto slave ships bound for the New World.
Benin, which holds a presidential election on Sunday, has in recent years leaned into its painful past to encourage tourism. 
Once a key departure point in the transatlantic slave trade, the coastal town of Ouidah lies at the heart of the push to reclaim the country's history, culture and heritage.
Standing nearly 17 metres (56 feet) tall on the seafront, the Door of No Return has been fully restored, now a must-see landmark for visitors.
Its ochre-and-gold facade is carved with figures of chained slaves, frozen mid-stride towards the ocean.
Nearby, a life-size replica of L'Aurore -- one of the last three-masted ships to leave Ouidah for Cuba around 1860 -- is set to open soon as an immersive museum of the slave trade.
"It reminds us of where we come from. It's important to develop tourism around our history because it's very rich, little known, and we want to showcase it," said Arsene Ahounou, an engineer from the commercial capital Cotonou visiting for the day.
"For us natives, understanding our history matters," he added.
Pausing for selfies with friends visiting from Nigeria, Onyinye Anumba said that seeing the site with her own eyes was "awesome".
"As an African, I've read many things about this place... so just being here makes me proud about what Africa has," she said.

'Demystify Vodun'

Elsewhere, tourists explored the 13th-century Python Temple to learn about Voodoo culture -- the popular animist religion rooted in Ouidah.
As many posed for photos with snakes draped around their shoulders, guides explained the reptile's spiritual significance in Voodoo (Vodun in the local Fon language) beliefs.
Having worked in Beninese tourism for more than 35 years, Modeste Zinsou, the temple's head guide, said the sector had evolved.
"This isn't mass tourism, it's cultural tourism. The sacred element remains. We're reconstructing our own history, in which we completely demystify Vodun and the cliches around it," he said.
Benin is the birthplace of Voodoo, which now has its own international festival, the Vodun Days.
The three days of dancing, mask parades and traditional ceremonies have become a major tourist attraction.
This year it drew around two million visitors, most of them Beninese.
"The government has worked to encourage domestic tourism, meaning Beninese people going out and reclaiming their identity," added Zinsou.

'Our Eiffel Tower'

To boost tourism, Benin has launched major infrastructure projects, including road and hotel renovations.
A Club Med resort is planned for 2027 and visa procedures have been eased for many nationalities.
"We're not a country with mineral wealth, so we had to identify where our wealth lies," said Alain Godonou, an adviser to the president on heritage and museums.
"History shows that Benin is a land of great cultures and traditions, and a witness to a pivotal moment in human history -- the slave trade," he said. 
Godonou hopes tourism will account for 10 to 15 percent of GDP within a decade, up from about six percent today.
Sunday's election in the west African country is to replace the architect of this tourism drive, outgoing president Patrice Talon, who is stepping down after two five-year terms. 
The frontrunner to succeed him, Romuald Wadagni, the finance minister from the ruling party, has pledged to carry the projects forward. 
Since 2024, Benin has allowed anyone with an African ancestor who was enslaved and shipped to the Americas to acquire Beninese nationality. 
"It was important for Benin to do justice to this diaspora by granting the nationality that should have been theirs," Godonou said.
In the heart of Cotonou, the country's largest city, the Amazon Monument is now a major attraction. 
The towering 30-metre metal statue depicts a warrior of the Dahomey kingdom, rifle at her side and dagger in hand. 
On Easter Monday, a public holiday, crowds of Beninese visitors strolled through the plaza, snapping pictures of the statue.
"It's a source of pride! We don't have the money to go on holiday in France or elsewhere," said vendor Geraldine Sedami Yagbo.
"This statue is our Eiffel Tower."
pid/bam/rh/kjm/gv

arch

Trump administration reveals plans for massive Washington arch

  • The structure "will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World," Trump wrote Friday on his social media platform on Friday.
  • US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday revealed renderings for a colossal triumphal arch proposed for construction in Washington near some of the nation's most revered monuments.
  • The structure "will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World," Trump wrote Friday on his social media platform on Friday.
US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday revealed renderings for a colossal triumphal arch proposed for construction in Washington near some of the nation's most revered monuments.
At 250 feet (76.2 meters) it would pip Mexico City's Monument to the Revolution by 30 feet, making it the largest structure of its kind in the world, and knocking Pyongyang's Arch of Triumph to third place.
The gold-accented arch would also tower over the 99-foot-tall Lincoln Memorial, sitting just across the Potomac River at the other end of Arlington Memorial Bridge, and be clearly visible from Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the final resting place for many of the nation's military heroes.
The structure "will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World," Trump wrote Friday on his social media platform on Friday. "This will be a wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!"
The arch is one of several architectural projects -- including the construction of a large White House ballroom, lambasted by critics, and renovations to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts -- that Trump has undertaken to leave a mark on Washington in his second term.
Drawings and computer-generated renderings show a large, winged Lady Liberty flanked by two eagles -- all gilded -- atop a towering white arch.
Golden inscriptions read "One Nation Under God" and "Liberty and Justice for All" on opposite sides.
The arch, resembling the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is proposed for a traffic circle on Columbia Island, which sits in the Potomac River that hugs Washington.
Trump, who was one of America's most famous real estate developers before entering the entertainment industry and later politics, has said it would be built to mark the 250th anniversary of America's founding and 1776 declaration of independence from Britain.
The plans were submitted for review to the US Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency charged with advising the president on design matters.
Trump fired all members of the board in October and stacked it with allies as he embarks on a series of renovation and building projects across the US capital.
Last month, the same agency gave its approval to the design of a commemorative gold coin etched in Trump's likeness to be minted for the 250th anniversary.
pnb/mlm

cinema

Michael Jackson fans swarm Berlin for biopic premiere

  • Jackson, who died aged 50 in 2009 from an overdose of propofol, faced multiple allegations of child sex abuse during his lifetime.
  • Thousands of Michael Jackson fans descended on Berlin on Friday for the premiere of a new biopic about the "King of Pop", undeterred by child sex abuse allegations that continue to haunt the star.
  • Jackson, who died aged 50 in 2009 from an overdose of propofol, faced multiple allegations of child sex abuse during his lifetime.
Thousands of Michael Jackson fans descended on Berlin on Friday for the premiere of a new biopic about the "King of Pop", undeterred by child sex abuse allegations that continue to haunt the star.
"Michael", in which the singer is portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, is expected to be one of the highest-grossing films of its kind in history.
In the queue for the screening, Andy Escobar, a 31-year-old aircraft mechanic from the United States, said his nickname at school was MJ -- "because everybody knew that I was a Michael Jackson fan".
Asked about the child abuse allegations, Escobar said simply: "We know that's not true."
"He was found not guilty," added Megane Kittler, a 31-year-old educator from France who lives in Berlin.
Only around 4,000 fans will actually be able to watch the film on Friday evening, two weeks before its official release, after being allocated seats via prize draws.
For the rest, there will be Michael Jackson-themed activities throughout the weekend including panel discussions with the film crew, an exhibition dedicated to the singer and themed parties.
Jackson, who died aged 50 in 2009 from an overdose of propofol, faced multiple allegations of child sex abuse during his lifetime.

