Canada

'Schitt's Creek' star Catherine O'Hara dead at 71

BY HUW GRIFFITH

  • The role brought her an Emmy for best lead actress in 2020.
  • Emmy-winning actress Catherine O'Hara, who starred in "Schitt's Creek" and "Home Alone," has died at the age of 71, her management agency said Friday.
  • The role brought her an Emmy for best lead actress in 2020.
Emmy-winning actress Catherine O'Hara, who starred in "Schitt's Creek" and "Home Alone," has died at the age of 71, her management agency said Friday.
The Canadian-born performer starred in "Beetlejuice" and recently Apple TV's Hollywood satire show "The Studio."
Her manager Marc Gurvitz's office confirmed the actress's death to AFP, without any further details.
Page Six, citing a fire department spokesman, reported that O'Hara was rushed to hospital before dawn from her home in the swanky Brentwood area of Los Angeles.
AFP was not immediately able to confirm that.
O'Hara was born in Toronto in 1954, where she joined the legendary comedy theater Second City, alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she would collaborate throughout her career, including on the smash TV series "Schitt's Creek."
Her break into movies came in 1980 with "Double Negative" -- also alongside Levy, and John Candy.
In 1988, she played Winona Ryder's stepmother in Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice." She would later marry the film's production designer Bo Welch. The couple had two sons, Matthew and Luke.
But it was in 1990 that she became widely known to a global audience, as the mother of Macaulay Culkin's Kevin in "Home Alone."
"It's a perfect movie, isn't it?" she told People in 2024.
"You want to be part of something good, and that's how you go," she said.
She would reprise the role in the film's sequel -- "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," which featured a cameo from Donald Trump, decades before he would become US president.
In 1993 she collaborated again with Burton on "The Nightmare before Christmas." 
The versatile comedienne also appeared in British filmmaker Christopher Guest's mockumentaries that revel in silly spectacles of Americana, like zany dog handlers in "Best in Show," vain folk singers in "A Mighty Wind," and award-hungry actors in "For Your Consideration."
"I am devastated. We have lost one of the comic giants of our age," Guest wrote in a statement.
But she is perhaps best known by modern audiences for her role in "Schitt's Creek," created by Eugene Levy's son, Dan Levy.
"I used to mostly get people named Kevin who'd come up to me and ask me to yell 'Kevin!' in their faces," O'Hara told People, in reference to her famous line in "Home Alone."
"Now it's mostly about (her character) Moira and 'Schitt's Creek.' I've never gotten this kind of attention in my life. It's crazy." 
The role brought her an Emmy for best lead actress in 2020. She was also awarded a Golden Globe and a SAG Award.
As news of her death spread on Friday, fellow performers and other luminaries were quick to react.
"Mama. I thought we had time," Culkin wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of the pair of them in "Home Alone."
"I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say. I love you."
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said he and other Canadians were mourning O'Hara's death.
"Over 5 decades of work, Catherine earned her place in the canon of Canadian comedy," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Canada has lost a legend. My thoughts are with her family, friends, and all those who loved her work on screen. She will be dearly missed."
hg/sla

music

Fela Kuti: first African to get Grammys Lifetime Achievement Award

BY SUSAN NJANJI

  • Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.
  • Nigeria's Afrobeat king Fela Kuti will this weekend be posthumously recognised by the Grammys with a Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive the distinction.
  • Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.
Nigeria's Afrobeat king Fela Kuti will this weekend be posthumously recognised by the Grammys with a Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive the distinction.
After a lifetime of clashes with successive powers in Nigeria, the recognition comes nearly three decades after Fela's death and long after his influence reshaped global music.
He is one of several artists getting the award at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, the eve of the main Grammys gala. 
Others are Cher, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and Chaka Khan.
In the 1970s, Fela the multi-instrumentalist and full-of-life performer invented Afrobeat: a mixture of jazz, funk and African rhythms. 
That laid the groundwork for Afrobeats -- a later genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.
Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.
Of the five nominees for the Best African performance this year, three are Nigerian Afrobeats singers, after another Nigerian, Tems, won last year.
"Fela's influence spans generations, inspiring artists such as Beyonce, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats," said a citation on the Grammys list of this year's honorees.
Known also as the "Black President", the activist and legendary musician, died in 1997 at the age of 58.
His legacy lives on through his sons, Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, and grandson Made.
"This acknowledgment coming at this time when all three of us are present. It feels wonderful," Grammy-nominated Made Kuti told AFP.
"It feels wonderful that all of us are still practicing Afrobeat, still taking the legacy as far as we can take it."

