media

Netflix, Prime and Disney+ face UK broadcasting regulation

  • Any "video-on-demand" platform with more than 500,000 users will need to comply with rules overseen by UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom regarding "protections from harmful material" and increased availability of subtitled, signed and audio-described programming. 
  • The UK government on Tuesday announced that US streaming sites Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video will have to comply with broadcasting regulations aimed at protecting children and the vulnerable. 
  • Any "video-on-demand" platform with more than 500,000 users will need to comply with rules overseen by UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom regarding "protections from harmful material" and increased availability of subtitled, signed and audio-described programming. 
The UK government on Tuesday announced that US streaming sites Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video will have to comply with broadcasting regulations aimed at protecting children and the vulnerable. 
Along with British streaming sites, they will be required to follow content and accessibility rules applied to traditional broadcasters, a statement said.
Any "video-on-demand" platform with more than 500,000 users will need to comply with rules overseen by UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom regarding "protections from harmful material" and increased availability of subtitled, signed and audio-described programming. 
Britain's government headed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the move was a consequence of changing viewing habits.
"We know that the way audiences watch TV has fundamentally changed," Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said in Tuesday's statement.
"Millions now choose to watch content on video-on-demand platforms alongside or, in the case of many young people, instead of traditional TV."
The government said Ofcom would shortly begin a public consultation on the new streaming standards and accessibility codes, "which will be an opportunity for the public and providers to set out their views". 
bcp/ajb/rmb

leisure

Greece set new tourism record in 2025

  • Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said 2025 was the "best year of all time" for the sector.
  • Greece in 2025 set new records in tourism arrivals and revenue, the country's central bank said Tuesday, continuing an upward trend for the third straight year according to the tourism ministry.
  • Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said 2025 was the "best year of all time" for the sector.
Greece in 2025 set new records in tourism arrivals and revenue, the country's central bank said Tuesday, continuing an upward trend for the third straight year according to the tourism ministry.
"In 2025, inbound travel increased by 5.6 percent and reached 37,98 (million) travellers, compared with 35,95 (million) travellers in 2024," the Greek central bank said in a statement.
EU arrivals rose by 2.8 percent while non-EU visitors increased by 10 percent, it said.
The provisional data does not include cruise ship traffic, the bank said.
Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said 2025 was the "best year of all time" for the sector.
She told state TV ERT that travel receipts stood at 23.6 billion euros ($27.8 billion) compared to 21.6 billion euros in 2024, a rise of more than nine percent according to the Bank of Greece.
And early data suggests 2026 will also be "a good year," she said.
But the sector has seen some hiccups.
In early January, a communications blackout at Athens International Airport snarled flights for hours, when multiple radio frequencies serving Athens airspace were hit by continuous "noise" interference.
Hundreds of flights had to be diverted to neighbouring countries, with thousands of travellers hit.
An official report later blamed the glitch on "obsolete technology". A 300-million euro infrastructure upgrade is underway.
On February 19, a backup radar at the airport temporarily failed, after a similar problem in August, air traffic controllers said.
Greece ranks in the top five most touristed countries in the European Union, behind France, Spain and Italy, and around the same level as Germany.
jph/rmb

rape

UK comedian Russell Brand pleads not guilty to new rape, assault charges

  • He pleaded not guilty in May to five other charges relating to four women -- one count of rape, one of oral rape, two of sexual assault and one of indecent assault between 1999 and 2005.
  • British comedian and actor Russell Brand pleaded not guilty to two fresh charges of rape and sexual assault at a London court on Tuesday.
  • He pleaded not guilty in May to five other charges relating to four women -- one count of rape, one of oral rape, two of sexual assault and one of indecent assault between 1999 and 2005.
British comedian and actor Russell Brand pleaded not guilty to two fresh charges of rape and sexual assault at a London court on Tuesday.
Brand, once a left-leaning political campaigner who has rebranded himself as a conservative guru to millions of social media followers, arrived at Southwark crown court court carrying a copy of the Bible.
He wore a leopard-print shirt and dark coat.
Brand denied charges of sexually assaulting a woman in London in 2009, and raping another women in the same year, also in the British capital.
His bail was renewed at the end of a brief hearing and he is due to face trial in June.
The 50-year-old is facing sexual offence charges involving a total of six women, according to UK police.
He pleaded not guilty in May to five other charges relating to four women -- 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," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement in December.
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 reality TV series. 
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.
adm-aks/pdh/tw

snowstorm

US winter storm brings rare hush to snowy New York

BY AMELIE BOTTOLLIER-DEPOIS AND CECILIA SANCHEZ

  • With schools closed across the city of 8.5 million people, many children took advantage of the free day by sledding down snowy hills in Central Park.
  • New York's typically bustling streets were almost deserted Monday after a huge snowstorm carpeted the city, where a nonessential travel ban inconvenienced some but offered a fun day out for others. 
  • With schools closed across the city of 8.5 million people, many children took advantage of the free day by sledding down snowy hills in Central Park.
New York's typically bustling streets were almost deserted Monday after a huge snowstorm carpeted the city, where a nonessential travel ban inconvenienced some but offered a fun day out for others. 
Buses and ambulances equipped with snow chains rolled through a quieter-than-usual Manhattan, while many shops and restaurants were shuttered in Brooklyn and other boroughs.
With schools closed across the city of 8.5 million people, many children took advantage of the free day by sledding down snowy hills in Central Park.
"I really love it, it's really fun to play in the snow," said Dylan, 11, who added it was the most snow he had seen in his life. 
Behind him, three-year-old Chloe burst out laughing as she lay in the powder before her dad Eddie, 41, helped her back to her feet. 
"We had some snow about a month ago. But it's probably the most we've had in a decade or two. Everybody loves it," Eddie told AFP. 
Elsewhere, parkgoers threw snowballs from a bridge onto a frozen lake to test the strength of the ice. 
Central Park, New York's official reporting station, measured 19.7 inches (50 centimeters) of snow as of 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) -- the largest amount in over a decade. 
Some locals used skis to navigate the powder, even walking their dogs at the same time. 
Major tourist hubs like Times Square were almost empty on Monday but for a scattering of people bundled up in coats. 

