television

Trump says comedian Colbert should be 'put to sleep'

  • Colbert has hosted the "The Late Show" since 2015 and it has been the highest-rated late night talk show on US television.
  • On the eve of Christmas, President Donald Trump has unleashed a fresh blast of vitriol at late-night comedy talk shows, saying comedian Stephen Colbert is a "pathetic trainwreck" who should be "put to sleep."
  • Colbert has hosted the "The Late Show" since 2015 and it has been the highest-rated late night talk show on US television.
On the eve of Christmas, President Donald Trump has unleashed a fresh blast of vitriol at late-night comedy talk shows, saying comedian Stephen Colbert is a "pathetic trainwreck" who should be "put to sleep."
Colbert's "The Late Show" is scheduled to end in May 2026, a decision his fans say smacks of censorship.
In a late night Truth Social post, Trump wrote that Colbert "has actually gotten worse" since being "terminated by CBS, but left out to dry." 
"Stephen is running on hatred and fumes ~ A dead man walking! CBS should, 'put him to sleep,' NOW," Trump wrote.
Colbert has hosted the "The Late Show" since 2015 and it has been the highest-rated late night talk show on US television. His opening monologues often take aim at the Republican president.
There was no immediate public response from Colbert or CBS to Trump's post. 
CBS announced the sunsetting of Colbert's show after one more season in July, the same month its parent company reached a $16 million settlement with Trump. CBS called the cancellation "a purely financial decision."
Trump had sued Paramount, alleging that CBS News' "60 Minutes" program deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris, in her favor.
In another overnight post, Trump repeated threats to yank the broadcast licenses of networks whose content he deemed overly critical. 
"If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn’t their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated? I say, YES!" 
On Sunday, CBS's new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, pulled a "60 Minutes" segment on alleged torture at El Salvador's CECOT prison -- where Trump sent hundreds of deported Venezuelans -- saying it needed more reporting. 
In August, Disney-owned ABC briefly suspended its late-night star, Jimmy Kimmel, before bringing him back on a one-year contract.
Kimmel had annoyed conservatives with comments in the wake of the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump appears to be aiming to reshape the US media landscape, which he says is biased against conservatives.
His appointee to head the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, turned heads when he told a Congressional hearing that "the FCC is not formally an independent agency," implying that his actions could justifiably be aligned with the political priorities of the White House.
aue/ksb/msp

Netflix

Stranger Things set for final bow: five things to know

BY LUCAS CROSET

  • - Stranger Things universe - The show has made its way on to stages in London's West End and on Broadway with the play "Stranger Things: The First Shadow", launched in late 2023.
  • The hit science-fiction-horror series "Stranger Things" returns on Friday with three new episodes from its fifth and final season, ahead of the grand finale on January 1.
  • - Stranger Things universe - The show has made its way on to stages in London's West End and on Broadway with the play "Stranger Things: The First Shadow", launched in late 2023.
The hit science-fiction-horror series "Stranger Things" returns on Friday with three new episodes from its fifth and final season, ahead of the grand finale on January 1.
Shattering streaming records since it first hit screens in 2016, the Netflix show follows a group of teenagers in a small American town as they take on supernatural creatures and a parallel universe.
Here are five things to know.

Star-studded cast

Stranger Things brought back 1980s icons like actress Winona Ryder, who earned a Golden Globe nomination in 2017 for her role as Joyce Byers.
In another dose of 80s nostalgia, Robert Englund –- the actor behind horror icon Freddy Krueger –- made a cameo appearance in season 4.
The series has also transformed the careers of its younger actors including Millie Bobby Brown, who rose to fame at just 12 years old. Now 21, the actress produces and stars in her own blockbuster films, such as the popular "Enola Holmes" saga.
Actor Finn Wolfhard, 23, who plays Mike Wheeler on the show, has found wider success with roles in both the "It" and "Ghostbusters" franchises.
Speaking to AFP last year, Wolfhard said the cast wanted to give all the characters a "proper send-off".
"You try to find that balance of a huge ensemble and try to find the perfect ending for everyone."

1980s nostalgia

The Duffer Brothers, creators of the hit series, captured the spirit of 1980s classics like Steven Spielberg's movie "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial", the "Nightmare on Elm Street" films and Stephen King's "It" novel.
Across five seasons, the characters take on supernatural monsters while dressed in baggy jeans, T-shirts and trainers.
From Will Byers's bowl cut to Steve Harrington's tousled mullet, the show has given old-school hairstyles new life.
Kate Bush's 1985 song "Running Up That Hill", which is featured in the series, also topped UK charts in 2022 and reached one billion streams on Spotify the following year -- decades after its initial release.

An early Netflix smash

Nine years after it began, Stranger Things has become a global phenomenon.
One of the most-watched shows on Netflix, it transformed the streaming giant into a cultural powerhouse.
Each episode has an estimated budget of tens of millions of dollars, surpassing the production price tags of many Hollywood films.

Marketing masterclass

The success of its fifth chapter, which tallied nearly 60 million views at launch, is reflected in its presence in public spaces.
Major retailers have dedicated corners to the show, such as HMV on Oxford Street in London or Galeries Lafayette in Paris.
"The series made me love the 1980s -- I watched it with my father, who lived through that era," Pauline Lehobey, a 29-year-old veterinary assistant, told AFP in Paris, while holding a Demogorgon figurine.

Stranger Things universe

The show has made its way on to stages in London's West End and on Broadway with the play "Stranger Things: The First Shadow", launched in late 2023.
The prequel, set in 1959, explores the backstory of Henry Creel, also known as the villain Vecna in the show.
Netflix has announced for 2026 an animated spin-off series set between the second and third seasons.
A mystery novel centred around Mike's older sister, Nancy Wheeler, has also just been released.
lcr/jlo/frd/rh/jxb

tech

US denies visas to EU ex-commissioner, four others over tech rules

  • Washington is also attacking the UK's Online Safety Act, Britain's equivalent of the DSA that seeks to impose content moderation requirements on major social media platforms.
  • The US State Department said Tuesday it would deny visas to a former EU commissioner and four others, accusing them of seeking to "coerce" American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose.
  • Washington is also attacking the UK's Online Safety Act, Britain's equivalent of the DSA that seeks to impose content moderation requirements on major social media platforms.
The US State Department said Tuesday it would deny visas to a former EU commissioner and four others, accusing them of seeking to "coerce" American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose.
"These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states -- in each case targeting American speakers and American companies," the department said in a statement announcing the sanctions.
The measure targeted Thierry Breton, the former top tech regulator at the European Commission, who often clashed with tech tycoons such as Elon Musk over their obligations to follow EU rules.
Breton was described by the State Department as the "mastermind" of the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), a major piece of legislation that imposes content moderation and other standards on major social media platforms operating in Europe.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on X his country "strongly condemns" the visa restrictions, adding that Europe "cannot let the rules governing their digital space be imposed by others upon them". 
The DSA has become a bitter rallying point for US conservatives who see it as a weapon of censorship against right-wing thought in Europe and beyond, an accusation the EU furiously denies.
"The Digital Services Act (DSA) was democratically adopted in Europe...  it has absolutely no extraterritorial reach and in no way affects the United States," Barrot said.
The DSA stipulates that major platforms must explain content-moderation decisions, provide transparency for users and ensure researchers can carry out essential work, such as understanding how much children are exposed to dangerous content.
Breton, who left the European Commission in 2024, on X slammed the ban as a "witch hunt," comparing the situation to the US McCarthy era when officials were chased out of government for alleged ties to communism.
"To our American friends: Censorship isn't where you think it is," he added.