'Better later than never'

Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, Fela's first cousin and head of the family, told AFP on Friday the award was "a celebration for the African people and they should take (it).. as their award. Another African is being celebrated. 
"But we also want to send a message to those who are giving these acknowledgements, please ...not wait till people are dead," she said.
As to what would have been Fela's reaction, Ransome-Kuti said: "I'm sure he would have said better late than never" although "in his lifetime he was not particularly interested in being recognised in the external world particularly the western world".
Fela was arrested frequently by military governments during his career, sometimes for political activism and sometimes also on allegations of theft, which he denied.
His first brush with the law dated back to 1974 when he released his famous album "Zombie", generally considered by the military authorities in power as a diatribe levelled at them.
His songs were long, defiant and explicitly anti-governments in power and anti-corruption.
His manager, Rikki Stein, speaking on the phone from Los Angeles where he will join the Kuti family at the ceremony, was confident the award would "significantly uplift Fela's music".
"Fifty albums out there. I'm sure it's going to continue onward and upward."
"An increasing number of people what weren't even born when Fela died are expressing interest in listening to Fela's music and hopefully Fela's message," he told AFP.
sn/gv/gil

Canada

'Schitt's Creek' star Catherine O'Hara dead at 71

  • O'Hara was born in Toronto in 1954, where she joined the legendary comedy theater Second City, alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she would collaborate throughout her career, including on the smash TV series "Schitt's Creek."
  • Emmy-winning actress Catherine O'Hara, who starred in "Schitt's Creek" and "Home Alone," has died at the age of 71, her management agency said Friday.
  • O'Hara was born in Toronto in 1954, where she joined the legendary comedy theater Second City, alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she would collaborate throughout her career, including on the smash TV series "Schitt's Creek."
Emmy-winning actress Catherine O'Hara, who starred in "Schitt's Creek" and "Home Alone," has died at the age of 71, her management agency said Friday.
The Canadian performer also starred in "Beetlejuice" and Apple TV's Hollywood satire show "The Studio."
A person who answered the phone at her manager Marc Gurvitz's office confirmed the actress's death to AFP, but did not give any further details.
O'Hara was born in Toronto in 1954, where she joined the legendary comedy theater Second City, alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she would collaborate throughout her career, including on the smash TV series "Schitt's Creek."
Her break into movies came in 1980 with "Double Negative" -- also alongside Levy, and John Candy.
In 1988, she played Winona Ryder's stepmother in Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice," but it was in 1990 that she became widely known to a global audience as the mother of Macaulay Culkin's Kevin in "Home Alone."
hg/sst