'Frustrating'

Hannah Baade, a finance worker living in Brooklyn, said she enjoyed seeing the city covered in snow. 
"I like it," she told AFP. "I would prefer to get snow in the winter, it makes it seem like winter."
"It's just funny that we haven't had snow for a few years and then we get these two massive storms this year."
But other New Yorkers were annoyed to see more snow, which fell weeks after a January winter storm was starting to thaw out. 
"The snow had just melted and now we're getting a ton more," said Alexa, 36, who didn't want to share her last name.
"So it's a little frustrating, but it's also wintertime, so it's OK."
Sixty-year-old Joe Schultz was rushing to shovel snow from a buried footpath in Brooklyn.
"[It's] not bad for now, but later... when the temperature drops, it'll be harder because we've got ice underneath it," he said.
abd-bur/bjt/mlm

film

Tourette's campaigner 'mortified' after shouting racial slur during BAFTA

  • "I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning," Davidson, who is the real-life inspiration behind the film "I Swear", said in a statement to the PA news agency.
  • Tourette's sufferer John Davidson, who inspired a BAFTA-winning film, on Monday said he was "deeply mortified" after shouting a racial slur at the London awards ceremony, which he said was caused by an "involuntary tic".
  • "I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning," Davidson, who is the real-life inspiration behind the film "I Swear", said in a statement to the PA news agency.
Tourette's sufferer John Davidson, who inspired a BAFTA-winning film, on Monday said he was "deeply mortified" after shouting a racial slur at the London awards ceremony, which he said was caused by an "involuntary tic".
He was heard shouting the N-word as "Sinners" actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan, who are both black, presented an award for special visual effects at the Sunday night ceremony.
"I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning," Davidson, who is the real-life inspiration behind the film "I Swear", said in a statement to the PA news agency.
He added that he "chose" to leave the auditorium during the ceremony "as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing."
"I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette's community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so," he said.
British actor Robert Aramayo triumphed over established stars Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio to win the best actor prize for his portrayal of Davidson, whose life in a small Scottish town was irrevocably changed by the condition.
The British film awards meanwhile apologised for the "very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many", after a clip of the racial slur being shouted at the Sunday ceremony went viral and sparked backlash online.
"Tourette Syndrome causes involuntary verbal tics, that the individual has no control over," the British Academy of Film and Television Arts said.
"Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we apologise unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted."

BBC apology

Actor Alan Cumming, the ceremony's host, apologised for the language viewers may have heard during the broadcast.
The BBC also apologised for not editing the offending language out of its broadcast, which was shown on a two-hour delay on Sunday evening. 
It was edited out of the version on the BBC's streaming service on Monday morning. 
"We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer," the news organisation said.
A spokesperson for the charity Tourettes Action said it "deeply" understood the offence and harm caused by racial slurs.
But they said it was "vital that the public understands a fundamental truth about Tourette syndrome -- tics are involuntary. They are not a reflection of a person's beliefs, intentions or character.
"People with Tourette's can say words or phrases they do not mean, do not endorse and feel great distress about afterwards," the spokesperson added.
The charity added it was "incredibly proud" of Davidson and others involved in the film.
har-aks/ach 

celebrity

Son of director Rob Reiner pleads not guilty to parents' murder

BY HUW GRIFFITH

  • Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters outside court his office would be examining the circumstances around the killings before making a decision on whether to ask for the death penalty if Reiner is convicted.
  • The son of US movie director Rob Reiner pleaded not guilty to the fatal stabbing of both of his parents when he appeared in a Los Angeles court on Monday.
  • Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters outside court his office would be examining the circumstances around the killings before making a decision on whether to ask for the death penalty if Reiner is convicted.
The son of US movie director Rob Reiner pleaded not guilty to the fatal stabbing of both of his parents when he appeared in a Los Angeles court on Monday.
Nick Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder over the double killing that sent shockwaves through Hollywood days before Christmas.
The 32-year-old was arrested on December 14 after the bodies of his filmmaker father and his mother, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, were discovered at their home in the upmarket Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Prosecutors said 79-year-old Rob Reiner -- who helmed huge hits including "When Harry Met Sally" and "A Few Good Men" -- and his wife, 70, were stabbed to death.
Nick Reiner, who has a history of addiction, appeared in a downtown courtroom where he was formally told what charges he faces and had his rights explained. 
A plea of "not guilty" is common at this stage, regardless of what the defense later does.
Reiner, who remains in jail and has not been granted bail, was ordered to return to court on April 29.
An arraignment would usually take place much sooner, but Reiner was unable to appear at the first scheduled attempt.
Another hearing last month was halted after the court heard that lawyer Alan Jackson was no longer representing Reiner. 
The judge appointed an attorney from the public defender's office in his stead.
Jackson, a high-profile attorney who has previously represented Hollywood clients including Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, told reporters he was "legally and ethically" barred from explaining why he had stepped back.
"Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick's control have dictated that, sadly, it's made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick," he said.
Jackson said he and his team remained committed to Reiner's best interests and had faith that the legal process would "reveal the true facts of the circumstances surrounding this case."
"We've investigated this matter top to bottom, back to front. What we've learned -- and you can take this to the bank -- is that pursuant to the laws of this state, pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder."
If convicted as charged, Reiner could face life in prison without parole, or the death penalty, although California does not routinely carry out capital punishment. 
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters outside court his office would be examining the circumstances around the killings before making a decision on whether to ask for the death penalty if Reiner is convicted.

Erratic behavior

Reiner, who lived in a guest house on his parents' property, had attended a party at the home of comedian Conan O'Brien on December 13 with his parents, where some attendees reportedly spoke of his behaving erratically.
The New York Times, citing a source close to the family, said the couple had been due to dine with former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle on Sunday evening, and had seemingly booked an in-home massage for that day.
The paper said that when no one answered the door for the appointment, the therapist contacted the couple's daughter, Romy Reiner.
When she arrived with a friend, she discovered her father's body, and emergency services were called. Paramedics told her that her mother's body was also at the property.
Police arrested Nick Reiner several miles (kilometers) away from the scene of the crime later that night.
Rob Reiner, the son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, started his showbiz career in acting.
He won fame as the oafish son-in-law Michael "Meathead" Stivic on groundbreaking 1970s sitcom "All in the Family," before transitioning to directing. 
As a director, he struck Hollywood gold.
His output included classic films like 1984's rock music mockumentary "This is Spinal Tap," fantasy gem "The Princess Bride" from 1987, and seminal coming-of-age movie "Stand By Me."
"A Few Good Men," starring Hollywood heavyweights Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
hg/aha

film

Kristen Bell returns to host glitzy Actor Awards in Hollywood

BY PAULA RAMON

  • Bell is careful to avoid direct reference to President Donald Trump, whose presence looms over Hollywood award shows -- and who is not averse to making his feelings known about hosts he does not like.
  • Kristen Bell returns to host Hollywood's premier acting awards next month for the third time with a single goal: to entertain everyone equally. 
  • Bell is careful to avoid direct reference to President Donald Trump, whose presence looms over Hollywood award shows -- and who is not averse to making his feelings known about hosts he does not like.
Kristen Bell returns to host Hollywood's premier acting awards next month for the third time with a single goal: to entertain everyone equally. 
In a country riven by polarization, the actress says her role fronting the Actor Awards -- previously called the SAG Awards -- is just like hosting in your own home.
"If I invite you over for dinner, I make a nice meal. I put placemats out. I say, keep your shoes on. No big deal," Bell told AFP.
"I do those things to make you feel welcome, and I hope you have a good experience. That's a host's job."
The star of "Nobody Wants This" said part of the challenge when designing segments or writing jokes for a show like this is to "create ideas that match or elevate what you've done previously."
But gauging the mood of your audience is critical.
"You have to be mindful and conscientious," she said, noting that last year's hosting gig in the shadow of deadly fires that devastated Los Angeles was a case in point.
Bell is careful to avoid direct reference to President Donald Trump, whose presence looms over Hollywood award shows -- and who is not averse to making his feelings known about hosts he does not like.
She knows many in her industry have strong feelings, but is equally aware that not everyone watching shares those feelings.
"Some people are very connected to things and have a high emotional temperature about them," she said.
"I have those things in my life. I have them about family members. I have them about world issues.
"But for me, my job there is to create the most welcoming stage possible and not edit anyone; we want to celebrate our entire community that is very diverse."
Diverse they may be, but as performers, they will definitely have some things in common.
"This is an easier room than any other room, because everyone has been through the same thing," she said.
"Everyone has an old tape of themselves in a commercial that they wish no one would ever see because their hair looked insane," she laughed.
The gala, organized by SAG-AFTRA -- the largest actors' union in the United States and one of the most influential in the world with over 160,000 members -- honors the best in film and television.
In the final stretch of Hollywood's awards season, the evening serves as a barometer for the Oscars, given that some of their voting members also have a voice in the Academy.
On occasion, their award for best ensemble cast has provided clues as to which film will win best picture. 
The 32nd annual edition of the Actor Awards will be held on March 1 in Los Angeles and will be streamed live on Netflix. 
pr/hg/mlm