Release pushed back

Despite his 2005 acquittal in a criminal trial for child molestation, the star never managed to restore his image while alive. 
Other alleged victims filed civil lawsuits after his death and several proceedings are ongoing. The artist has never been convicted in a criminal or civil court.
"Michael" was originally intended to explore the impact of the allegations on the star, according to industry magazine Variety, citing unnamed sources "with knowledge of the production".
However, a third of the film was cut after lawyers for the Jackson estate realised there was a clause in a settlement with one of the singer's accusers that barred any mention of him in a film, the magazine said.
As a result, large parts of the film had to be rewritten and the release -- originally scheduled for April 18, 2025 -- was pushed back.
Film studio Lionsgate is banking on making $700 million in global box office receipts for the feature-length film. 
That figure would far surpass other productions in the same genre except for the Freddie Mercury-inspired "Bohemian Rhapsody", which took in $910 million.
clp-fec/gil

music

Celine Dion's Paris concerts promise to spin the money on and on

BY KATELL PRIGENT

  • "Celine Dion's presence in Paris for a month and a half should definitely benefit business on Boulevard Haussmann," he said, referring to the high-end street that is home to Galeries Lafayette's flagship store.
  • Celine Dion's fans are not the only ones excited about the megastar's new tour in Paris.
  • "Celine Dion's presence in Paris for a month and a half should definitely benefit business on Boulevard Haussmann," he said, referring to the high-end street that is home to Galeries Lafayette's flagship store.
Celine Dion's fans are not the only ones excited about the megastar's new tour in Paris. Hotels, restaurants and shops are hoping for a multimillion-euro boost from concertgoers in the French capital.
The 58-year-old Canadian singer announced last month that she was returning to the stage for 16 concerts in the French capital in September and October, after a lengthy break prompted by a rare health condition.
She could prove the latest in a series of stars to bring with them significant economic uplift from music fans, following Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour and as the South Korean mega-group BTS embarks on its tour.
The Eiffel Tower was lit up to honour the return of Dion -- who sings both in French and English -- and with the city covered in billboards and posters, Parisian businesses are hoping the tour will prove a major money spinner.
Dion's tour could bring an additional 300-500 million euros ($351-$585 million) into the city, said Alexandra Dublanche, president of Choose Paris Region, the organisation that promotes the wider Paris area.
This includes ticket sales, hotel and restaurant bookings, retail spending and more, she told AFP, adding that international visitors tend to spend more than domestic travellers.
When Swift held four concerts in Paris in 2024, the city saw an economic boost of around 150-180 million euros, Dublanche said.
Dion has said she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disorder, and was forced to cancel her last tour dates due to both the Covid pandemic and ill health.
The latest tickets for Dion's shows went on sale on Friday, with an estimated half a million fans to attend the concerts, a third from overseas, according to Dublanche.
Others have put the figure higher. MKG Consulting estimated the potential economic impact at more than one billion euros, including a 180-million-euro boost for the Parisian hotel industry.
MKG analyst Vanguelis Panayotis said the economic benefits could reach 1.2 billion euros if taking into account transportation, and all the associated expenses and logistics of Dion's support team as well as fans.

'Driver of travel'

Swift's Eras tour became the highest-grossing musical tour in history, with ticket revenues estimated at more than $2.0 billion and hundreds of millions of dollars in extra economic activity in cities where she performed.
"Major musical events are a driver of travel," said Vanessa Heydorff, managing director for France at Booking.com.
The hotel reservation site said that searches for Paris around the dates of Dion's concerts increased by 49 percent.
The Adagio chain, which has 10 hotels in the city's La Defense district where the concerts will be held, saw a 400-percent increase in bookings.
"This will be good for Paris because the capital is currently experiencing a drop in hotel occupancy rates" due to the unstable international situation, said Didier Arino, chief executive at the consulting firm Protourisme.
Arthur Lemoine, CEO of the high-end Galeries Lafayette department stores, said they saw a boost in shoppers during Swift's concerts, not only during the days when she was performing in Paris but also around the timing of gigs in the city of Lyon.
"Celine Dion's presence in Paris for a month and a half should definitely benefit business on Boulevard Haussmann," he said, referring to the high-end street that is home to Galeries Lafayette's flagship store.
After South Korea's BTS announced two forthcoming concert dates in Paris, searches for hotels in the French capital soared by 590 percent, according to the Hotels.com website.
"This phenomenon is part of a broader trend called 'gig-tripping', where the concert becomes the starting point but not the sole reason for booking a trip," said Heydorff.
The challenge was to keep the visiting fans within the region in the days before and after the concert, he added.
For Panayotis, at MKG, "Events that draw fans -- whether a singer, an artist or a football team -- are becoming an extremely powerful indicator of tourism spending, something we're seeing everywhere."
"There's a real strategic advantage (for cities) in attracting events of this kind because they generate extremely strong economic benefits," he said.
kap/rox/ah/gil