'Extraterritorial overreach'

Washington has scaled up its attacks on EU regulations after Brussels earlier this month fined Musk's X for violating DSA rules on transparency in advertising and its methods for ensuring users were verified and actual people.
Last week the US government signaled that key European businesses could be targeted in response, listing Accenture, DHL, Mistral, Siemens and Spotify among others.
The visa ban also targeted Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that fights online hate, misinformation, and disinformation that also fell in the crosshairs of Musk after his takeover of Twitter, later renamed X.
Also subject to the ban were Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of HateAid, a German organization that the State Department said functions as a trusted flagger for enforcing the DSA.
Clare Melford, who leads the UK-based Global Disinformation Index (GDI), rounded out the group.
Washington is also attacking the UK's Online Safety Act, Britain's equivalent of the DSA that seeks to impose content moderation requirements on major social media platforms.
The White House last week suspended implementation of a tech cooperation deal with Britain, saying it was in opposition to the UK's tech rules.
"President Trump has been clear that his America First foreign policy rejects violations of American sovereignty," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
"Extraterritorial overreach by foreign censors targeting American speech is no exception," he added.
lb-arp/mlm/ceg/abs

music

UK police say no action against Bob Vylan duo over Israel army chant

  • In a statement posted to their Instagram feed following their Glastonbury appearance, Bob Vylan said "we are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people.
  • British police said Tuesday they were taking no action against punk-rap duo Bob Vylan, who led a Glastonbury festival crowd in chants of "Death to the IDF" -- the Israeli military.
  • In a statement posted to their Instagram feed following their Glastonbury appearance, Bob Vylan said "we are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people.
British police said Tuesday they were taking no action against punk-rap duo Bob Vylan, who led a Glastonbury festival crowd in chants of "Death to the IDF" -- the Israeli military.
The musicians' exhortation -- made on June 28 at the open-air festival held in southwest England -- led to the BBC saying it would no longer live-broadcast musical performances deemed "high risk".
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had called the chant "appalling", and a German music venue that was to have hosted the duo months later cancelled their show.
The police responsible for the region covering Glastonbury said in a statement on Tuesday that, after reviewing the evidence, they concluded that Bob Vylan's act did not meet the threshold for a criminal prosecution.
"No further action will be taken on the basis there is insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction," they said.
The Avon and Somerset police service noted that Bob Vylan's chant "drew widespread anger" and "every potential criminal offence was thoroughly considered" before determining that prosecution was not viable.
Israel's embassy reacted with disappointment to the decision, saying on X that "vile calls for violence, repeated openly and without remorse, continue to fall on deaf ears".
It added that "failing to act only emboldens those who seek to harm Jews".
In a statement posted to their Instagram feed following their Glastonbury appearance, Bob Vylan said "we are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine."
mhc/rmb/gv

court

UK comedian Russell Brand faces new rape, assault charges: police

  • Another charge relates to the oral rape and sexual assault of a woman in 2004 in central London.
  • UK police said two new charges, of rape and sexual assault, had been issued on Tuesday against British comedian and actor Russell Brand.
  • Another charge relates to the oral rape and sexual assault of a woman in 2004 in central London.
UK police said two new charges, of rape and sexual assault, had been issued on Tuesday against British comedian and actor Russell Brand.
The media personality turned anti-establishment influencer already pleaded not guilty in May to five charges -- one count of rape, one of oral rape, two of sexual assault and one of indecent assault between 1999 and 2005.
"These new charges are in relation to two further women and are in addition to the charges issued to Brand in April 2025 which involved four women," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
It stressed the total charges now related to six women after further police investigations.
Brand, 50, the ex-husband of US singer Katy Perry, has been summoned to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on January 20 to face the two new charges. 
A trial is set to begin at Southwark Crown Court on June 16 on the five original charges.
On X, after the new charges against him were announced, Brand said he felt "blessed" to "have the opportunity to atone for the many things over the years I did wrong" and for being able "to ensure that people understand the truth of my situation".
He said: "I pray Lord that anyone that I've harmed or hurt in my years of mindlessness in sin would be healed."

Investigation ongoing

Prosecutors charged Brand following a police probe into allegations aired in a Channel 4 documentary.
He is accused of raping one woman in a hotel room following an event in the southern Bournemouth area in 1999.
Another charge relates to the oral rape and sexual assault of a woman in 2004 in central London.
After those initial charges, Brand posted a video to social media saying "I never was a rapist. I've never engaged in non-consensual activity".
Detective Chief Inspector Tariq Farooqi said that the women who have reported Brand's alleged behaviour "continue to receive support from specially trained officers".
He added the police investigation was ongoing and urged "anyone affected by this case, or anyone with information, to come forward".
Born in 1975 to working-class parents in Essex, east of London, Brand began his stand-up career as a teenager, eventually working as an MTV presenter and host of a Big Brother spin-off. 
He presented a show on the BBC's Radio 2 station between 2006 and 2008, but quit after an on-air prank when he left a sexually explicit voicemail for "Fawlty Towers" actor Andrew Sachs about his granddaughter.
Once a left-leaning political campaigner and Hollywood star, he has rebranded himself as a conservative guru to his millions of social media followers.
Last year, he said he became a Christian after being baptised in the Thames river.
jkb/rh/rmb/gv

celebrity

For director Josh Safdie, 'Marty Supreme' and Timothee Chalamet are one and the same

BY ANTOINE GUY

  • - 'More than just an actor' - "Marty Supreme", loosely based on the life of table tennis star Marty Reisman, tells the story of a man driven by the belief that he can achieve fame and fortune through a sport little known in the United States.
  • Pulling out the stops in a high-octane promotional campaign, Timothee Chalamet has fully immersed himself in the role of "Marty Supreme", a 1950s table tennis player consumed by grand ambitions, says director Josh Safdie. 
  • - 'More than just an actor' - "Marty Supreme", loosely based on the life of table tennis star Marty Reisman, tells the story of a man driven by the belief that he can achieve fame and fortune through a sport little known in the United States.
Pulling out the stops in a high-octane promotional campaign, Timothee Chalamet has fully immersed himself in the role of "Marty Supreme", a 1950s table tennis player consumed by grand ambitions, says director Josh Safdie. 
The unlikely story of an American table tennis champion has become an end-of-year cinematic event in the United States, where it's due to be released on Thursday, with Chalamet-headed publicity garnering fevered attention. 
Safdie said the 29-year-old Franco-American actor was tailor-made for the title role and wholly committed to the project from the get-go.
From his first meeting with Chalamet, the US filmmaker sensed what he described as "a different kind of energy". 
"He couldn't stand still," Safdie recalled in an interview with the press in France earlier this month. 
"He had a really intense energy. He had this idea of himself. He was Timmy Supreme," the director said, admiring the actor's absolute confidence in his own talent. 
Ahead of the film's release, Chalamet has staged a series of press-grabbing stunts, appearing surrounded by an entourage sporting orange, ping-pong-ball-shaped heads and handing out jackets emblazoned with "Marty Supreme" that have become a coveted fashion statement.
"This is a movie about sacrifice and the pursuit of a dream," the actor said in an appearance on US TV host Jimmy Fallon's show. 
"We live in a bleak time, especially for young people, and the film is an attempt at an antidote to that and to continue to dream big."