photography

Paris show by late Martin Parr views his photos through political lens

BY ADAM PLOWRIGHT

  • "He was very involved and really excited" about the exhibition, Louis Little from the Martin Parr Foundation told AFP. "Martin always said that the political was there in his work, disguised as entertainment, but it was up to the viewer to extract the meaning," he added.
  • The last major exhibition prepared by British photographer Martin Parr before his death last month opened to the public on Friday in Paris, exploring the often overlooked political message in his five-decade career. 
  • "He was very involved and really excited" about the exhibition, Louis Little from the Martin Parr Foundation told AFP. "Martin always said that the political was there in his work, disguised as entertainment, but it was up to the viewer to extract the meaning," he added.
The last major exhibition prepared by British photographer Martin Parr before his death last month opened to the public on Friday in Paris, exploring the often overlooked political message in his five-decade career. 
Parr died in early December aged 73, having spent his life documenting Britain and the world with an unflinching eye that often captured the absurdity and shallowness of modern existence.
He had been collaborating on "Global Warning" at the Jeu de Paume exhibition space in Paris, which will run until May 24, until his health deteriorated suddenly following a diagnosis for blood cancer.
Although not a full retrospective, it pulls extensively from Parr's vast archives of globe-spanning colour-saturated images that are often amusing and sometimes cruel.
"He was very involved and really excited" about the exhibition, Louis Little from the Martin Parr Foundation told AFP.
"Martin always said that the political was there in his work, disguised as entertainment, but it was up to the viewer to extract the meaning," he added.
"Global Warning", a play on words about global warming, is divided into five sections spanning Parr's interests in leisure, consumption, tourism, animals, and technology.  
Though his acidic sense of humour -- criticised as condescending by some -- is evident throughout, Parr's 180 photographs also amount to a portrait of human folly and environmental destruction.
"There was a very structured 50-year-long reflection on themes that may seem light, but are in fact about our Western world, about the dysfunctions of our Western world," curator Quentin Bajac told AFP.
"He was very keen not to come across as a whistleblower, or an activist photographer," he added. "But at the same time, he was pleased that we might adopt a more concerned, slightly more anxious reading of these images."
Parr, though aware of his own contribution to global carbon emissions through his travel, had been stressing in interviews for years that humans were "heading for disaster," Bajac added.
"We're all too rich. We're consuming all these things in the world," Parr told AFP in an interview shortly before his death. "And we can't. It's unsustainable."
- Fame and standing - 
Parr's death, announced on December 7, has further publicised the contribution of one of Britain's modern photographic giants who nevertheless sometimes struggled for public and professional recognition.
He only scraped into the prestigious Magnum Agency in the 1990s due to opposition from some of his contemporaries, and he often felt his work and photography in general was under-appreciated in Britain.
Bajac said he had been aware of Parr's ill-health for five or six years, but he kept working right to the end of his life.
The intense media coverage of his death and tributes "might have been a surprise for him," Bajac explained. 
"We might get more visitors because there's been an effect. With his death, people realised even more the extent of his fame and his standing," he added.
adp/st

technology

Artist chains up thrashing robot dog to expose AI fears

BY KATIE FORSTER

  • Like the metal leash, "we are protected by an unreliable, thin chain of ethics.
  • The agile robot dog springs up on all fours, takes a step forward and charges at the tense crowd at a Tokyo exhibit, held back by a simple yet strong metal chain.
  • Like the metal leash, "we are protected by an unreliable, thin chain of ethics.
The agile robot dog springs up on all fours, takes a step forward and charges at the tense crowd at a Tokyo exhibit, held back by a simple yet strong metal chain.
The silver mechanical creature then starts thrashing around violently, to gasps and exclamations from spectators at the installation, designed to probe humanity's relationship with increasingly realistic machines.
The Japanese media artist behind it told AFP he hoped the audience would consider the dangers posed by artificial intelligence but also feel "pity" for the struggling robot.
"Our future is going to be stressful, because people treat robots as objects, but we feel empathetic stress with these movements and reactions," said Takayuki Todo, 40.
Global tech giants are investing vast sums into humanoid and other lifelike robots, with grand plans for factory automation, home help and other futuristic "physical AI" services.
But so far actual use cases remain scarce and fully automated robots are still a rare sight, with most impressive displays -- including Todo's -- relying on remote operators to control the robot's movements.
For the artist, the point of the three-day installation at the Tokyo Prototype festival is to provoke thought.
Like the metal leash, "we are protected by an unreliable, thin chain of ethics. And if it's cut off, we will be killed by this technology," said Todo.

'Robot abuser'

For his installation, titled "Dynamics of a Dog on a Leash" and first shown last year, Todo purchased three robot canines made by Chinese startup Unitree, costing thousands of dollars each.
One is already broken and repairs are needed for another, as the dogs often get tangled in the chain and end up crashing onto the floor.
Todo, who said he had been attacked online "as a robot abuser", visited Unitree in China last year to excuse himself for the unconventional treatment of their device.
The short hourly display, on show through Saturday in a business district skyscraper, is drawing large crowds, with many spectators including children curious to see a robot of this kind for the first time.
"It gave me the chills," said 34-year-old student and food service worker Kimie Furuta.
"Imagining it actually attacking like that... it could be terrifying to face."
On the brighter side, robots and AI could one day help ease staff shortages, including in the catering sector, she said.
Anatol Ward, a Tokyo resident in his 50s, said the robot reminded him of a guard dog.
"In some sense it was scary. But also it was fascinating -- like, what the robot was capable of."
Todo said that "of course" he was afraid of military uses for such robots, but noted it is not just a future concern.
"Robots and drones are killing soldiers in Ukraine or Palestine," he said.
"We feel it's a distant place, but as an artist we have to imagine it's in front of us."
kaf/ami