film

Jackson biopic shows franchise thriving despite abuse claims

BY THOMAS URBAIN

  • Another example was in the 2003 documentary "Living with Michael Jackson," where the star explained that he still invited children to sleep in his bed, even though he was already the subject of child sexual abuse allegations.
  • The release of a new Michael Jackson biopic -- 16 years after his death -- highlights a robust franchise seemingly immune to the child sex abuse claims that still haunt the "King of Pop."
  • Another example was in the 2003 documentary "Living with Michael Jackson," where the star explained that he still invited children to sleep in his bed, even though he was already the subject of child sexual abuse allegations.
The release of a new Michael Jackson biopic -- 16 years after his death -- highlights a robust franchise seemingly immune to the child sex abuse claims that still haunt the "King of Pop."
Film studio Lionsgate is banking on making $700 million in global box office receipts for the feature-length "Michael," which has its world premiere in Berlin on Friday. 
That figure would far surpass other productions in the same genre except for the Freddie Mercury-inspired "Bohemian Rhapsody," which took in $910 million. 
"Michael" is just the latest installment of a flourishing economic empire in Jackson's name. 
"MJ: The Musical" opened on Broadway in 2022 and has been staged in other countries, while the Cirque du Soleil production "Michael Jackson ONE" has been running in Las Vegas since 2013. 
Mychael Darklighter, a fan who lives in Australia, said he has twice seen the musical and recalled a consistently enthusiastic audience. 
"A crowd of all ages was going nuts for it each time I attended," he said. 
Last year, for the thirteenth time since his death in 2009, Jackson topped the Forbes list of deceased celebrities generating the most revenue.
And on Spotify, the artist has more monthly listeners than Beyonce, Post Malone, or Olivia Dean -- major figures in contemporary pop.
Vincent Amen, a former advisor to Jackson, said he believes the new film will boost that clout even further. 
"With the fan base, I think that they're putting themselves on the right path to commercial success," he said. 

Baby over balcony

Kimberly Krautter, of the public relations firm K-Factor Strategies, said that Jackson's business is more profitable after his death as it is "less fraught with controversy."
She pointed to several PR missteps Jackson made, including the moment in 2002 when he famously dangled his baby over a hotel balcony ledge in Berlin while waving to fans gathered below.
Amen agreed that the positive attention during the singer's career was regularly offset by contentious moments.
"Whatever publicity he had that was positive sometimes was countered with Michael's mistakes as negative publicity, and that made it very difficult to do business with him," he said.
Another example was in the 2003 documentary "Living with Michael Jackson," where the star explained that he still invited children to sleep in his bed, even though he was already the subject of child sexual abuse allegations.

'Destroy his character'

Despite his 2005 acquittal in a criminal trial for child molestation, Jackson never managed to restore his image while alive. 
Other alleged victims filed civil lawsuits after his death and several proceedings are ongoing. The artist has never been convicted in criminal or civil court.
According to several media outlets, none of these episodes appear in the biopic which was produced under the supervision of the Jackson family.
"I would love that the film would tell the most human story about Michael Jackson possible," said Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African and African American Studies at Duke University.
"But I also realize that we're in a period of time where Hollywood does not deal with celebrities in that way," he added.
For Krautter, Jackson's image has been relatively spared because he died before the MeToo movement, which notably brought down singer R. Kelly over child sexual abuse.
Meanwhile, the fan Darklighter remains convinced that Jackson did nothing wrong. 
"I think his legacy is pretty secure, all things considered. No matter how much they try to destroy his character," he said. 
tu/vla/bjt/sla

film

US box office looking good as cinema owners gather: industry chief

BY PAULA RAMON

  • The opening weekend for Amazon MGM's "Project Hail Mary" logged a healthy $81 million, and was followed up by "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" with $131 million.
  • The mustachioed brothers of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" and Ryan Gosling's unassuming teacher-turned-astronaut in "Project Hail Mary" are civilization-saving heroes in their own worlds.
  • The opening weekend for Amazon MGM's "Project Hail Mary" logged a healthy $81 million, and was followed up by "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" with $131 million.
The mustachioed brothers of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" and Ryan Gosling's unassuming teacher-turned-astronaut in "Project Hail Mary" are civilization-saving heroes in their own worlds. But cinema owners here on Earth also feel pretty grateful to them.
The two films have drawn stellar audience figures in the last few weeks, pushing the US box office to its best start to the year since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The North American movie industry, which is in a constant battle with booming streaming services, surpassed $2 billion in receipts by the first week of April for the first time this decade, according to Box Office Mojo.
Although the figures do not yet match pre-Covid totals, cinema owners are "very excited," said Michael O'Leary, CEO of Cinema United, the world's largest trade organization for movie theaters.
The positive results -- up 23 percent year-on-year -- come as theater owners prepare to gather in Las Vegas for their annual CinemaCon meeting, where studios offer a sneak peak of their upcoming slates.
Those present will be hoping the sector can extend this growth after a difficult few years that have seen audiences dwindle in the face of the pandemic, strikes by actors and writers, and competition from streamers that have changed audience habits.
O'Leary said that along with big-budget crowd-pleasing US films, a growing suite of international fare is helping to sustain cinemas.
"It's not just movies from Hollywood that people are interested in," O'Leary told AFP in an interview.
"I think a lot of it is that people are drawn to compelling stories. It doesn't really matter where you live or where you're from, or even what language you speak... you want to have a compelling and interesting story."
O'Leary said there is also a generational element in the optimistic audience numbers.
"You've seen the... industry reinvest in itself, focus on creating even more grand and exciting experiences at the theater, and you're starting to see audiences come back, particularly younger audiences," he said.
"Gen Z is kind of leading the way. It's the fastest growing demographic of habitual moviegoers."
- Studio merger - 
A decade ago, filmgoers in the United States and Canada would frequently spend more than $11 billion annually at the cinema, but since the pandemic, the total take has not exceeded $9 billion.
This year's string of big releases has sparked hopes that there could be a return to such lofty numbers.
The opening weekend for Amazon MGM's "Project Hail Mary" logged a healthy $81 million, and was followed up by "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" with $131 million.
Upcoming releases expected to do well include Michael Jackson biopic "Michael," "The Devil Wears Prada 2," "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu," "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," "The Odyssey," and the third installment in the epic "Dune" series.
But there are clouds on the horizon for cinema owners, said O'Leary, with unease over Paramount's attempt to swallow Warner Bros.
"When you have consolidation of legacy studios, as we learned with Disney and Fox, the amount of movies produced goes down, prices go up, and we think that is bad for theaters," he said.
"It's bad for the industry, and it's certainly bad for movie fans."
O'Leary said his group had made representations to US regulators about the proposed mega-merger.
"We continue to oppose this transaction (and) encourage them to look closely at this merger, because the consequences of it are serious," he said.
CinemaCon will take place from April 13 to 16 in Las Vegas.
pr/hg/sst