music

Senegal's Sahad, radiant champion of 'musical pan-Africanism'

BY LUCIE PEYTERMANN

  • His latest album "African West Station" is a remarkable work of "musical pan-Africanism", the culmination of four years of research into the archives of post-independence west African music from the 1960s to '80s.
  • With exhilarating charisma, stage energy and impassioned lyrics, Senegalese musician Sahad has created a unique body of work from a kaleidoscope of influences, culminating in his new pan-African album.
  • His latest album "African West Station" is a remarkable work of "musical pan-Africanism", the culmination of four years of research into the archives of post-independence west African music from the 1960s to '80s.
With exhilarating charisma, stage energy and impassioned lyrics, Senegalese musician Sahad has created a unique body of work from a kaleidoscope of influences, culminating in his new pan-African album.
At the heart of Sahad Sarr's ingenuity lies a quest for independence, his pride in being African and a deep connection to Senegal, where he leads a number of projects meant to show young people that it is possible to dream big in the country.
A songwriter, guitarist, singer and founder of his eponymous band SAHAD, the musician has been called the "Senegalese James Brown".
Even if some say there is a touch of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti in his trance-like rhythms or a hint of Mali music legend Ali Farka Toure, Sahad's sound is unique.
In his ten years of work, he has become a leading figure in Senegal's alternative music scene, demonstrating that not all of the country's hits have to be in its homegrown Mbalax style.
"The major record labels in Africa, Europe and the United States always have trouble defining my music", Sahad, 37, told AFP. 
"I make jazz fusion mixed with Afrobeat, funk, and traditional rhythms from Senegal, Mali and the Serer people", he said, referring to the ethnic community from which he hails.
He says his music is influenced by Miles Davis, John Coltrane and James Brown, explaining that he considers his style "kaleidoscopic".
In recent years he has performed with his band around the world and will represent Senegal at the international jazz music event "jazzahead!" in Bremen, Germany in April.
His latest album "African West Station" is a remarkable work of "musical pan-Africanism", the culmination of four years of research into the archives of post-independence west African music from the 1960s to '80s.
- West African imagination - 
"It was important to make an album that recounts the history of all these socio-cultural and political movements, these struggles that have brought us to where we are today", Sahad told AFP.
He emphasised that he wanted "to create a fusion to showcase west African collective imagination" with sounds from Guinea, Mali, Nigeria and Ghana.
The album is meant as a "decolonial plea and a project for unity, where music plays an essential role because it transcends borders."
At the end of January Sahad and his band, who are from Congo, Ivory Coast, Benin and Senegal, delivered a high-energy show at the Institut Francais in Dakar.
As a passionate bandleader, Sahad was not just on vocals but also guitar and percussion.
In "Ya Bon" he criticised current and past African heads of state who he says have maintained a "servile relationship with the coloniser".
In "We Can Do" he aims to inspire youth to build connections, and in his galvanising "Ndakaaru" he celebrates the city of Dakar.

'New generation'

A few days after the concert AFP met with Sahad at his home studio in Dakar.
"There's a new generation in Africa, of which I'm a part, that's demanding a certain freedom, identity, and authenticity, and that also wants to rethink the image portrayed of Africa and Africans," he said.
In the album "we advocate for a youth free from hang-ups, a cultural reappropriation, a new relationship with the world" he said.
He added that he has often been offended by "people who have cliches about African music, who expect Africa to produce a certain type of sound" via instruments such as the kora or percussion.
Thus in 2021 he created his independent label "Stereo Africa 432", which produces music for his own band as well as other emerging Senegalese artists. 
He is additionally the founder of the major "Stereo Africa" festival in Dakar, dedicated to contemporary music from the continent and its diaspora, which also provides training to youth in the music industry.
Moka Kamara, cultural journalist at Senegalese newspaper Le Soleil told AFP that there was a palpable revival in the country "with the introduction of a reinvented reggae, a reinvented folk, all of which is thanks to Sahad".
Sahad also founded an eco-village meant to fight climate change, poverty and a rural exodus, in Kamyaak, in western Senegal, where he spends half of his time.
It's a place "for meditation, for reclaiming our culture and our multiple identities" said Sahad, who has been following a Sufi spiritual path for 20 years.
"We sense a wave of revolutions taking place in Africa and a break with this post-colonial trauma, but it cannot happen if we don't arm ourselves with knowledge, understanding and the responsibility of offering something", he said.
lp/bfm/cw

film

'One Battle' triumphs at BAFTAs that honour British talent

BY AKSHATA KAPOOR

  • The BAFTA ceremony, often seen as a weather vane for the Oscars in three weeks time, recognised British and Irish talent in some of the top categories.
  • Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" continued its awards season streak by winning the top prize at the BAFTAs on Sunday, with the British awards also recognising homegrown talent across categories.
  • The BAFTA ceremony, often seen as a weather vane for the Oscars in three weeks time, recognised British and Irish talent in some of the top categories.
Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" continued its awards season streak by winning the top prize at the BAFTAs on Sunday, with the British awards also recognising homegrown talent across categories.
Following in the footsteps of Hollywood ceremonies last month, the BAFTAs gave the best film award to the offbeat thriller "One Battle After Another".
Paul Thomas Anderson won the best director award for the political thriller, which has struck a chord with its portrayal of a deeply polarised United States -- and also won the most prizes of the night with a tally of six.
"Unfortunately, the title makes sense," Anderson told reporters after the ceremony. "It just does start to seem like one battle after another these days. But stay hopeful."
Chalamet's ping-pong drama "Marty Supreme" left the night with no awards -- having been nominated in 11 categories -- but Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" walked off with three wins in the technical categories.
Vampire period film "Sinners" left the night with three awards, including for best score and best original screenplay.
The BAFTA ceremony, often seen as a weather vane for the Oscars in three weeks time, recognised British and Irish talent in some of the top categories.