'More than just an actor'

"Marty Supreme", loosely based on the life of table tennis star Marty Reisman, tells the story of a man driven by the belief that he can achieve fame and fortune through a sport little known in the United States.
"Marty has a purpose. He has a dream... He is in service of this thing," Safdie said. 
"It's his goal and it's his passion and it's his job to elevate the sport of ping pong. That's what makes him great" even if, at times, that pursuit leads him down a dead-end path.
"Shooting a sport that's never really been put on film before" presented a challenge, the director said. 
Chalamet was "involved very early" in the film, even "before there was a script" six years ago, he added. 
"He was a collaborator on the film more than just an actor," said the filmmaker.
Chalamet -- the "Dune" superstar who recently portrayed Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown" -- is both "very funny and physical" as an actor, Safdie said.
"He's a dancer," Safdie said.
The actor trained rigorously in table tennis for the role and the match scenes reach heights of tension unexpected for the sport. 
"It involved really intense choreography," said Safdie, admitting he broke into a few cold sweats while preparing for the shoot.
Safdie pored over hours of match footage from the 1940s to the 1970s, meticulously breaking down every point that caught his attention. 
Then, he recalled, "they would play the points" in endless takes -- with or without the ball -- repeating choreography timed "down to the microsecond". 
agu/jmo/sw/gil

games

'Call of Duty' co-creator Vince Zampella killed in car crash

  • - Profound, far-reaching - Zampella was best known for co-creating the "Call of Duty" franchise and founding Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind "Titanfall," "Apex Legends," and the "Star Wars Jedi" games.
  • Vince Zampella, the acclaimed co-creator of video gaming juggernaut "Call of Duty," has died in a car crash, gaming giant Electronic Arts confirmed on Monday.
  • - Profound, far-reaching - Zampella was best known for co-creating the "Call of Duty" franchise and founding Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind "Titanfall," "Apex Legends," and the "Star Wars Jedi" games.
Vince Zampella, the acclaimed co-creator of video gaming juggernaut "Call of Duty," has died in a car crash, gaming giant Electronic Arts confirmed on Monday. He was 55.
The developer and executive died on Sunday while driving his Ferrari on a scenic road north of Los Angeles, according to local broadcaster NBC4. 
"For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed," the California Highway Patrol said in a statement, without identifying the two victims in the crash.
The CHP added that both the driver and a passenger who was ejected from the vehicle succumbed to their injuries. 
Witnesses posted video of the mangled cherry-red Ferarri, engulfed in flames, on the mountain road. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
His studios created some of the world's best-selling video games, and Zampella was considered an innovator in first-person military shooter style games. 
This year, when his "Battlefield 6" video game set a new sales record for the franchise, Zampella expressed gratitude, saying "we never take moments like this for granted" -- despite a long career of success in gaming. 
The mass-combat game has won over 100 million players in the past two decades, in its various iterations. 
And yet, that number isn't a first. To this day, "Call of Duty" boasts more than 100 milion active players, monthly.
"You have that dream of the game being popular, but I don't think you're ever ready for that level of success," Zampella told gaming site IGN in a 2016 interview.

Profound, far-reaching

Zampella was best known for co-creating the "Call of Duty" franchise and founding Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind "Titanfall," "Apex Legends," and the "Star Wars Jedi" games.
After starting out in the 1990s as a designer on shooter games, he co-founded Infinity Ward in 2002 and helped launch "Call of Duty" in 2003. Activision later acquired his studio.
He left Activision under contentious circumstances and established Respawn in 2010, which Electronic Arts acquired in 2017.
At EA, he eventually took charge of revitalizing the "Battlefield" franchise, cementing his reputation as one of the most influential figures in modern first-person shooter games.
"This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince's family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work," Electronic Arts said in a statement.
"Vince's influence on the video game industry was profound and far-reaching," the company said, adding that "his work helped shape modern interactive entertainment."
A statement by Respawn, posted on the "Battlefield" X account, praised Zampella "for how he showed up every day, trusting his teams, encouraging bold ideas, and believing in Battlefield and the people building it."
Zampella "championed what he believed was right for the people behind those studios and our players because it mattered."
"It was a bold, transgressive method of storytelling, of a moment in time that was political, that was violent and that was impactful," Washington Post video game reporter Gene Park told NBC4.
"He really knew how to create stories and create experiences, that really hit at the heart of human experience -- whether it was terror, dread, heroism. I think he was really able to kindof encapsulate that through the designs of the video games that he made," Park said.
arp/aha/sla/jgc

music

US singer Barry Manilow reveals lung cancer diagnosis

  • Manilow continued by saying he was planning to undergo surgery to remove the cancer, cancelling shows scheduled for the rest of December and January as a result. 
  • US singer-songwriter Barry Manilow announced Monday he has been diagnosed with lung cancer, with plans to surgically treat the disease. 
  • Manilow continued by saying he was planning to undergo surgery to remove the cancer, cancelling shows scheduled for the rest of December and January as a result. 
US singer-songwriter Barry Manilow announced Monday he has been diagnosed with lung cancer, with plans to surgically treat the disease. 
The Grammy winner, 82, said in a post on Instagram that an MRI ordered after an extended bout of bronchitis "discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed." 
"It's pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early," he added. 
Manilow continued by saying he was planning to undergo surgery to remove the cancer, cancelling shows scheduled for the rest of December and January as a result. 
"The doctors do not believe it has spread and I'm taking tests to confirm their diagnosis," Manilow said. 
"No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns." 
The soft rock singer, best known for his series of hits during the 1970s including "Copacabana" and "I Write the Songs," said he intends to return to performing by mid-February 2026.
"I'm counting the days until I return to my home away from home at the Westgate Las Vegas for our Valentine's weekend concerts on February 12-13-14," he said in his statement.
"Something tells me that February weekend is going to be one big party!"
jgc/aha

games

'Call of Duty' co-creator Vince Zampella killed in car crash

  • Zampella was best known for co-creating the "Call of Duty" franchise and founding Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind "Titanfall," "Apex Legends," and the "Star Wars Jedi" games.
  • Vince Zampella, the acclaimed co-creator of the video gaming juggernaut "Call of Duty," has died in a car crash, gaming giant Electronic Arts confirmed on Monday.
  • Zampella was best known for co-creating the "Call of Duty" franchise and founding Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind "Titanfall," "Apex Legends," and the "Star Wars Jedi" games.
Vince Zampella, the acclaimed co-creator of the video gaming juggernaut "Call of Duty," has died in a car crash, gaming giant Electronic Arts confirmed on Monday.
According to local broadcaster NBC4, the developer and executive died on Sunday while driving his Ferrari on a scenic road north of Los Angeles. His studios created some of the world's best-selling video games.
"For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed," the California Highway Patrol said in a statement, without identifying the two victims in the crash.
The CHP added that both the driver and a passenger who was ejected from the vehicle succumbed to their injuries.
Zampella was best known for co-creating the "Call of Duty" franchise and founding Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind "Titanfall," "Apex Legends," and the "Star Wars Jedi" games.
After starting out in the 1990s as a designer on shooter games, he co-founded Infinity Ward in 2002 and helped launch "Call of Duty" in 2003. Activision later acquired his studio.
He left Activision under contentious circumstances and established Respawn in 2010, which Electronic Arts acquired in 2017.
At EA, he eventually took charge of revitalizing the "Battlefield" franchise, cementing his reputation as one of the most influential figures in modern first-person shooter games.
"This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince's family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work," Electronic Arts said in a statement.
"Vince's influence on the video game industry was profound and far-reaching," the company said, adding that "his work helped shape modern interactive entertainment."
A statement by Respawn, posted on the "Battlefield" X account, praised Zampella "for how he showed up every day, trusting his teams, encouraging bold ideas, and believing in Battlefield and the people building it."
Zampella "championed what he believed was right for the people behind those studios and our players because it mattered."
arp/aha