music

Pioneering US hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa dies at 68

  • Celebrity news site TMZ, citing unnamed sources, reported that Bambaataa died from complications of cancer at about 3:00 am (0700 GMT) Thursday in Pennsylvania.
  • Groundbreaking US hip-hop artist and DJ Afrika Bambaataa, known for his 1982 hit "Planet Rock," has died at age 68, his former record label said Thursday.
  • Celebrity news site TMZ, citing unnamed sources, reported that Bambaataa died from complications of cancer at about 3:00 am (0700 GMT) Thursday in Pennsylvania.
Groundbreaking US hip-hop artist and DJ Afrika Bambaataa, known for his 1982 hit "Planet Rock," has died at age 68, his former record label said Thursday.
"With his passing, we reflect on his contributions to the genre and broader culture, which continue to this day," Tommy Boy Records said in an Instagram post alongside a picture of Bambaataa.
Celebrity news site TMZ, citing unnamed sources, reported that Bambaataa died from complications of cancer at about 3:00 am (0700 GMT) Thursday in Pennsylvania.
Born in housing projects of the Bronx borough of New York City as Lance Taylor, the hip-hop icon got his start in entertainment by hosting block parties and drawing inspiration from early electronic music.
After growing up during a time rife with gang violence, Bambaataa co-founded the Zulu Nation in 1973, which used hip-hop to promote peaceful values.
"As the founder of the Universal Zulu Nation, Afrika Bambaataa helped shape the early identity of Hip Hop as a global movement rooted in peace, unity, love, and having fun. His vision transformed the Bronx into the birthplace of a culture that now reaches every corner of the world," said artist Kurtis Blow, who heads labor advocacy group The Hip Hop Alliance.
"His imprint on Hip Hop history is undeniable and will forever remain part of the culture's origin story." 
Blow also acknowledged that Bambaataa's "legacy is complex and has been the subject of serious conversations within our community."
Bambaataa faced allegations of sexual assault by accusers who said they were minors in incidents alleged in the 1980s and 1990s. Bambaataa disputed the allegations and was never criminally convicted. 
In 2025, Bambaataa lost an abuse case in civil court after failing to appear.
bjt-pel/sst/sla/mjf/des

entertainment

Sean 'Diddy' Combs asks US appeals court to overturn sentence

BY BEN TURNER

  • The disgraced artist was not present at the Manhattan courthouse on Thursday as defense lawyer Alexandra Shapiro sought to persuade a three-judge panel that Combs's sentence of four years and two months was unfairly long for his crimes. 
  • Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs urged an appeals court Thursday to overturn the US hip-hop mogul's prison term of more than four years for prostitution-related crimes. 
  • The disgraced artist was not present at the Manhattan courthouse on Thursday as defense lawyer Alexandra Shapiro sought to persuade a three-judge panel that Combs's sentence of four years and two months was unfairly long for his crimes. 
Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs urged an appeals court Thursday to overturn the US hip-hop mogul's prison term of more than four years for prostitution-related crimes. 
Combs, 56, was sentenced in October after a salacious trial that detailed the alleged "freak-offs" he organized: sexual marathons involving hired male escorts and his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura and another unidentified women.
He was acquitted by a jury of the most serious charges against him -- sex trafficking and racketeering -- but convicted of two counts of transporting people across state lines for prostitution.
The disgraced artist was not present at the Manhattan courthouse on Thursday as defense lawyer Alexandra Shapiro sought to persuade a three-judge panel that Combs's sentence of four years and two months was unfairly long for his crimes. 
"The evidence the judge was relying on was totally separate and in fact was acquitted conduct," Shapiro said.
She said District Judge Arun Subramanian should not have considered evidence that Combs made threats against Ventura and the other woman as it was related to the acquitted charges.
Prosecutors disagreed and pointed to an instance where Combs showed Ventura he had videos of her engaging in sex parties hours before another "freak-off" in an apparent bid to ensure her continued participation.
"These incidents are specifically tied to transportation," prosecutor Christy Slavik told the court. 
In a sign of the complex legal arguments, Slavik at one point drew an analogy of pizza to highlight how certain "slices" of evidence were relevant to the ultimate sentencing decision.
The court did not issue an immediate ruling in what one judge, William Nardini, called an "exceptionally difficult case."
Combs is also appealing his conviction though that was not discussed in detail on Thursday.
He is being held in the low-security Fort Dix prison in New Jersey and is due for release in spring 2028. 
bjt/acb

music

BTS kick off world tour with spectacular South Korea show

BY JIHYE SHIN

  • - Future of K-culture - The album recently helped BTS become the first K-pop act to top the US Billboard 200 for two consecutive weeks, while its tracks also secured top spots across multiple Spotify charts.
  • Tens of thousands of fans filled a rainswept stadium in South Korea on Thursday to watch BTS kick off their world tour, as the K-pop megastars ride the momentum of a chart-topping comeback album and a landmark performance in the heart of Seoul.
  • - Future of K-culture - The album recently helped BTS become the first K-pop act to top the US Billboard 200 for two consecutive weeks, while its tracks also secured top spots across multiple Spotify charts.
Tens of thousands of fans filled a rainswept stadium in South Korea on Thursday to watch BTS kick off their world tour, as the K-pop megastars ride the momentum of a chart-topping comeback album and a landmark performance in the heart of Seoul.
The seven-member group -- widely regarded as the world's biggest boy band -- took to the stage together for the first time last month following a years-long hiatus prompted by mandatory military service, and after releasing their latest studio album "ARIRANG".
Thursday's spectacular concert in Goyang, about 16 kilometres (10 miles) from the capital Seoul, marked the start of a tour that will span 85 shows in 34 cities worldwide.
"So many things are special... I can't really put it into words," said a fan from Britain, who gave her name as Janine, after the performance in the hometown of band leader RM.
"It was just fantastic."
Abbas Manahil, 27, a physical therapist from Pakistan, said she had worried that the stars might slip due to the heavy rain, but said they handled it well.
"It was my first time seeing them so close," she said, recalling the moment she broke into tears. "That made my day."
Hours before the show began, fans converged on Goyang, where landmarks have been lit up in purple -- the colour symbolising BTS's global fanbase, known as ARMY.
The concert-goers -- many dressed in purple themselves -- reflected the group's global reach, with English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese heard while they queued outside the venue.
"I think it was the hardest ticket I ever got. Even in Korea with fast Internet, I was 80,000th in line," Evelyn Soto Villarreal, 27, a Mexican fan living in the city of Busan, told AFP.
Despite the weather, many fans without seats remained outside the stadium after the show began, listening intently to the muffled music.