Aramayo, local hero

Loud cheers erupted in London's Southbank Centre when British actor Robert Aramayo triumphed over established stars Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio to snag the best actor honour.
Aramayo, the underdog in the category, won for his portrayal of a man with Tourette syndrome in "I Swear", inspired by the real life story of Scot John Davidson whose life was irrevocably changed by the condition.
"I honestly cannot believe I won this award. I really, really cannot," said a tearful Aramayo, who had already won in the rising star category.
"I'm just really happy that 'I Swear' has shown a spotlight on something that is really, really misunderstood," he added.
Ireland's Jessie Buckley continued her winning streak for her heartwrenching portrayal of Shakespeare's wife Agnes in "Hamnet", scooping the best actress award, beating off strong competition from stars including Kate Hudson and Emma Stone
"This really does belong to the women past, present and future that have taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently," said Buckley, who made history as the first Irish actress to win a BAFTA in the category.

Royals in attendance

Unlike France's Cesar Awards or Spain's Goya Awards, which champion national cinema, the BAFTAs are open to all nationalities. As a consequence, the awards have previously faced some criticism for the American-dominated roster.
This year however, local talent got wide recognition.
"Hamnet" won outstanding British film, and Nigerian-British actress Wunmi Mosaku won best supporting actress for her role in "Sinners".
Adapted from a novel by Maggie O'Farrell, "Hamnet" follows William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes as they navigate the loss of their son in plague-ravaged Elizabethan England.
"Sentimental Value" won in the foreign language film category, becoming the first Norwegian film to win at the BAFTAs, according to director Joachim Trier.
The intimate drama follows the relationship between two daughters and their estranged father, as he struggles to reconnect with them while making a film in their now hollowed-out family home.
"We felt ready to try to talk about family life, intergenerational trauma and all those things we don't know how to talk about," Danish-Norwegian filmmaker Trier told reporters.
Hollywood and British royalty were in attendance, including BAFTA president Prince William, his wife Princess Catherine, and A-listers DiCaprio, Chalamet and Cillian Murphy.
William, the eldest son of King Charles III, was the latest royal to go about business-as-usual at the end of a dramatic week that saw his uncle and ex-prince Andrew arrested.
The Prince of Wales said he was not calm "at the moment" when asked about whether he had watched "Hamnet", according to the PA news agency.
"I need to be in quite a calm state and I'm not at the moment," William told Elaine Bedell, chief executive of the Southbank Centre.
But even the heir-to-the-throne smiled wide as Paddington Bear came onto the stage to present the award for best children and family film.
aks/jj

Canada

'GOAT' battles to top of N. America box office

  • The film, the story of an undersized goat who wants to join a basketball-like "roarball" team, features Curry in a voice role. 
  • Sony animated film "GOAT," produced by NBA superstar Stephen Curry, glided into the number one spot at the North American box office, taking in $17 million, industry estimates showed Sunday.
  • The film, the story of an undersized goat who wants to join a basketball-like "roarball" team, features Curry in a voice role. 
Sony animated film "GOAT," produced by NBA superstar Stephen Curry, glided into the number one spot at the North American box office, taking in $17 million, industry estimates showed Sunday.
The film, the story of an undersized goat who wants to join a basketball-like "roarball" team, features Curry in a voice role. 
Caleb McLaughlin and David Harbour ("Stranger Things"), Gabrielle Union and country star Jelly Roll also star in the family-friendly movie.
"GOAT" moved ahead of steamy literary adaptation "Wuthering Heights," which earned $14.2 million in its second week of release, according to Exhibitor Relations.
The Warner Bros film, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as the doomed lovers Cathy and Heathcliff from Emily Bronte's classic novel, features original songs from Charli XCX.
Debuting in third place with $8 million was Lionsgate's "I Can Only Imagine 2," a sequel about the singer who wrote and performed the number one Christian single of all time.
In fourth place was Amazon MGM's heist thriller "Crime 101," starring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry and Mark Ruffalo, with $5.8 million.
And in fifth place was horror flick "Send Help" from 20th Century, starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien as a woman and her boss trying to survive on a deserted island after a plane crash.
It earned $4.5 million.
"It's a quiet weekend for new releases. The market is full right now, and a number of pictures are having good runs," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. 
Rounding out the top 10 are:
"How to Make a Killing" ($3.5 million)
"EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert" ($3.3 million)
"Solo Mio" ($2.6 million)
"Zootopia 2" ($2.3 million)
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" ($1.8 million)
bur-sst/md

Lebanon

Dark times under Syria's Assad hit Arab screens for Ramadan

BY RITA EL HAGE

  • Many spent years going from one Assad-era security facility to another in search of their missing family members.
  • A Syrian prison warden screams at a group of chained, crouching inmates in a harrowing scene from one of several Ramadan television series this year that tackle the era of former ruler Bashar al-Assad.
  • Many spent years going from one Assad-era security facility to another in search of their missing family members.
A Syrian prison warden screams at a group of chained, crouching inmates in a harrowing scene from one of several Ramadan television series this year that tackle the era of former ruler Bashar al-Assad.
Talking about Syria's prisons and the torture, enforced disappearances and executions that took place there was taboo during half a century of the Assad family's iron-fisted rule, but the topics are now fertile ground for creative productions, though not without controversy.
An abandoned soap factory north of the Lebanese capital Beirut has been transformed into a replica of the basements and corridors of Syria's Saydnaya prison, a facility synonymous with horror under Assad, for the series "Going Out to the Well".
Crews were filming the last episodes this week as the Muslim holy month kicked off -- primetime viewing in the Arab world, with channels and outlets furiously competing for eager audiences' attention.
Director Mohammed Lutfi told AFP that "for Syrians, Saydnaya prison is a dark place, full of stories and tales".
The series focuses on the 2008 prison riots in Saydnaya, "when inmates revolted against the soldiers and took control of the prison, and there were negotiations between them and Syrian intelligence services", he said.
The military prison, one of Syria's largest and which also held political prisoners, remains an open wound for thousands of families still looking for traces of their loved ones.

Tragedy into drama

The Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Saydnaya Prison estimates that some 30,000 people were thrown into the facility after the 2011 uprising against Assad began, but only 6,000 came out after he was toppled.
Amnesty International has described the prison outside Damascus, which was notorious for torture and enforced disappearances, as a "human slaughterhouse".
In the opening scene of the series, the main character is seen in a tense exchange with his family before jumping into a deep well.
The symbolic scene in part captures the struggles of the detainees' relatives. Many spent years going from one Assad-era security facility to another in search of their missing family members.
Syrian writer Samer Radwan said on Facebook that he finished writing the series several months before Assad's fall.
Director Lutfi had previously told AFP that challenges including actors' fears of the Assad authorities' reaction had prevented filming until after his ouster.
Since then, productions have jumped on the chance to finally tackle issues related to his family's brutal rule.
Another series titled "Caesar, no time, no place" presents testimonies and experiences based on true stories from inside Syria's prisons during the civil war, which erupted in 2011.
But in a statement this week, the Caesar Families Association strongly rejected "transforming our tragedy into dramatic material to be shown on screen".
"Justice is sought in court, not in film studios," said the association, whose name refers to thousands of images smuggled out of Syria more than a decade ago showing bodies of people tortured and starved to death in the country's prisons.