music

From misfits to MAGA: Nicki Minaj's political whiplash

BY FRANKIE TAGGART

  • Minaj has long resisted tidy labels, cloaking herself in alter egos and irony. 
  • Nicki Minaj long reigned as pop's unruliest shape-shifter -- a hyper-sexual, neon-bright provocateur whose latex-clad persona, explicit lyrics and affinity with outsiders made her a global icon.
  • Minaj has long resisted tidy labels, cloaking herself in alter egos and irony. 
Nicki Minaj long reigned as pop's unruliest shape-shifter -- a hyper-sexual, neon-bright provocateur whose latex-clad persona, explicit lyrics and affinity with outsiders made her a global icon.
Today, she commands a different spotlight -- conservatively dressed, warmly received by Republican activists and increasingly fluent in the language of Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement.
In just a few years, Minaj, 43, has moved from condemning the US president's immigration policies to praising his leadership, trading memes with his vice president and appearing under US government auspices at the United Nations.
She has mocked Democratic officials, echoed Republican messaging on transgender youth, and emerged as an unlikely darling of the MAGA right -- a turn that has jolted fans, particularly within the LGBTQ community.
The shift has recast Minaj as a lightning rod -- particularly over rhetoric viewed as dismissive or hostile toward trans people -- while making her an improbable guest at political events few would have linked to the artist behind "Super Freaky Girl" and "Trollz."
"Nicki Minaj has always been about dominance, independence and answering to no one," celebrity branding expert Jeetendr Sehdev told AFP.
"Aligning with the energy around Donald Trump isn't about policy -- it's about freedom of expression, resisting cancellation and asserting autonomy."
Minaj's transformation was on full display at Turning Point USA's weekend conference in Arizona, where she shared the stage with Erika Kirk -- the widow of the group's slain founder, Charlie Kirk -- and hailed Trump as a "role model." 
She mocked California Governor Gavin Newsom, using nicknames popularized by Trump.
The contrast is jarring -- not only politically, but culturally. Hip-hop, though never monolithic, has largely leaned progressive. 
Stars like Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion and Lizzo have backed Democratic candidates, while a smaller cohort -- including Lil Wayne and Kodak Black -- stand out as Trump-friendly exceptions.

'Childish'

Gone was the shock-and-awe star in latex and wigs when she sat down in Phoenix. In her place sat a composed figure steeped in conservative grievance and moral certainty.
Her remarks drew fierce backlash for comments on transgender youth that critics say mirror Republican framing of gender-affirming care as a threat to children.
"For boys: boys, be boys... There's nothing wrong with being a boy," she told the crowd, urging a return to traditional gender norms.
It was a sharp departure from the artist who once celebrated fluid identities and cultivated one of pop's most queer-friendly fan bases.
Her evolution did not happen overnight. Minaj has long resisted tidy labels, cloaking herself in alter egos and irony. 
She once rapped about voting Republican, then brushed it off as sarcasm. She called Trump "childish," even as she admitted finding him entertaining.
During Trump's first term, she condemned family separations at the US–Mexico border -- invoking her own arrival in the United States as an undocumented child from Trinidad and Tobago -- and later celebrated Joe Biden's election victory. 
But the shift towards MAGA gathered pace during the Covid-19 pandemic, when she questioned vaccine safety in ways that echoed conservative skepticism and drew public rebukes from health officials.

'The cool kids'

From there, her rhetoric hardened and Minaj has increasingly aligned with administration messaging -- reposting White House videos set to her music and appearing alongside senior officials.
She has also appeared under US diplomatic auspices at the United Nations, speaking about violence against Christians in Nigeria -- an issue experts say is more complex than often portrayed.
The aesthetic shift rivals the political one -- the artist who once weaponized excess now favoring restraint, sitting comfortably among Republican operatives and conservative influencers. 
At the Arizona conference, she joked that she and her allies were "the cool kids."
Supporters say Minaj is simply exercising independence, refusing to be boxed in by expectations tied to her gender, race or fan base.
Critics counter that independence does not excuse language that marginalizes vulnerable groups -- especially from an artist whose career was built on challenging norms, not reinforcing them.
"She will polarize people, but that won't weaken a brand like hers -- it will likely amplify it," Sehdev, the Hollywood branding expert, told AFP. 
"It filters out passive fans and deepens loyalty among those who admire strength over approval."
ft/md

politics

UK's street artist Banksy unveils latest mural in London

  • Banksy, whose real identity has not been revealed, posted an image of the work on his official Instagram account on Monday. 
  • British street artist Banksy unveiled his latest work in central London on Monday amid speculation over an identical second work which has appeared elsewhere in the city.
  • Banksy, whose real identity has not been revealed, posted an image of the work on his official Instagram account on Monday. 
British street artist Banksy unveiled his latest work in central London on Monday amid speculation over an identical second work which has appeared elsewhere in the city.
The black and white mural painted on the side of an old building in Bayswater shows two people, probably children, in winter hats and wellington boots lying down, looking up and pointing to the sky.
Banksy, whose real identity has not been revealed, posted an image of the work on his official Instagram account on Monday. 
A wide angle photo of the artwork at Queen's Mews, in Bayswater, made it look as if the people in the image are lying on top of a corrugated-iron roof garage, part way up a two-storey building. 
In the photo on Banksy's Instagram post, there is an overflowing skip in an alleyway next to the garage, spilling its rubbish onto the pavement.
Above the building towers a crane, with a red light visible at night at the top -- perhaps an allusion to a Christmas tree.
An almost identical artwork also appeared a few miles away under the multi-storey Centre Point building in Tottenham Court Road, where the two children can be seen looking up at the London skyscraper. 
Both images attracted interest from passers-by and generated much speculation on social media throughout Monday about whether Banksy was behind them. 
But by 4:00 pm only the Queens Mews artwork had been posted on Banksy's social media.
In September, the artist took aim at the UK's crackdown on protesters with a new work outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, adding fuel to a free-speech row roiling the country.
The artist posted an image of the work, which features a judge wielding a gavel over a protester on the ground holding a blood-splattered placard, on his Instagram page.
The work was later covered by black plastic sheets and two metal barriers.
It appeared after hundreds of people were arrested at a demonstration against a ban on the activist group Palestine Action.
In May this year, one of his paintings, which reimagines Jack Vettriano's famous "The Singing Butler", sold for nearly 4.3 million pounds ($5.5 million) at an auction in London, auction house Sotheby's said.
mp/jkb/gil