'Feel like home'

The tour is set to be a major money-spinner for BTS, potentially outdoing Taylor Swift's recent Eras Tour, according to analysts.
It follows last month's statement performance on the doorstep of the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace, which drew more than 100,000 fans to central Seoul, according to the group's label.
BTS will travel to cities including Tokyo, Manila, Toronto and Buenos Aires as part of the highest number of shows for a single tour by any South Korean artist, according to their label.
"Performing together as a group felt comfortable, and being in the same space with you all made it feel like home," member Jin wrote on fan platform Weverse after Thursday's show.
Videos shared by fans showed the stadium awash in purple light, as lightsticks rose in waves and the crowd sang "Swim", the latest album's lead single.
Other footage showed the band greeting fans. "We were so worried about the rain... but what mattered was seeing you," member Jimin said, completely drenched.
New album "ARIRANG" -- also the name of the tour -- is billed as reflecting the maturing boy band's Korean identity.
It is named after the traditional Korean folk song about longing and separation, often dubbed South Korea's unofficial national anthem.

Future of K-culture

The album recently helped BTS become the first K-pop act to top the US Billboard 200 for two consecutive weeks, while its tracks also secured top spots across multiple Spotify charts.
Many K-pop boy bands have faced career downturns after completing mandatory military service, in a fiercely competitive industry where momentum is hard to regain.
But BTS are proving that is not going to be the case for them, said American sociologist Sam Richards, a professor at Pennsylvania State University.
"This is extremely significant for the future of K-culture and the nation of Korea because it means that unprecedented growth in soft power will continue," he told AFP.
The group's official community on Weverse has over 34 million members, while their Instagram following is over 80 million.
sjh/cdl/mjw

film

Cannes Festival promises escapism in Hollywood-lite edition

BY ADAM PLOWRIGHT AND JEREMY TORDJMAN

  • The (Hollywood) studios a bit less," Fremaux said, while recalling the world premieres of "Top Gun: Maverick" and the last edition of "Mission: Impossible" in previous editions.
  • The Cannes Film Festival unveiled its roster of films for this year's edition on Thursday packed with historical dramas, "gentleness" and even football, but with big Hollywood studios notable in their absence.
  • The (Hollywood) studios a bit less," Fremaux said, while recalling the world premieres of "Top Gun: Maverick" and the last edition of "Mission: Impossible" in previous editions.
The Cannes Film Festival unveiled its roster of films for this year's edition on Thursday packed with historical dramas, "gentleness" and even football, but with big Hollywood studios notable in their absence.
Festival director Thierry Fremaux unveiled 21 films in competition for the main Palme d'Or prize, featuring former winners, newcomers and strong showings from Spain and Japan.
Frontrunners for the top prize will include Japan's Hirokazu Kore-eda with AI-themed "Sheep in the Box", Cristian Mungiu from Romania with "Fjord", and Russian auteur Andrey Zvyagintsev, whose film "Minotaur" focuses on wealthy Russians confronted with conscription.
Spanish veteran and Cannes favourite Pedro Almodovar will appear for the seventh time with his "Amarga Navidad" ("Bitter Christmas"), while exiled Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi will represent Iran with "Histoires Paralleles" ("Parallel Tales").
Commenting on the selection for the May 12-23 festival, Fremaux said many Western films would be a form of escapism from the grim reality of current affairs, with a focus on "gentleness, songs, nature", while others were "bringing history into the present".
Introducing the French film "Quelques Mots d'Amour" ("A Few Love Words") by Rudi Rosenberg, he quipped: "You see? We all need some love and gentleness."
Around 2,500 films were submitted for selection in total, which Fremaux said underlined the vitality of the cinema industry, which is struggling with viewers switching to streaming and home entertainment.

Hollywood

Out of competition, there will be a surprising amount of football at the high temple of French cinema, with documentaries about legendary forward Eric Cantona and the notorious England-Argentina 1986 World Cup match featuring Diego Maradona.
American A-listers will be less prominent than usual, although Woody Harrelson and Kristen Stewart are set to star in the Paris-set "Full Phil" by French director Quentin Dupieux.
"The United States will be represented. The (Hollywood) studios a bit less," Fremaux said, while recalling the world premieres of "Top Gun: Maverick" and the last edition of "Mission: Impossible" in previous editions.
Tom Cruise arrived on the red carpet by helicopter in 2022 as eight French fighter jets flew overhead.
Some industry insiders have speculated that Hollywood majors are spurning European festivals as platforms for their film premieres, preferring their own social media-led launches as less risky options.
Plane-mad US movie legend John Travolta will bring some serious stardust to Cannes when he presents his directorial debut, "Propeller One-Way Night Coach", about a young boy's journey in the "golden age of aviation".
Hollywood and Broadway legend Barbra Streisand will also be on Cannes' famed waterfront to receive the festival's Honorary Palme d'Or, as will New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson, best known for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
American director Steven Soderbergh will present a documentary on John Lennon, titled "The Last Interview".

Politics

Last year's Cannes, like other European festivals in Berlin and Venice in previous years, was the scene of fierce wrangling about whether the industry and organisers should take a stronger stand on Israel's devastation of Gaza.
Hundreds of film figures, including "Schindler's List" actor Ralph Fiennes and Richard Gere, denounced "genocide" in the territory in an open letter released on the eve of the event.
The Berlin Film Festival in February found itself at the centre of a storm after jury president Wim Wenders, when asked about the German government's support for Israel, replied: "We cannot really enter the field of politics."
"People often say that Cannes is political when the films are political, when the filmmakers are political," Fremaux told AFP on Thursday, saying that in his view art was "very often political".
The festival itself needed to remain neutral and "does not take political positions", he added.
South Korean filmmaker Park Chan‑wook ("Oldboy" and "No Other Choice") will be head of the competition jury this year.
The 2025 edition gave the top prize to dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi and his wry thriller "It Was Just an Accident".
Artificial intelligence is also set to be a hot topic of discussion again this year due to its deepening impact on filmmaking, as well as the danger it poses for copyright and original storytelling.
"We’re not turning a blind eye, but we refuse to let it lay down the law in cinema," Cannes president Iris Knobloch told reporters on Thursday. 
adp-jt//rh