Refugees

Another series, "Governorate 15", sees two Saydnaya inmates, one Lebanese and one Syrian, leave the facility after Assad's fall and return to their families.
Producer Marwan Haddad said that the series tackles the period of "the Syrian presence in Lebanon" through the Lebanese character. 
The show also addresses the Syria refugee crisis through the story of the Syrian character's family, who fled to the struggling neighbouring country to escape the civil war.
"For years we said we didn't want Lebanon to be (Syria's) 15th province" and each person fought it in their own way, said Lebanese screenwriter Carine Rizkallah.
Under Assad's father Hafez, Syria's army entered Lebanon in 1976 during the country's civil war and only left in 2005 after dominating all aspects of Lebanese life for almost three decades.
It was also accused of numerous political assassinations.
Lebanese director Samir Habchy said that the actors represent their "own community's problems" in the "Lebanese-Syrian series".
The show could prove controversial because it includes real people who "are still alive and will see themselves" in the episodes, he added.
rhb/lar/lg/amj/abs

mural

Artist creates 'Latin American Mona Lisa' with plastic bottle caps

  • "The Mona Lisa is an ordinary woman, and she's an icon of the Italian Renaissance" -- and now "we are living through a new Renaissance, both in El Salvador and the world," Olivares said.
  • Call it a Renaissance in recycling.
  • "The Mona Lisa is an ordinary woman, and she's an icon of the Italian Renaissance" -- and now "we are living through a new Renaissance, both in El Salvador and the world," Olivares said.
Call it a Renaissance in recycling.
A massive mural made of plastic bottle caps depicts Latin America's version of the famed Mona Lisa, adorning a modest apartment building in a working class neighborhood outside the capital of El Salvador instead of the walls of the Louvre.
Using a rainbow of colors and various sizes of caps, Venezuelan artist Oscar Olivares's latest installation is 13 meters (about 43 feet) tall and takes inspiration from Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci as well as the pointillist paintings of French artist Paul Signac.
"I wanted to portray a Latin American Mona Lisa," Olivares told AFP. 
The mural is in Zacamil, in the Mejicanos suburb of San Salvador -- an area that was once controlled by violent gangs, whose activity has been curbed by President Nayib Bukele's controversial security crackdown.
"The Mona Lisa is an ordinary woman, and she's an icon of the Italian Renaissance" -- and now "we are living through a new Renaissance, both in El Salvador and the world," Olivares said.
Completed in three weeks, the composition is made of more than 100,000 recycled bottle caps, after they were gathered by local residents over several months, washed and sorted.
Instead of the muted palette of the Italian countryside, Olivares replaced da Vinci's pastoral background with bright depictions of homes, a bold blue mountain and a colorful checkerboard sky.
And it wouldn't be the Mona Lisa without her penetrating gaze and that ever-elusive smile, this time seen on a sun-kissed face rendered with red, orange and yellow caps. Her jewelry, hairstyle and colorful dress evoke a modern Latina woman's graces.
Olivares has created murals using plastic caps in Venezuela, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, France and Italy, finding use for over 2 million caps in more than two dozen murals. 
He hopes his work will give viewers "a completely different view of plastic waste."
bur-jjr/sla/nro

film

Political drama 'Yellow Letters' wins Berlin's Golden Bear

BY JASTINDER KHERA

  • Festival director Tricia Tuttle acknowledged Saturday that this year's edition had been "emotionally charged" after days of sometimes acrimonious debate on how far filmmaking should intervene in politics.
  • "Yellow Letters", directed by German filmmaker Ilker Catak, won the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear for best film Saturday, at a ceremony reflecting the controversy over Gaza that has dogged this year's edition.
  • Festival director Tricia Tuttle acknowledged Saturday that this year's edition had been "emotionally charged" after days of sometimes acrimonious debate on how far filmmaking should intervene in politics.
"Yellow Letters", directed by German filmmaker Ilker Catak, won the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear for best film Saturday, at a ceremony reflecting the controversy over Gaza that has dogged this year's edition.
Some award winners spoke out in favour of the Palestinian cause, pushing back after jury president Wim Wenders had sparked outrage earlier by trying to steer the festival away from the issue.
Festival director Tricia Tuttle acknowledged Saturday that this year's edition had been "emotionally charged" after days of sometimes acrimonious debate on how far filmmaking should intervene in politics.
Catak's film tells the story of a Turkish director and his actor wife, suddenly barred from working because of their political opinions.
Wenders called the film "a terrifying premonition, a look into the near future that could possibly happen in our countries as well".
While set in Turkey, the film was shot in Germany, an artistic choice to make the point that threats to liberty are universal.
The runner-up Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize went to "Salvation" by Emin Alper, who in his speech expressed solidarity with several high-profile opposition figures in prison in Turkey, including jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
Alper's film, inspired by a true story, shows the consequences of a feud over land between two clans in a remote mountain village.
He took the opportunity to speak up for "the people of Iran suffering under tyranny" and "Kurds in Rojava and the Middle East struggling for their rights for almost a century -- you are not alone".
Alper also spoke of "the Palestinians in Gaza living and dying under the most terrible conditions".

Impassioned speech

Alper was not the only award-winner to express support for the Palestinians.
Syrian-Palestinian director Abdullah Al-Khatib won Best First Feature Award for "Chronicles From the Siege".
He accepted the award with a keffiyeh draped over his shoulder and gave an impassioned speech in which addressed the German government by saying: "You are partners in the genocide in Gaza by Israel." 
He received cheers for his words but also prompted some heckling, reflecting the tension over Gaza which has often overshadowed this year's event.
Speaking at a press conference at the beginning of the festival last week, Wenders answered a question about the German government's support for Israel by saying: "We cannot really enter the field of politics."
At the same press conference, he had said that films had the power to "change the world" but in a different way from politics.
But his comments in response to the question on Israel prompted a storm of outrage.
Award-winning Indian novelist Arundhati Roy, who had been due to present a restored version of a 1989 film she wrote, pulled out of the event, branding Wenders' words "unconscionable" and "jaw-dropping".
On Tuesday, an open letter signed by dozens of film industry figures, including actors Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton and director Adam McKay, condemned the Berlin festival's "silence on the genocide of Palestinians" and accused it of being involved in "censoring" artists who oppose Israel's actions.
Tuttle has firmly rejected the accusations.
Wenders addressed the controversy on Saturday.
"The language of cinema is empathetic. The language of social media is effective," he said.
Addressing political activists, he said: "All of us applaud you. You do necessary and courageous work."
"But does it need to be in competition with us? Do our languages need to clash?" he asked.