music

UK singer Chris Rea dies at 74, days before Christmas

  • His 1986 track "Driving Home for Christmas" became synonymous with the festive season, often reappearing in the British singles chart in December.
  • British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, best known for the 1980s festive hit "Driving Home for Christmas", has died at the age of 74, his family announced on Monday.
  • His 1986 track "Driving Home for Christmas" became synonymous with the festive season, often reappearing in the British singles chart in December.
British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, best known for the 1980s festive hit "Driving Home for Christmas", has died at the age of 74, his family announced on Monday.
"It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris," a spokesperson for his wife and two children said in a statement shared with UK media.
"He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family."
A post on his official social media channels added: "Chris's music has created the soundtrack to many lives, and his legacy will live on through the songs he leaves behind." 
No further details were immediately provided.
The musician, born in 1951 in Middlesbrough, northeast England, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had his pancreas removed in 2001, and in 2016 he suffered a stroke.
He first found fame in Britain in the late 1970s with "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", following up in the 1980s with "Let's Dance" and "The Road to Hell".
Known for his gravelly voice and slide guitar-playing, he recorded 25 solo albums -- two of which topped the UK albums chart -- while he also earned a Grammy nomination early in his career.
His 1986 track "Driving Home for Christmas" became synonymous with the festive season, often reappearing in the British singles chart in December.
In recent weeks it had reached number 30 and also featured in the Christmas advert for supermarket chain Marks & Spencer.
The song "tells the story of a weary traveller making his way home, a moment of warmth, humour and holiday spirit that's never lost its magic", according to Rea's website.
In interviews, he has revealed he wrote the song during a difficult period eight years earlier when his manager had left him, he had been banned from driving and his wife was behind the wheel.
"I'd look across at the other drivers, who all looked so miserable," he previously said.
"Jokingly, I started singing 'We're driving home for Christmas...' then, whenever the street lights shone inside the car, I started writing down the lyrics."
His hometown football club, Middlesbrough FC, posted on X that it was "deeply saddened" by news of his death, calling him "a Teesside icon".
jj/jkb/jxb

WarnerBros

Billionaire Ellison offers personal guarantee for son's bid for Warner Bros

  • But Warner Bros last week described the Paramount offer as risky, saying it was backed by "an unknown and opaque revocable trust" and involved "no Ellison family commitment of any kind."
  • Oracle tech tycoon Larry Ellison is offering a $40.4 billion personal guarantee to back Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros.
  • But Warner Bros last week described the Paramount offer as risky, saying it was backed by "an unknown and opaque revocable trust" and involved "no Ellison family commitment of any kind."
Oracle tech tycoon Larry Ellison is offering a $40.4 billion personal guarantee to back Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, deepening a bidding war with Netflix, a statement said on Monday.
The amended proposal, worth a total $108 billion from the company run by Ellison's son David, addresses concerns raised by Warner Bros' board, which saw the Paramount bid as too risky and asked shareholders to accept a competing buyout offer from Netflix.
Netflix shocked the industry December 5 by announcing it had sealed an agreement to buy the film and television studio and HBO Max streaming business for nearly $83 billion, the entertainment industry's biggest consolidation deal this decade.
Three days later, Paramount -- whose CEO is David Ellison, son of Larry Ellison, an ally of President Donald Trump -- launched an all-cash tender offer valuing the entertainment giant at $108.4 billion.
But Warner Bros last week described the Paramount offer as risky, saying it was backed by "an unknown and opaque revocable trust" and involved "no Ellison family commitment of any kind."
Warner Bros Discovery also stressed the dependence of the Paramount offer on foreign investors -- $24 billion of the financing comes from Middle East sovereign wealth funds -- which could require further government approval.
Paramount's amended proposal is meant to address those concerns and also increases the breakup fee to match Netflix's $5.8 billion, which would be payable to Warner Bros if its offer does not clear regulatory review.
"Paramount has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to acquiring WBD," said David Ellison. "Our $30 per share, fully financed all-cash offer... continues to be the superior option to maximize value for WBD shareholders."
Unlike Netflix's offer, Paramount's bid includes the buyout of cable channels such as CNN, TNT, TBS and Discovery -- which would be added to its group of TV assets like CBS, MTV and Comedy Central.

Trump weighs in

The bidding war that will reshape Hollywood and US media has drawn White House attention.
Trump has repeatedly weighed in, saying Netflix's deal "could be a problem" as it would leave Netflix with a huge market share of the film and TV industry.
But he has also railed against coverage of the White House from Paramount-owned CBS News, saying neither bidder for Warner Bros had his preference.
He has stressed the importance that CNN gets new ownership as part of the Warner Bros sale, targeting the outlet he has long criticized for what he calls "fake news."
Both Paramount and Netflix have lobbied the White House directly, with David Ellison also making conservative-friendly changes at CBS News.
Since taking over Paramount earlier this year, the company has appointed journalist Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News.
Weiss is a prominent critic of what she calls bias in mainstream media, and the appointment won praise from conservatives.
On Monday, Weiss was accused by a CBS News staff member of pulling a planned segment on an El Salvador maximum-security prison where the Trump administration sent hundreds of Venezuelan migrants.
arp/md

censorship

Banned film exposes Hong Kong's censorship trend, director says

BY HOLMES CHAN

  • Censors banned 13 films, citing national security reasons, between 2021 and July this year, while 50 films were "required to be modified", the office told AFP. Hong Kong banned no films between 2016 and 2020, but that figure jumped to 10 in 2023.
  • After four months of restless waiting, filmmaker Kiwi Chow received a dreaded, but not altogether unexpected, message: Hong Kong censors had banned his new movie from reaching the big screen.
  • Censors banned 13 films, citing national security reasons, between 2021 and July this year, while 50 films were "required to be modified", the office told AFP. Hong Kong banned no films between 2016 and 2020, but that figure jumped to 10 in 2023.
After four months of restless waiting, filmmaker Kiwi Chow received a dreaded, but not altogether unexpected, message: Hong Kong censors had banned his new movie from reaching the big screen.
The 46-year-old's career, which took off in 2015 with an award-winning dystopian tale, encapsulates how a film industry once known for its audacious spirit and sardonic humour has dimmed to leave artists describing a creative straitjacket. 
His latest thriller "Deadline" tells the story of an elite school rattled by warnings of an impending suicide, Chow told AFP in an interview on Wednesday, describing the work as an allegory for hyper-competition under capitalism. 
The movie was filmed in Taiwan but set in what Chow called an "imaginary world".
"(Censors) determined that it was 'contrary to the interests of national security'... But how? Nobody gave an explanation," the director said, calling the decision "absurd".
Beijing imposed a strict national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the finance hub. Film censorship rules were tightened a year later.
After that, Chow said, the film industry stepped up self-censorship.
"If it involves Hong Kong's real political situation, absolutely no one will make a movie about it," he said.
Asked about "Deadline", the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration said it would not comment on individual applications.
Censors banned 13 films, citing national security reasons, between 2021 and July this year, while 50 films were "required to be modified", the office told AFP.
Hong Kong banned no films between 2016 and 2020, but that figure jumped to 10 in 2023.
Chow said he believes his film was rejected not because of its content, but because his years flouting Beijing's taboos have put him on an informal blacklist.
"I want to collaborate with actors, seek out locations and investors, but it is very difficult," he said.
"I felt so lonely," he said of making "Deadline".