film

Farhadi, Almodovar, Zvyagintsev to vie for top Cannes Festival prize

BY ANTOINE GUY

  • Filmmaker Park Chan‑wook will be head of the jury that will award the Palme d'Or, the most prestigious prize in the film industry after the Oscar for best film.
  • Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, Spain's Pedro Almodovar and Russia's Andrey Zvyagintsev will be among 21 directors vying for the coveted Palme d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival next month, organisers said on Thursday.
  • Filmmaker Park Chan‑wook will be head of the jury that will award the Palme d'Or, the most prestigious prize in the film industry after the Oscar for best film.
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, Spain's Pedro Almodovar and Russia's Andrey Zvyagintsev will be among 21 directors vying for the coveted Palme d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival next month, organisers said on Thursday.
Festival director Thierry Fremaux revealed a list of films in the main competition, including three from Japan and three from Spain, while major Hollywood studios are set to be notable in their absence on the French Riviera. 
Other frontrunners for the top prize will include Japan's Hirokazu Kore-eda, who won the 2018 competition with "Shoplifters", and former winner Cristian Mungiu from Romania, whose new film "Fjord" is set in Norway and stars Renate Reinsve.
Out of competition, there will be a surprising amount of football at the high temple of French cinema, with documentaries about legendary forward Eric Cantona and the England-Argentina 1986 World Cup match featuring a notorious handball from Diego Maradona.
American A-listers will be thin on the ground at the 79th edition of Cannes, although Woody Harrelson and Kristen Stewart are set to star in the Paris-set "Full Phil" by French director Quentin Dupieux.
"The United States will be represented. The studios a bit less," Fremaux told a press conference in Paris.
Organisers had already announced that plane-mad US movie legend John Travolta will present his directorial debut "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" out of competition about a young boy's journey in the "golden age of aviation".
Fremaux noted the high number of historical films at Cannes this year, as well as movies that provide some escapism from the grim realities of current affairs.
"We realised that the Western world needs gentleness, songs, nature, and that the countries of the Global South, as people say... need security, need prosperity and need to provide care for children and families," he added.
Hollywood and Broadway legend Barbra Streisand will be awarded the festival's customary Honorary Palme d'Or this year, as will New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson, best known for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
Filmmaker Park Chan‑wook will be head of the jury that will award the Palme d'Or, the most prestigious prize in the film industry after the Oscar for best film.
The director of "Oldboy" and "No Other Choice" most recently is the first South Korean to hold the position and replaces French acting legend Juliette Binoche who held the role last year.
The 2025 edition gave the top prize to dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi and his wry thriller "It Was Just an Accident".
European film festivals have recently found themselves drawn into the conflicts raging in the Middle East and Israel's bombardment of Gaza in particular.
adp/gil

music

Home where young Bowie dreamt of 'fame' to open to public

BY HELEN ROWE

  • An inscription on a small blue plaque to the right of the front door is the only clue to the property's extraordinary past.
  • With its grey front door and battered picket fence, No. 4 Plaistow Grove in the anonymous London suburb of Bromley is unremarkable in every way except for one.
  • An inscription on a small blue plaque to the right of the front door is the only clue to the property's extraordinary past.
With its grey front door and battered picket fence, No. 4 Plaistow Grove in the anonymous London suburb of Bromley is unremarkable in every way except for one.
The modest terraced house -- originally built as a railway workers' cottage in the late 19th century -- is the childhood home of pop phenomenon David Bowie.
An inscription on a small blue plaque to the right of the front door is the only clue to the property's extraordinary past.
"David Bowie Singer and Talented Musician 1955-1968," it reads, a reference to the 13 years that he spent living there.
Bowie, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century who died aged 69 in 2016, spent some of his most formative years here.
Now, the house has been acquired by a leading London heritage body which plans to turn it into a Bowie immersive experience.
Under the curatorship of Bowie expert Geoff Marsh it would be returned to the way it would have been when he was 16 in 1963 and opened to the public hopefully by the end of 2027.
The singer, real name David Jones, and his family moved into the property on the southeastern outskirts of the capital in 1955 when he was eight years old.
"It all started in this building," Marsh told AFP. "It was here that he changed from being an ordinary schoolboy to being determined to be a superstar."

Step back in time

Bowie lived in the house with his parents, Haywood and Peggy, and older half brother, Terry, a  major creative influence who introduced him to modern jazz, Beat literature and Buddhism.
From 1966 onwards, however, Terry was no longer a constant presence at home due to a schizophrenia diagnosis which saw him in and out of psychiatric hospitals.
According to biographers, Peggy was emotionally distant towards Bowie, and their relationship included periods of estrangement.
Peggy moved out in 1970 following the death at home a year earlier of Haywood, aged just 56.
Once restored, people will be able to take a step back in time and experience the young Bowie's world, just as Beatles fans have done in Liverpool at the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Out will go the central heating, modern kitchen-diner extension and conservatory, plus the upstairs bathroom.
Back in will be a coal fire, outside lavatory, tiny kitchen and garage that once stood at the end of the garden.
It is located a stone's throw from the Sundridge Park railway station, from where Bowie "could get from what he saw as being very dull suburban life... straight into the West End, Soho, the music clubs there", Marsh said.

Place to dream

"It was that kind of culture in the 50s: keep your head down. Know who you are. Don't try and get above yourself," said Marsh, who curated the David Bowie Is exhibition at London's V&A museum in 2013.
"And David obviously just thought 'that's not for me. I want to be a success'. And music was his way out."
The main focal point will be the small 2.7 metre by three metre (9ft by 10ft) back bedroom where Bowie's creative journey began.
Bowie wrote his earliest songs here but struggled with rejection for five years before achieving his first major hit with "Space Oddity" in 1969.
In later life, Bowie described the bedroom as a place where he went to escape from his parents and dream.
But the singer, whose career was marked by a commitment to constant reinvention, also voiced a sense that the room had followed him around all his life, Marsh said.
He was "always, to some extent, running away from here", he added.
Heritage of London Trust director Nicola Stacey said she expected fans to find there was "nothing more powerful" than standing in the room.
Bowie had a record player and a tape recorder there as well as a saxophone bought for him by his father, who is said to have been more emotionally supportive.