'Queen at Sea'

Other award winners on Saturday included German actress Sandra Hueller, who received the Silver Bear for Best Performance for her title role in Markus Schleinzer's "Rose".
The black-and-white drama tells the story of a woman passing herself off as a man in rural 17th-century Germany to escape the constraints of patriarchy. 
"Queen at Sea" by American director Lance Hammer, which stars Juliette Binoche as a woman caring for her mother with dementia, picked up two awards.
The film portrays the devastation Alzheimer's disease inflicts on a patient's loved ones. 
Tom Courtenay, 88, and 79-year-old Anna Calder-Marshall, who plays the ailing mother in the film, shared the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance.
The film also picked up the Silver Bear Jury Prize, considered the third most prestigious award.
Grant Gee picked up the Best Director award for "Everybody Digs Bill Evans" his black-and-white biopic of the legendary jazz pianist.
agu-jsk/jj/rh

Colon

US salsa legend Willie Colon dead at 75

  • "We've lost an architect of the New York sound," said manager Pietro Carolos.
  • Salsa music icon Willie Colon died on Saturday, his family and longtime manager said, leaving fans mourning the loss of "an architect of the New York sound."
  • "We've lost an architect of the New York sound," said manager Pietro Carolos.
Salsa music icon Willie Colon died on Saturday, his family and longtime manager said, leaving fans mourning the loss of "an architect of the New York sound."
Colon, known best as a trombonist but who was also a bandleader and producer, was born in the Bronx and known for blending the Puerto Rican music of his parents and grandparents with his home city's jazz.
He was 75. A cause of death was not given.
Born William Anthony Colon Roman in 1950, the music star "passed away peacefully this morning," his family said in a statement.
"We've lost an architect of the New York sound," said manager Pietro Carolos.
"Willie didn't just change salsa; he expanded it, politicized it, clothed it in urban chronicles and took it to stages where it hadn't been heard before."
Colon was playing in his own band by 15 and released an album at 17. He went on to record hit records with Puerto Rican singer Hector Lavoe in the 1960s and 1970s.
"Siembra," released in 1978 with vocalist Ruben Blades, addressed social issues faced by the growing Latino community in the United States.
"I came from a really tough neighborhood," he once told music publication Billboard.
"My father spent time in jail. Almost everybody went to jail... there was a lot of interaction between us and the police."
He only studied music in junior high school but continued playing and touring through 2025.
In a mark of his continued influence, he is name-checked in Grammy-winning singer Bad Bunny's 2025 hit "Nueva Yol."
bur-nro/acb

film

First all-Pakistani production makes history at Berlin film fest

BY JASTINDER KHERA

  • Could films like "Lali" bring Pakistani cinema new recognition?
  • The Berlin film festival, which draws to a close on Saturday, made a piece of film history earlier this week when it screened its first all-Pakistani produced feature film.
  • Could films like "Lali" bring Pakistani cinema new recognition?
The Berlin film festival, which draws to a close on Saturday, made a piece of film history earlier this week when it screened its first all-Pakistani produced feature film.
"Lali", by director Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, had its world premiere on Thursday at a packed screening where it was warmly welcomed by members of Berlin's own Pakistani community, which included the country's ambassador to Germany.
The Punjabi-language black comedy tells the story of Sajawal (Channan Hanif) and his new bride Zeba (Mamya Shajaffar).
The locals in their working-class part of the city of Sahiwal mutter that Zeba is living under a curse after her previous suitors died in mysterious circumstances.
Khoosat told AFP that making Pakistan's debut at the festival came with "a good sense of achievement, but also with a sense of responsibility".
He said it was a "sign of validation" to achieve recognition with a story "deeply rooted in its own idiom".
Part of that idiom is the boisterous humour that the Punjab region is known for, portrayed in part through Sajawal's mother, the imposing matriarch Sohni Ammi.
The film opens with her encouraging the men of the neighbourhood to fire guns in celebration of Sajawal's wedding -- only for her to get shot in the leg.

'New generation' of filmmakers

The mordant humour alternates with more serious themes like desire, sexuality and unhealed trauma and occasional suggestions of magic and the supernatural.
Although Khoosat pointed out nothing that takes place on screen is physically impossible.
"Lali"'s premiere at Berlin has echoes of the trajectory of "Joyland" by Saim Sadiq, which became the first ever Pakistani entry in competition at the Cannes film festival in 2022.
That film tells the story of a man falling for the trans director of a dance troupe and received critical acclaim as well the Jury Prize and the "Queer Palm" at Cannes.
Khoosat was a producer on that film and Sadiq in turn worked as an editor on "Lali".
Is Khoosat hopeful that such films can raise the profile of Pakistani cinema?
He said that the industry in Pakistan has been struggling, suffering a "semi-gradual kind of demise" over the past 20 years or so. 
"Before that, we had a big cinema scene... which would produce, you know, more than 100 films a year. "
But Khoosat said Pakistani cinema has struggled to rise of other media and did not "cater to a newer audience". 
Could films like "Lali" bring Pakistani cinema new recognition?
"This opportunity of visibility on such platforms -- I just wish that, you know, it would translate into a more thriving" domestic film industry, Khoosat said.
"There's definitely a whole new generation of filmmakers, and they need to be facilitated to produce more work."
jsk/giv

film

AI revolution looms over Berlin film fest

BY PIERRICK YVON

  • The tools have the potential to help the sector become more efficient and "save time at every stage of production", particularly in the more "bureaucratic" aspects of the process.
  • The artificial intelligence revolution sweeping through the entertainment sector was at first glance not evident at this year's Berlin Film Festival, but the potential for widespread changes was still on people's minds.
  • The tools have the potential to help the sector become more efficient and "save time at every stage of production", particularly in the more "bureaucratic" aspects of the process.
The artificial intelligence revolution sweeping through the entertainment sector was at first glance not evident at this year's Berlin Film Festival, but the potential for widespread changes was still on people's minds.
The festival has had the air of an arthouse bubble when it comes to the topic of AI and the event's leadership is keeping above the fray. 
"At present, we do not intend to issue any statements regarding the use of AI in the film industry," the festival said in a statement sent to AFP, adding: "We are monitoring developments with great interest." 
Nevertheless, some of the filmmakers present addressed the question of how the technology is changing the industry.
Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, director of the only animated feature in competition, "A New Dawn," told reporters he had briefly considered using AI in his film.
"During production, we weren't entirely sure we would be able to complete the film. At one point we wondered whether we should use AI for the backgrounds," he said.
But Shinomiya concluded that AI is not yet "well-developed enough" to do that sort of work.
Juliette Prissard from Eurocinema, an organisation representing French film and TV producers, said it's only a matter of time until the tools improve.
"It's reasonable to think that in one, two or three years... you won't be able to tell the difference anymore," she told AFP.
AI can already "write scripts" and replaces extras in crowd scenes or even generate "digital replicas" of someone.
– 'No choice' –
In France, where foreign-language films are frequently shown with dubbing, voice actors have already been raising the alarm about AI's impact on their profession.
But Prissard warns other film industry jobs could be replaced in the "near" future, such as "technicians, the set designers" and even "the producers themselves".
Sevara Irgacheva, secretary general of the European Film Agency Directors' association (EFAD), said that already "junior jobs are disappearing: all the assistant editors, assistant screenwriters".
Despite this, the industry "is leaning toward accepting" AI "because, in any case, we have no choice". 
The tools have the potential to help the sector become more efficient and "save time at every stage of production", particularly in the more "bureaucratic" aspects of the process.
A survey carried out in early 2025 by France's National Centre for Cinema (CNC) found that 90 percent of film and audiovisual professionals surveyed were already using AI tools in their work. 
In Berlin, Austrian director Georg Tiller presented a short film mixing filmed footage and AI-generated images, saying it was an attempt to encourage his fellow filmmakers to fight for a place in the new "digital cinema".
"If we don't then I fear that that we will die a slow death, because it will just steamroll over us," Tiller told AFP.
– The 'temptation' of deregulation –
The issue garnered some relief with a December agreement between OpenAI and Disney, which allowed the use of the entertainment giant's characters on Sora, the AI-generated video platform. 
In return, Disney now has "privileged access" to OpenAI's "highly sophisticated" tools, giving it a "technological advantage over the rest of the sector", said Prissard.
But the use of AI in cinema has prompted thorny legal questions over intellectual property and the very notion of authorship, at a time when legislation is only just beginning to grapple with the subject. 
Under EU rules, streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime must carry at least 30 percent of European content in their catalogues. 
Prissard questioned how those enforcing the rules "will be able to tell the difference" between original creations and "synthetic" ones. 
Given "the fear of falling behind" the United States and China in developing AI technologies, Prissard said that Europe may succumb to the "temptation to allow more leeway to innovate without obstacles". 
pyv/clp/bds/jsk/giv