Decade in hindsight

On December 17, 2015, "Ten Years" premiered in Hong Kong and showcased five dystopian vignettes -- including one directed by Chow -- at a time when many residents feared Beijing's growing political influence in the semi-autonomous city.
Speaking to AFP exactly 10 years later, Chow recalled how crowds flocked to community screenings after some mainstream cinemas refused to show the film.
"Many people felt that 'Ten Years' depicted Hong Kong's predicament... and how freedoms could be lost. (They felt) this was prophesied in the film and it came true," Chow said.
Chow's segment of the film, titled "Self-immolator", ends with a fictional elderly woman dousing herself in petrol and flicking a lighter.
"The self-immolator was a symbol of sacrifice. I wanted to ask Hong Kongers: 'How much are you willing to sacrifice for values like freedom and justice?'" he said, adding that his ideas on sacrifice are shaped by his Christian faith.
He said he got his answer during the 2019 pro-democracy protests, which were unprecedented in scale and ferocity and led to more than 10,200 arrests and more than 2,000 people sanctioned by law.
In 2019, Chow was near the end of the production cycle of a romantic drama film, but he also shot extensive footage of the protests that would become the documentary "Revolution of Our Times".
The documentary premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in July 2021, but Chow never tried to screen it in Hong Kong and kept the entire production team anonymous.
"After making 'Revolution of Our Times', I expected not to be able to make movies for quite a long time, and was mentally prepared to go to jail," he said.

'Risk'

While the documentary did not land Chow in prison, the filmmaker said he paid a steep price as investors and collaborators deserted him, almost dooming "Deadline".
Chow said he could not secure a single Hong Kong school as a filming location, prompting him to move the production to Taiwan, where the film was released last month.
The long-awaited Hong Kong censorship decision came as a blow, particularly for the film's commercial prospects.
"The government took an official stance that this film was contrary to the interest of national security, which could be a first (for me), and adds some level of risk and anxiety," Chow said.
Some of Chow's supporters in Hong Kong travelled to Taiwan for special screenings of "Deadline", though one organiser said he was searched by customs upon his return.
Hong Kong customs declined to comment on individual cases.
Chow did not want to "abandon" his city despite feeling that political censorship was creating headwinds for his work. 
"Maybe I will lower my budget or change the script," he said.
"As long as (the film) can be made in Hong Kong, then I haven't given up."
hol/dhw/ceg/lb

festival

A night out on the town during Nigeria's 'Detty December'

BY LESLIE FAUVEL

  • Two pole dancers put on a show in seasonal red-and-white fur boots and red satin bodysuits.
  • The first winds of west Africa's Harmattan dry season are in the air, and Lagos, the economic capital of the continent's most populous country, is abuzz.
  • Two pole dancers put on a show in seasonal red-and-white fur boots and red satin bodysuits.
The first winds of west Africa's Harmattan dry season are in the air, and Lagos, the economic capital of the continent's most populous country, is abuzz.
It's "Detty December", when the city turns into a site of pilgrimage for Nigerians and those in the diaspora to make their way home for the holidays -- and party.
The frenetic mega-city, churning with some 20 million people on a normal day, swells each year as it absorbs the newcomers.
AFP reporters spent a night out on the town on a recent December evening to document a city known for its excess exploding into full-blown extravagance.

6:00 pm

The sun is setting over Ilubirin, a half-finished housing estate being constructed on sand-filled land reclaimed from the swampy Lagos lagoon.
Things have yet to get debaucherous or "dirty" -- the English word which Nigerian Pidgin, with its sonorous accent, deftly spun into "detty".
But the night is still young.
Technicians were still setting up spotlights among the sea of unfinished buildings as the first arrivals made their way to the "Detty December Festival", which was hosting three weeks straight of performances and concerts.
"After the whole hustle and bustle, working all year round, Detty December is the time I have to just come out, enjoy myself and just let loose," said Chioma Chinweze, a 33-year-old marketing consultant with straightened hair worn in a bob.

8:00 pm

Acrobats dressed in white were performing around a moon suspended by a crane, above a small but growing audience.
"This one's going to be bigger than last year," Taiwo Akintunji, a nurse who has lived in Los Angeles for the past two decades, told AFP of the citywide festivities.
While many trek in from across the country or from the diaspora in Europe and the United States, some hotel owners also report growing numbers of foreign tourists as the annual fete grows.

11:30 pm

On Victoria Island, a ritzy neighbourhood where Lagos's old money mixes with new, the party was getting under way at Mr. Panther, a lounge six floors up from the streets below.
"This month, everyone goes crazy. All the clubs are opening, new clubs are opening, new restaurants are opening," said manager Charbel Abi Habib.
"To be very honest and very straightforward, the money is made during Detty December."
A woman in a black minidress was scrolling through her phone, when a man next to her, dressed in black with a cigar dangling from his mouth, slipped two $100 bills in her cleavage -- she popped up to start dancing, as bottles of champagne circulated the club.
The bathrooms are decorated with faux marble, and the image of a black panther with a yellow eye fixed on customers as they freshen up.
"The Nigerian economy is very tight. And living in Nigeria is not really the best. But December is where you are just carefree," said Michelle Wobo, a 32-year-old make-up artist.

2:00 am

For the last two years, the country -- already known for its brutal inequality -- has been battered by double digit inflation, characterised as the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Across the north, meanwhile, a spate of mass kidnappings reminiscent of Boko Haram's 2014 abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok recently led the president to declare a "national emergency".
But none of that anxiety was apparent as guests started to filter out of Mr. Panther.
They weren’t on their way home, instead making their way upstairs to Guestlist, a club that opened just two weeks ago.
Two pole dancers put on a show in seasonal red-and-white fur boots and red satin bodysuits.
"I feel the safest I've ever been," said Liberty Mini, a 33-year-old interior decorator originally from Burundi, who has lived in Lagos for three years.

4:00 am

At Vein, a nightclub not far off, Tiwa Savage, one of Nigeria's biggest Afrobeats stars, took to the mic.
Women in string bikini bottoms and sequined pasties covering their nipples were dancing among swirling hookah smoke, as men tossed banknotes in the air.
The practice is officially banned -- the "spraying" of bills, that is, not the barely clad bumping and grinding.