'Moment of possibility'

Other possible items that could feature include a photograph of Little Richard he bought from the Woolworths store when he was 10 and pinned to the wall. The picture remained with him all his life.
Friends of Bowie have recalled coming through the front door into a "rather austere house" with a "rather austere atmosphere", Stacey said.
"They would come up to David's room, and they would play music and look at all this Americana he was so interested in... and they just felt this sort of moment of possibility."
The project has also triggered memories from people who grew up in the area and recall seeing Bowie "wearing incredible outfits", Stacey said.
Bowie assembled and experimented with the outfits in his bedroom having purchased items from second-hand and surplus stores in central London's trendy Carnaby Street.
They knew there was something different about him and were sure he "was going to be something amazing", she added.
har/jkb/jj/lga

Arts and Entertainment

Comedy duo Flight of the Conchords reunion gigs sell out in minutes

  • It will be business time for the Flight of the Conchords when their first show begins next Thursday. bes/oho/tc
  • New Zealand's self-described "fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo-acapella-rap-funk-comedy-folk duo" Flight of the Conchords sold out their first shows in eight years in minutes this week, sparking a frenzy among fans.
  • It will be business time for the Flight of the Conchords when their first show begins next Thursday. bes/oho/tc
New Zealand's self-described "fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo-acapella-rap-funk-comedy-folk duo" Flight of the Conchords sold out their first shows in eight years in minutes this week, sparking a frenzy among fans.
Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement formed the musical comedy act in 1998, soaring to worldwide fame off the back of their HBO comedy series of the same name with tunes including "Business Time" and "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros".
The duo announced on Tuesday four shows to be held at Wellington venue Meow Nui from next week -- their first gig since 2018.
Tickets went on sale on Wednesday and sold out within half an hour.
The shows will be a warm up for the band as they prepare for the Netflix is a Joke Festival in Los Angeles in May, where they will perform two shows.
McKenzie told state broadcaster RNZ last month that the pair were in "hysterics" trying to remember their own songs.
"We ended up watching ourselves. We have to pull up YouTube clips to remember how to play our songs," McKenzie told RNZ.
"We're like a bad covers band of ourselves."
Many fans had hurt feelings after missing out on tickets for the Hiphopopotamus and Rhymenoceros' Wellington shows.
One posted on popular Wellington Facebook page Vic Deals saying they were "not above selling an organ or two" in order to get tickets.
Another person offered to "sell a limb", and several people are considering heading to the venue anyway.
"We should all band together and just have a massive listening party outside the venue".
It will be business time for the Flight of the Conchords when their first show begins next Thursday.
bes/oho/tc

television

'Ketamine Queen' jailed for 15 years over Matthew Perry drugs

BY HUW GRIFFITH

  • Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that she had supplied, including on October 28, 2023, when he administered at least three shots of Sangha's drugs, which killed the actor.
  • A British-American dealer dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" who sold the drugs that killed "Friends" star Matthew Perry, and boasted she supplied an elite circle of Hollywood VIPs, was jailed for 15 years on Wednesday.
  • Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that she had supplied, including on October 28, 2023, when he administered at least three shots of Sangha's drugs, which killed the actor.
A British-American dealer dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" who sold the drugs that killed "Friends" star Matthew Perry, and boasted she supplied an elite circle of Hollywood VIPs, was jailed for 15 years on Wednesday.
Jasveen Sangha, 42, was one of five people charged over the death of the beloved Canadian-American actor, who was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his luxury Los Angeles home in 2023.
Sangha, a dual citizen of the United States and Britain, ran a drugs emporium from her swanky apartment in Los Angeles, from where she dished out narcotics to wealthy customers in America's entertainment capital.
"To cultivate her business, (Sangha) marketed herself as an exclusive dealer who catered to high-profile Hollywood clientele," prosecutors wrote in sentencing papers. 
"As she told one customer in 2020, 'I'm really select with people,' and 'it's a very VIP circle of celebs.'"
Sangha worked with a middleman, Erik Fleming, to sell 51 vials of ketamine to Perry's live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.
Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that she had supplied, including on October 28, 2023, when he administered at least three shots of Sangha's drugs, which killed the actor.
When Sangha heard news reports about Perry's sudden death, she tried to cover her tracks.
"Delete all our messages," she instructed Fleming.
Sangha's actions "show a cold callousness and disregard for life. She chose profits over people, and her actions have caused immense pain to the victims' families and loved ones," prosecutors wrote.
Investigators who raided Sangha's home in the aftermath of Perry's death found methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy, cocaine, and counterfeit Xanax pills, as well as a money counting machine, a scale, and devices to detect wireless signals and hidden cameras.

Doctors

Perry, 54, had openly struggled for decades with addictions, but had appeared to colleagues to be beating his demons when he died.
His death set off waves of grief among generations of "Friends" fans and sparked a police probe that uncovered a ring of suppliers and enablers, including medical doctors who were callously profiting from the pain of a man they should have been helping.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who admitted four counts of distribution of ketamine in the weeks before Perry's death, was ordered to serve 30 months in jail when he was sentenced last year.
Another doctor, Mark Chavez, was ordered to be confined at home and told to do hundreds of hours of community service.
Plasencia bought ketamine off Chavez and sold it to Perry at hugely inflated prices.
"I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plasencia wrote in one text message.
Prosecutors said addict Perry was paying over $2,000 per vial of ketamine; his dealers paid a fraction of that.
Iwamasa and Fleming are scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
Sangha admitted one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Her plea acknowledged that she also sold four vials of ketamine to another man, 33-year-old Cody McLaury, in August 2019.
McLaury died hours later from an overdose.