festival

Impact of Israeli-Palestinian conflict plays out on screen in Berlin

BY JASTINDER KHERA

  • On screen, one of the films dealing with the global ramifications of the conflict -- past and present -- is the documentary "Who Killed Alex Odeh?"
  • This year's Berlin Film Festival has seen controversy raging off-screen over the Gaza war, with some of the works being shown also grappling with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its global impact.
  • On screen, one of the films dealing with the global ramifications of the conflict -- past and present -- is the documentary "Who Killed Alex Odeh?"
This year's Berlin Film Festival has seen controversy raging off-screen over the Gaza war, with some of the works being shown also grappling with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its global impact.
Gaza has been a point of heated debate since the first day of the festival, when jury president Wim Wenders answered a question about the German government's support for Israel by saying: "We cannot really enter the field of politics."
That sparked a backlash from figures including Arundhati Roy, Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton.
Festival director Tricia Tuttle has defended Wenders and denied accusations that the festival has engaged in censorship.
On screen, one of the films dealing with the global ramifications of the conflict -- past and present -- is the documentary "Who Killed Alex Odeh?"
Directed by Jason Osder and William Lafi Youmans, the film looks at the aftermath of the killing of the Palestinian-American activist of the title.
Odeh was the West Coast regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and was killed in a bomb attack at the ADC's offices in Santa Ana, California in 1985. 
Among the film's wealth of archive footage is testimony to a congressional committee from Oliver Revell, then FBI assistant director, who said "members of a Jewish extremist element" were likely responsible.
Odeh's widow and daughter also speak movingly about the killing's impact on their lives.
No one has ever been convicted for the bombing.
The film traces how suspicion fell in particular on several members of the Jewish Defense League, a group founded by extremist rabbi Meir Kahane before his own assassination in 1990.
Youmans told AFP that despite dealing with an event from more than 40 years ago, the film took on "a burning kind of urgency" given the influence that Kahane's ideology has gained in Israel in recent years.
The current far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir previously campaigned for Kahane's now-banned political party, Kach, and became notorious for his anti-Arab rhetoric.
Did Youmans himself have any qualms about coming to Berlin, given the controversy around the festival?
"I feel that Alex's story is a necessary one to be told," Youmans said, adding it would be "self-defeatist" not to show it at the festival.
As for the response from German audiences, he said he has found that there is "a public opinion here... that is more willing to question unconditional support for Israel, is more willing to show solidarity with the Palestinians".

'Rare' collaboration

In "Where To?" by Israeli director Assaf Machnes, the conflict remains off screen but makes its presence felt.
It follows 55-year-old Palestinian cab driver Hassan, played with warmth and subtlety by Ehab Salami, as he ferries passengers through the nocturnal streets of Berlin.
He strikes up an unlikely bond with Israeli passenger Amir, a lost soul in his early 20s played by Ido Tako, which leads Hassan to reflect on roads not taken in his own life.
Salami is himself a Palestinian who lives in Israel and Machnes says that the film represents a collaboration which is "very, very rare" in Israeli cinema.
"Actors that were auditioning for (Hassan's) role were very thirsty for a role like that," Machnes told AFP.
He said that the film was partially inspired by his own chance meeting with a Palestinian cab driver in Berlin.
"It was different than the usual encounters I have with my Palestinian artist friends; there was this unbinding connection, because we don't know if we're going to see each other" again, he said.
While Machnes says he does not think of his own work as inherently political, he wryly observes that "in Israel, if you film a cat drinking milk, it's political".
While recognising that "we all live in a political context", Machnes told AFP he tries in his work to avoid any "intention to preach".
If the film does have a message, it is about the possibility of empathy in even the most difficult situations.
Salami said he hoped the government in Israel would heed the film's example to "make the way for peace... and something different".
jsk/fz/gv

music

'Boldly headbang': Star Trek's Shatner, 94, unveils metal album

  • The metal voyage begins this year." bjt/nro
  • "Star Trek" legend William Shatner is boldly going where few 94-year-olds have gone before, as the Canadian actor announced plans to release a heavy metal album.
  • The metal voyage begins this year." bjt/nro
"Star Trek" legend William Shatner is boldly going where few 94-year-olds have gone before, as the Canadian actor announced plans to release a heavy metal album.
"I have explored space. 
I have explored time. 
Now... I explore distortion," Shatner wrote on social media late Thursday alongside a picture of himself cradling an electric guitar in front of a red, smoky backdrop.
"Thirty-five metal virtuosos. Thunderous guitars. Chaos with purpose," he said.
The cult star promised covers of metal staples like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, as well as "a few originals forged in the same cosmic fire."
Shatner played the daring Captain James T. Kirk in 1960s sci-fi adventure franchise "Star Trek," which follows the crew of a spaceship as it spreads liberal humanitarian ideals through the galaxy.
He also portrayed the titular character in cop show "TJ Hooker," and won both a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy for his role on "Boston Legal."
In 2021, he became the then oldest person ever to go to space when he traveled aboard a Blue Origin craft at age 90. 
Revealing his new album, Shatner showed no intentions of taking it easy. 
"Honest intensity. Unapologetic exploration. At 94, one does not slow down. One turns the volume up," he said.
"So prepare yourselves. 
We are about to boldly headbang where no one has headbanged before. Stay tuned. The metal voyage begins this year."
bjt/nro