5:00 am

Babatunde Olabode took in some fresh air in the car park, among the Mercedes Benzes and Lamborghinis.
The 40-year-old real-estate agent figured he would stay out another hour, "then I go to bed".
"Party continues tomorrow," he added.
fvl/nro/sn/kjm

Bollywood

India's Bollywood counts costs as star fees squeeze profits

BY SEEMA SINHA

  • "The kind of demands stars make is obnoxious."
  • From fleets of private trailers to personal chefs and sprawling entourages, Bollywood stars' "obnoxious" demands are driving up production costs and putting a strain on the Indian film industry's finances, insiders say.
  • "The kind of demands stars make is obnoxious."
From fleets of private trailers to personal chefs and sprawling entourages, Bollywood stars' "obnoxious" demands are driving up production costs and putting a strain on the Indian film industry's finances, insiders say.
Bollywood has long been unpredictable at the box office and the pandemic compounded problems, but producers argue that today's losses stem less from creative failure and more from top artists' runaway expenses.
"It is not so much about production cost -- it is more about star fees," says producer Ramesh Taurani, best known for the successful Race action franchise.
Actors, filmmakers say, increasingly arrive on set with a dozen-strong entourage -- including makeup artists, hairdressers, stylists, gym trainers and assistants -- all billed to production.
Stars are paid hefty fees of up to $22.18 million per film but additional requests for first-class travel, five-star hotels, multiple private trailers and work-shy hours have become routine.
"Expansive support teams, premium travel and luxury accommodations often inflate budgets without proportionate creative impact," said veteran producer Mukesh Bhatt. "The kind of demands stars make is obnoxious."
Distributor and trade analyst Raj Bansal added: "One actor usually comes with 10 to 15 staff members.
"Earlier, actors wouldn't mind sharing one vanity van. Then they decided to give one vanity van each to a big star -- and demand went on increasing."
A single trailer hired for the duration of a film shoot can cost as much $18,000. For some actors, insiders say, demanding more has become a status symbol.

'Self-respect'

Bollywood has always been considered high-risk, producing more flops than hits, but producers say the balance has tipped sharply as star-driven costs spiral beyond what box office returns can sustain.
The fragile model was shaken after the pandemic, when streaming platforms bought films at inflated prices. 
When those deals dried up, producers faced a painful course correction as income plunged but actors' demands stayed elevated. And that problem continues today.
Competition has also intensified. 
"Audience behaviour has matured, streaming platforms have broadened horizons and regional cinema has elevated creative standards," says Bhatt.
"Yet, alongside this progress, rising production costs -- particularly talent-driven budgets -- have introduced a significant strain. It is not the films that falter, but the economics that lose balance."
Actor-filmmaker Aamir Khan slammed stars for burdening producers with these costs.
"You earn in crores (tens of millions of rupees)," Khan said, in a September interview with the YouTube show Game Changers. "Where's your self-respect?"

'Power of storytelling'

Industry insiders say actors' demands also have a cascading effect, as stars seek to exceed each other's perks.
"A measured approach will allow us to redirect resources toward what truly defines cinema -- the power of storytelling," said Bhatt.
Producers have pushed for partnership-style compensation models.
"When a film thrives, every contributor should benefit," Bhatt said. "When it struggles, the weight should not rest solely on the producer, who shoulders risk from the very beginning."
The 2024 science fiction action film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan ("Big Mister, Little Mister"), starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, reportedly cost about $42 million. After poor ticket sales, producers were reported to have mortgaged property to cover debts.
There have been exceptions.
Actor Kartik Aaryan waived his fee for the 2023 action-comedy Shehzada, which tanked at the box office.
"If your star value and the entire project's value gives profit to the entire team, I think then the math adds up," Aaryan said. "If it doesn't, then you should take a cut."
Some producers argue that the industry must confront its own excesses.
"If the star fee and entourage is affecting your budget, then don't take stars," says actor-writer-producer Viveck Vaswani.
"I have made 40 films with 40 newcomers and have prospered. I took SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) when nobody wanted him. I cast Raveena Tandon when nobody knew her."
Vaswani, a longtime friend of Khan, notes that "SRK has no entourage cost, he pays his own", as does Akshay Kumar.
"Lots of them do that, they don't burden the producers," he said. "If you think your star is stronger than your script, you are wrong."
str/pjm/abh/dan

opera

Pets, pedis and peppermints: When the diva is a donkey

BY MAGGY DONALDSON

  • She's played roles in classic New York Metropolitan Opera productions including "La Boheme" and "The Barber of Seville" since 2022.
  • Traffic stops and hallways clear as the diva arrives, her attendants escorting her backstage ahead of her rendition of the role she's perfected over years of delighting audiences.
  • She's played roles in classic New York Metropolitan Opera productions including "La Boheme" and "The Barber of Seville" since 2022.
Traffic stops and hallways clear as the diva arrives, her attendants escorting her backstage ahead of her rendition of the role she's perfected over years of delighting audiences.
"You've got this, Wanda," one opera manager says as she heads inside.
Before the show, she gets a quick pedicure touch-up -- her hooves tend to pick up hay and debris.
Wanda is, after all, a donkey.
She's played roles in classic New York Metropolitan Opera productions including "La Boheme" and "The Barber of Seville" since 2022.
In Act II of "La Boheme" -- Puccini's popular if heartbreaking portrayal of 19th-century Paris -- Wanda joins hundreds of performers including diners, shoppers and vendors.
The donkey pulls the colorful cart of Parpignol, who peddles toys to children in the spectacular street market scene that also literally features a horse-drawn carriage.
But Wanda and her colleague Max -- the elegant brown horse who takes the stage after the donkey exits -- are pros, calmly hitting their marks.
Their handlers don cloaks alongside the animals during the performance, while Wanda's costume includes a magenta cone hat with multi-colored gems and a frilly collar.
As they wait in a holding area for their cues, Max usually naps, handler Angelina Borello told AFP during one performance. 
Wanda gets visits and pets from people including actor Gregory Warren, who plays Parpignol.
Wearing elaborate clown make-up, he pats his co-star lovingly.
"I think it comforts them a little bit just to know who's there and who's dressed like a clown," Warren said. "She's very chill. It's a lot of fun."
"It adds an energy, I think especially for the kids on the stage, to get to see a live animal in action in the middle of it all."

'Confidence'

Wanda debuted at the Met after her predecessor Sir Gabriel retired to Maryland, where he lives on a farm as a companion to a mare whose partner passed.
When she's scheduled for several opera roles in a short period, Wanda lives at stables in the New York borough of the Bronx to minimize her time on the road. 
When she has longer stretches off, she resides in upstate New York. 
She also has regular gigs in Palm Sunday processions in Manhattan.
"She's fabulous," said Nancy Novograd, the owner of the agency All Tame Animals.
Animals well-disposed to show business have similar qualities as people born to perform, Novograd said.
"What I'm looking for is confidence. I'm looking for an animal that can walk into an unusual environment and maintain its focus," she told AFP.
On any given day, Novograd's agency might be working on a commercial shoot with horses on the beach or waxworms appearing in a television show.
Stage manager Hester Warren-Steijn said the logistics of working with live animals is an intricate dance -- much like everything else backstage at the Met, home to a complex revolving stage with hydraulic lifts.
There's always a Plan B in case something goes awry, she said. The occasional allergy to equine hair crops up -- those singers stay away to protect their voices.