'Mostly sober'

Perry had been taking ketamine as part of supervised therapy for depression.
But prosecutors say that before his death, he became addicted to the substance, which is used as an anesthetic, but also has psychedelic properties and is a popular party drug.
"Friends," which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive following and made megastars of previously unknown actors.
Perry's role as the sarcastic man-child Chandler brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a dark struggle with addiction to painkillers and alcohol.
In 2018, he suffered a drug-related burst colon and underwent multiple surgeries.
In his 2022 memoir "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," Perry described going through detox dozens of times.
"I have mostly been sober since 2001," he wrote, "save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps."
hg/md

US

Dutch minister says not planning to bar Kanye West

  • Based on what is currently known to me, I have no indication that an entry ban can be applied in this case," said the minister in a statement sent to AFP. Ye is due to perform shows in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8.
  • There are no plans as yet to bar the rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, from the Netherlands, a minister said Wednesday after Britain banned him over past antisemitic outbursts.
  • Based on what is currently known to me, I have no indication that an entry ban can be applied in this case," said the minister in a statement sent to AFP. Ye is due to perform shows in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8.
There are no plans as yet to bar the rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, from the Netherlands, a minister said Wednesday after Britain banned him over past antisemitic outbursts.
Dutch Asylum and Migration Minister Bart van den Brink said there needed to be a possible danger to public order or risk to national security to bar someone from entering the country.
"Once I have such information, I will proceed accordingly. Based on what is currently known to me, I have no indication that an entry ban can be applied in this case," said the minister in a statement sent to AFP.
Ye is due to perform shows in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8.
On Wednesday, the UK government said it would not allow him into the country, prompting organisers of a festival he was to headline to cancel the July event.
The disgraced rapper had submitted an application to travel to Britain, but it was refused on the grounds his presence would not be conducive to the public good, a UK government source confirmed.
West, who last performed in Britain when he headlined the Glastonbury festival in 2015, has been heavily criticised for making antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler.
In May 2025, he released a song called "Heil Hitler", months after advertising a swastika t-shirt for sale on his website.
The song was banned by major streaming platforms.
The US rapper subsequently expressed regret for his conduct, blaming it on his bipolar disorder.
West's European comeback tour had already proved contentious prior to the furore in Britain. 
In France, the mayor of Marseille said the rapper was "not welcome" for a concert planned there in June.
ric/st

film

BAFTA racial slur was breach of BBC editorial standards: internal probe

  • According to the investigation report, there was a "lack of clarity" among staff handling the broadcast, which was aired slightly later than the start of the ceremony, about whether the N-word was audible on the recording.
  • The BBC breached its own editorial standards by broadcasting a racial slur during the BAFTA awards ceremony, an internal probe found Wednesday.
  • According to the investigation report, there was a "lack of clarity" among staff handling the broadcast, which was aired slightly later than the start of the ceremony, about whether the N-word was audible on the recording.
The BBC breached its own editorial standards by broadcasting a racial slur during the BAFTA awards ceremony, an internal probe found Wednesday.
The finding follows a "fast-tracked" investigation ordered by former Director-General Tim Davie into the "serious mistake" that saw the racist slur aired during the event in late February.
Tourette's sufferer John Davidson, who inspired one of the winning films, later said he was "deeply mortified" after shouting the N-word at the London film and television awards ceremony, which he said was caused by an "involuntary tic".
According to the investigation report, there was a "lack of clarity" among staff handling the broadcast, which was aired slightly later than the start of the ceremony, about whether the N-word was audible on the recording.
"This resulted in there being a delay before a decision was taken to remove the recording from iPlayer," it said, adding this did not happen until around 9:30am the following day.
"This delay was a serious mistake, because there could be no certainty that the word would be inaudible to all viewers," it added.
The incident was the latest in a string of controversies to hit the BBC.
In June 2025 during the BBC's Glastonbury festival coverage, staff failed to pull a livestream of a performance by Bob Vylan after the punk-rap duo's frontman led the crowds in an anti-Israel chant.
The BBC later apologised and said it would no longer live-broadcast musical performances it deemed to be "high risk".
In another damaging episode, Davie left the BBC last week after resigning in November over the editing of a documentary about US President Donald Trump.
The president has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC over the edit for its flagship current affairs programme "Panorama".
Trump alleges the editing of his January 6, 2021 speech made it appear that he had explicitly urged supporters to attack the Capitol, where lawmakers were certifying Democrat Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.
har/jkb/cw

Bollywood

Indian hit movie 'Dhurandhar' breaks Bollywood records

BY SEEMA SINHA

  • Still, some producers have pushed their film releases to wait for the box office queues for "Dhurandhar" to die down.
  • Indian action movie "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" has swept domestic box-office records as the highest-earning Bollywood Hindi-language film, its producers said Wednesday, and is vying for other top spots.
  • Still, some producers have pushed their film releases to wait for the box office queues for "Dhurandhar" to die down.
Indian action movie "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" has swept domestic box-office records as the highest-earning Bollywood Hindi-language film, its producers said Wednesday, and is vying for other top spots.
Beloved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the high-octane and violent movie is the second chapter in the tale of an undercover Indian intelligence agent in arch-enemy Pakistan.
Decried as chest-thumping nationalism by critics, it has been lapped up by its many fans.
It is the first Hindi film -- and only the third Indian movie -- to cross the landmark 10 billion-rupee ($108 million) mark in domestic takings, achieving the feat after 18 days.
It has also become the the highest-grossing Indian film in North America, the first to exceed $25 million in takings.
"Dhurandhar has become a massive cinematic phenomenon," said veteran film distributor Raj Bansal. "I have been in the film business for about four decades now, and the frenzy for this film has amazed me."
Starring Ranveer Singh and directed by Aditya Dhar, the sequel to the 2025 blockbuster "Dhurandhar" -- shot simultaneously -- jumped to box-office success since its March 19 release.
The nearly four-hour long film has grossed over 160 billion rupees worldwide, according to its film producer Jio Studios.

'Hooting and screaming'

Heavily-muscled star Singh has been a particular draw, with Bansal describing wild scenes in the cinema as the long-haired action hero battles his enemies on screen.
"Middle-aged women watched the first day, first show, despite knowing about hardcore violence and brutal action in it," he said.
"There is a lot of hooting and screaming in theatres."
French President Emmanuel Macron used the film's title track in a social media video during his India visit. 
But in domestic takings it remains third behind two Telugu-language hits -- the 2017 epic "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion" and 2024 action drama "Pushpa 2: The Rule".
It remains well behind the highest-grossing Indian film of all time, the 2016 Hindi-language wrestling drama "Dangal", which enjoyed enormous popularity in neighbouring China, pushing its worldwide earnings above 200 billion rupees.
But while the film continues a strong run, maintaining high daily numbers into its third week, trade analysts suggest it will not overtake "Dangal", "Baahubali 2" or "Pushpa 2".
Still, some producers have pushed their film releases to wait for the box office queues for "Dhurandhar" to die down.
"Nobody is daring to face the film," said Bansal.
str/pjm/mjw