Scream

I never thought it would be hit, says 'Scream' creator 30 years later

BY ANTOINE GUY AND ADAM PLOWRIGHT

  • I was just trying to write a script to get noticed by Hollywood so that I get hired to write another movie," he told AFP. "And I just wrote what I love: I love horror films," he added.
  • When he sat down to write the first "Scream" film which appeared in cinemas exactly 30 years ago, horror movies were out of fashion and aspiring Hollywood creative Kevin Williamson had low expectations.
  • I was just trying to write a script to get noticed by Hollywood so that I get hired to write another movie," he told AFP. "And I just wrote what I love: I love horror films," he added.
When he sat down to write the first "Scream" film which appeared in cinemas exactly 30 years ago, horror movies were out of fashion and aspiring Hollywood creative Kevin Williamson had low expectations.
"I never thought it would be a hit actually. I was just trying to get a job. I was just trying to write a script to get noticed by Hollywood so that I get hired to write another movie," he told AFP.
"And I just wrote what I love: I love horror films," he added.
When "Scream" came out in 1996, directed by Wes Craven, it sparked a host of copycat slasher movies and has gone on to become one of the most successful horror franchises in the history of cinema. 
The white mask of the Ghostface killer has become a pop culture reference. 
The opening scene -- featuring its signature mix of fear and dark humour with Drew Barrymore, the film's biggest star who is killed within 12 minutes -- is considered by many as one of the most memorable openings in the whole genre. 
Williamson, who is directing "Scream 7" which comes out this week after a hugely troubled lead-up, took his original inspiration from a real-life serial killer who murdered four students in Florida in 1990.
"I just got so scared that I spawned the show," he explained.
Craven, who also made the cult "Nightmare on Elm Street" films, died in 2015 after working on four Scream films with Williamson.
"When Wes passed, I had sort of said goodbye to the franchise, and thinking it was over for me," Williamson told AFP. "And then when they brought me back into the fold, I got excited again."
- Abuse - 
The Scream franchise has been hugely profitable over its three decades, with the exception of Scream 4, grossing an estimated billion dollars or more in total at the box office, according to industry figures.
Williamson was executive producer on the fifth and sixth instalments but is a director for the first time for Scream 7 which became embroiled in a very public off-screen row about the war in Gaza.
Lead actress Melissa Barrera was fired for criticising Israel's devastating bombardment of Gaza, co-star Jenna Ortega walked out, and original director Christopher Landon quit over the ensuing furore.
"The amount of abuse that I had to deal with -- I decided I didn’t want to give any part of myself to that," Landon told Vanity Fair of his decision last year, saying he had been wrongly blamed for the decision to fire Barrera.
Scream 7, stylised as Scream VII, has not been shown to critics and releases in most countries around the world over the next week, landing at a time when horror movies are back in vogue.
"Sinners" and "Weapons" -- both of which Williamson praised -- were some of last year's buzziest hits.
"The horror genre is so cyclical," Williamson added. "We go through cycles and it's usually connected to what's going on in the world. Horror has always been a mirror to society."

Gaza row

Scream 7 sees the return of Canadian actress Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott after she opted out of the previous instalment due to a salary dispute. 
Campbell believed she had been offered pay that was below what a male actor of her status would command.
But that was nothing compared to the casting problems for Scream 7.
Mexican lead actress Barrera fell afoul of the film's Hollywood producers Spyglass in November 2023 after criticising Israel's "genocide and ethnic cleansing" of encircled Gaza which she likened to a "concentration camp".
Spyglass sacked her, declaring that they had "zero tolerance for antisemitism" and "false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion".
UN experts have since concluded Israel's war amounted to "genocide".
"Wednesday" star Ortega, who played opposite Barrera as one of the Carpenter sisters, left the production in solidarity.
Scream 7 is set to focus on Sidney Prescott as she builds a new life for herself in a small Indiana town -- until Ghostface turns up and begins targeting her daughter (Isabel May).
"There's a wonderful relationship between the mother and daughter, and we really tried to zero in on the emotional horror, like to really make you feel it," Williamson said. 
agu-adp/rmb

fashion

UK king opens London fashion week despite brother's arrest

BY CAROLINE TAIX

  • Coker, whose show the king attended, launched her brand in 2018.
  • London Fashion Week launched on Thursday with a rare visit from King Charles III only hours after his brother Andrew's sensational arrest, overshadowing an event traditionally focused on highlighting new talent.
  • Coker, whose show the king attended, launched her brand in 2018.
London Fashion Week launched on Thursday with a rare visit from King Charles III only hours after his brother Andrew's sensational arrest, overshadowing an event traditionally focused on highlighting new talent.
The king surprised crowds when his car pulled up outside a show by British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker -- on a day when headlines were dominated by the former prince Andrew's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office for his dealings with late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The king was met by a question about Andrew from the crowd, which he appeared not to hear.
After shaking hands and greeting industry leaders and designers, Charles took a front-row seat between British Fashion Council chief executive officer Laura Weir and top UK designer Stella McCartney.
It was one of several public duties the king carried out on Thursday, apparently seeking to project an air of business-as-usual.
The monarch, dressed suavely in a grey suit with turned-up hems, presented McCartney with a scarf after touring stands of clothes showcasing various designers.
One of the designers showing in the coming days is 27-year-old Joshua Ewusie, a breakout British creator born to Ghanaian parents who is due to put on his second show with his brand "E.W.Usie".
The young designer has been supported by the King's Foundation, a charity founded by Charles, helping to provide a studio space shortly after he graduated from the prestigious Central Saint Martins school. One of the foundation's partners is Chanel.

Royal flavour

London Fashion Week (LFW) is better known for nurturing new talent than big-name shows, and Ewusie epitomises the event's ability to give a platform to rising stars.
His hometown London, which boasts several fashion schools, provides "great support for young designers," Ewusie told AFP ahead of his LFW presentation on Sunday.
"There are so many opportunities, I think, that London gives to help young brands start," he added.
Coker, whose show the king attended, launched her brand in 2018.
Her catwalk, which featured elegant, mainly unisex designs inspired by diverse identities, highlighted "craftsmanship, sustainability and the creative industries", fashion week organisers said in a statement.
The king's presence, they added, reinforced "British fashion's place on the world stage".
Not far away, at the Waldorf Hotel a tribute was held to one of Fashion Week's stalwarts, Paul Costelloe, who died in November aged 80.
The Irish-American's romantic, sartorial catwalks were a regular fixture on the opening day of the London fashion week since the inception of the show in 1984.
His son William Costelloe is now the creative director of the brand, which wrote on social media ahead of its LFW Autumn/Winter 2026 opening show: "A new season. A powerful moment. A legacy moving forward."
Other notable names including Harris Reed and Richard Quinn are returning to the catwalk in London, with Burberry closing the week in its usual fashion on Monday evening.
Other labels will bring a royal flavour to the runway, with brands worn by Princess Catherine including Emilia Wickstead, Edeline Lee and Erdem putting on shows.

Fashion incubator

However, there will be no show from the breakout Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, who was one of the most eagerly awaited at London Fashion Week in recent seasons.
The 41-year-old took over at Dior last June, leaving little time for his own brand, JW Anderson, which he founded in 2008.
For several years, London has been losing ground to rivals in Paris and Milan, but it has clung onto its role as a breeding ground for young talent.
The British Fashion Council's NewGen initiative provides funding for emerging talent, with several up-and-coming designers finding their stride at LFW through the incubator.
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