Post-show peppermints

Warren-Steijn said part of the job of including animals onstage at the Met is ensuring that "they are well-treated" and "taken care of."
Animal rights advocates over the years have protested the use of live animals in stage productions, especially in Europe. 
The German arm of PETA notably convinced the Berlin State Opera in 2022 to stop using guinea pigs in several performances of Wagner's "Ring Cycle."
At the Met, Warren-Steijn said the live animals in beloved productions like "La Boheme" are part of the grandeur and world-building that "this company does so well."
"People want to see it," she said. "This is the Met at its Mettiest."
According to Novograd, some animals simply aren't right for performance. When that's the case, it's quickly evident to her and the trainers she works with.
When "it's overwhelming," she said, "they should not be working."
But for some animals, "it's something different, it's stimulating," she continued.
"They get to be with the people they like to be with. They see new and different things."
When Wanda's done performing, the donkey, like many high-caliber artists, demands refreshments -- ideally lots of starlight peppermints.
But she gets her treats only after her stroll across the stage, which lasts approximately a minute.
Otherwise, Novograd said, "she'll be asking for them constantly."
mdo/iv

Canada

Third 'Avatar' film soars to top in N. American box office debut

  • "Fire and Ash" grossed $345 million worldwide in its opening weekend, and is expected to do very well abroad, according to David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
  • "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the third installment in James Cameron's blockbuster sci-fi fantasy series, debuted atop the North American box office with $88 million in ticket sales in the weekend before Christmas, industry estimates showed Sunday.
  • "Fire and Ash" grossed $345 million worldwide in its opening weekend, and is expected to do very well abroad, according to David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash," the third installment in James Cameron's blockbuster sci-fi fantasy series, debuted atop the North American box office with $88 million in ticket sales in the weekend before Christmas, industry estimates showed Sunday.
"Fire and Ash" grossed $345 million worldwide in its opening weekend, and is expected to do very well abroad, according to David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
The "Avatar" films "connect everywhere around the world," Gross said, adding that the 20th Century movie -- like its predecessors -- would likely rev up on "outstanding word-of-mouth."
"The openings are not what the Avatar movies are about. It's what they do after they open," Gross said.
The movie once again stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and ex-Marine Jake Sully, who must battle a new foe threatening their family's life on Pandora.
Debuting in second place with $20 million was "David," an animated retelling of the biblical David and Goliath story from Angel Studios, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations reported.
In third place with $19 million was Lionsgate's "The Housemaid," a film version of Freida McFadden's best-selling novel about a young woman (Sydney Sweeney) who is hired by a wealthy couple (Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar) with troubling secrets.
Paramount's family-friendly animated "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" -- based on the popular Nickelodeon TV show -- opened in fourth place at $16 million.
And in fifth place was Disney's feel-good animated film "Zootopia 2," which earned $14.5 million. The Oscar contender has so far taken in $1.27 billion worldwide.
Rounding out the top 10 are:
"Five Nights at Freddy's 2" ($7.3 million)
"Wicked: For Good" ($4.3 million)
"Dhurandhar" ($2.5 million)
"Marty Supreme" ($875,000)
"Hamnet" ($850,000)
bur-sst/md

culture

Burning effigy, bamboo crafts at once-a-decade Hong Kong festival

BY TOMMY WANG

  • Dazzlingly illuminated boards around the village proclaim hopes for good weather and abundant harvests.
  • Chanting villagers parade a giant effigy through the alleys of rural Hong Kong before setting it ablaze in a once-in-a-decade ceremony to ward off bad luck and appease their ancestors.
  • Dazzlingly illuminated boards around the village proclaim hopes for good weather and abundant harvests.
Chanting villagers parade a giant effigy through the alleys of rural Hong Kong before setting it ablaze in a once-in-a-decade ceremony to ward off bad luck and appease their ancestors.
Residents of Kam Tin decked out their northern corner of the city with towering flower boards and a vast bamboo stage for the Taoist Jiao festival which dates back over 300 years.
The five-storey-tall, 42,000-square-foot stage won a Guinness World Record this month for being the biggest temporary bamboo structure and carries deeper resonance after a deadly fire devastated the city in November.
"I found it truly awe-inspiring," an onlooker surnamed Lee, 30, told AFP. "It's remarkably well-built and rich in traditional elements."
The burning of the five-metre (16-foot) paper "ghost master" on Friday marked the climax of the festival, and was attended by thousands.
The ritual was allegedly begun by the Tang clan in 1685 to honour local officials who helped them reclaim their coastal homes after government evictions.
The multi-day festival is one of Hong Kong's longest-running traditional events and features lion and dragon dances, Cantonese opera and puppet shows.
Dazzlingly illuminated boards around the village proclaim hopes for good weather and abundant harvests.
The event took over a year to plan and cost nearly HK$20 million ($2.6 million), organiser Derek Tang said.
Locals come every 10 years to make offerings at the altar and enjoy historical crafts like bamboo construction, he told AFP.

Threatened tradition

Hong Kong's usage of bamboo construction materials has been in the spotlight since a huge fire killed at least 161 people in Tai Po District last month.
Authorities said the blaze at the under-repair housing estate was likely made worse by protective netting that failed fire-resistance standards. The netting was hung from bamboo scaffolding encasing several tower blocks.
Officials initially indicated they would consider replacing bamboo with metal scaffolding but later said a complete phase-out may not be necessary.
Scaffolder Lai Chi-ming, 52, told AFP the disappearance of the centuries-old craft would be a "great loss" for the city.
With over a dozen master craftsmen, he spent two months building the altar in Kam Tin, which used about 30,000 bamboo and fir poles.
Rapid urbanisation has made villagers more anxious to maintain their local identity, said cultural anthropologist Liu Tik-sang.
"They really want to preserve their traditions in their way. The purpose (of the festival's scale) is to tell everyone that this means a lot to them," he said.
Organiser Tang said such events also face challenges from declining numbers of young people and waning interest in traditional culture.
"We must not abandon our traditional Chinese culture because of (urban) development," he said.
twa/mjw/lb

arts

Trump's name added to Kennedy Center facade, a day after change

BY DANNY KEMP

  • But family members of president Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, have criticized the move as "beyond wild" and said an act of Congress is needed to alter the name of the US national cultural center.
  • US President Donald Trump's name was affixed to the Kennedy Center in Washington on Friday, one day after his hand-picked board members voted to rename the arts venue in spite of legal questions.
  • But family members of president Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, have criticized the move as "beyond wild" and said an act of Congress is needed to alter the name of the US national cultural center.
US President Donald Trump's name was affixed to the Kennedy Center in Washington on Friday, one day after his hand-picked board members voted to rename the arts venue in spite of legal questions.
Workmen on scissor lifts added metal lettering to the building's facade, before dropping a blue tarpaulin to reveal the sign saying "The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For the Performing Arts."
But family members of president Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, have criticized the move as "beyond wild" and said an act of Congress is needed to alter the name of the US national cultural center.
Trump said Thursday that he was "surprised" by the rebranding -- even though he personally purged the board of the center after calling it too woke, and had already talked about having his name added to it.
The 79-year-old Republican even appointed himself as its chairman of the board earlier this year.
"Today, we proudly unveil the updated exterior designation -- honoring the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and the enduring legacy of John F. Kennedy," the center said on its newly rebranded X account, along with photos of the lettering.
Naming a national institution after a sitting president is unprecedented in US history. Landmarks like the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and indeed the Kennedy Center were all named after their deaths.
But Trump, who long emblazoned his name on his skyscrapers and casinos during his career as a property magnate, has shown little hesitation about doing the same thing as president.
He has stamped his mark on the Kennedy Center since the start of his second term as part of an assault on cultural institutions that his administration has accused of being too left-wing.
During his second term he has given his name to a Washington peace institute, trust funds for children he has branded "Trump accounts" and a "Trump Gold Card" for high-paying immigrants that he showed off on Friday.
Trump has also embarked on a huge overhaul of the White House, knocking down the East Wing to build a $400 million ballroom and this week putting up plaques rewriting the history of his presidential predecessors.
dk/mlm