music

French-Nigerian artists team up to craft future hits

BY KADIATOU SAKHO

  • Born in the 1970s through the influence of Fela Kuti, regarded as the father of Afrobeats, the genre continues to attract a global audience.
  • Will the next global hits from Nigeria have a French accent?
  • Born in the 1970s through the influence of Fela Kuti, regarded as the father of Afrobeats, the genre continues to attract a global audience.
Will the next global hits from Nigeria have a French accent? Perhaps. Nine French rap, pop and urban music composers recently joined forces with Afrobeats artists to produce 60 tracks for international audiences.
In under a week, French, English, Nigerian Pidgin and Creole blended in musical melodies for future hits at the premises of renowned Nigerian label Mavin Records in the economic and cultural hub, Lagos.
The label produces Afrobeats stars such as Rema, Ladipoe, Ayra Starr and Magixx.
"If one or two songs hit like Ayra Starr's 'Rush' or Rema's 'Calm Down' then we would have achieved it all," said Akotchaye Okio, the director of international artists' rights group Sacem, which organised the camp in collaboration with the French embassy and Mavin Records.
The Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers (Sacem) has hosted similar tie-ups outside Africa, showcasing different musical genres in the United States, France, South Korea and the Netherlands. 
Afrobeats, which blends traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, has become one of the most popular genres in the world, driven largely by the Nigerian diaspora.
Born in the 1970s through the influence of Fela Kuti, regarded as the father of Afrobeats, the genre continues to attract a global audience.
After the camp, Mavin Records' artists will "choose the beats they prefer and record over them", said Okio, in the waiting room at the record label's offices, a building decorated with posters and gold and diamond plaques from its heavyweights.
Nigerian and French artists were divided into groups according to themes. 
In one of the studios, French producer PSK, whose real name is Maxime Pasquier, and his Nigerian counterpart Dunnie Alexandra Lawal produced several tracks together. 
Like some of the other participants, the 21-year-old Frenchman, who had always yearned for an international collaboration, had never been to Africa. 
"What I found interesting and different from the way we work in France is how people let songs carry them away," said PSK, who has worked with major French artists such as Ninho, Jok'Air and Genezio.
"They explore their ideas much further" to compose songs that are both mellow and rhythmic, the beatmaker and pianist said.

Creative collaboration

Mavin Records' singer and songwriter Elestee, whose real name is Treasure Apiafi Banigo, fine-tuned the compositions. 
"This song with the piano puts you in a good mood while also making you thoughtful. I could listen to it at six in the morning while driving, with a smile on my face. The audience will love it," she said.
For Lawal, the collaborations can only be positive.
"Afrobeats might have originated in west Africa, but the future of Afrobeats is international," the Nigerian producer said. 
Kizito Ahams, a senior licensing and publishing manager at Mavin Records, said such collaborations met a growing demand for Afrobeats on the international scene, especially in France. 
Tie-ups between French and Nigerian artists have soared in recent years. 
Last year, Tiakola and Asake released the track "Badman Gangsta", while Joe Dwet File and Burna Boy enjoyed a huge success with their hit "4 Kampe II".
"In every release, when you look at the top of the charts, there is always a track influenced by Afro sounds, especially Afrobeats" in France, said 24-year-old French producer Nassim Diane, also known as Voluptyk.
He attributes the vibrancy of the Nigerian music scene to the talent of the artists and the important role music plays in everyday life in the country. 
"There's music everywhere. As soon as you arrive, it's on the buses, in the hotels. It is everywhere. It's truly a country of music," he said.
For Shannon, a singer-songwriter from Martinique, one of the most important parts of the camp was the bridging of different styles that are rarely mashed up, such as Afrobeats and Shatta, a Caribbean mix of dancehall, trap and electronic sounds -- to open up new creative paths. 
"It blends together beautifully," she said.
ks/tba/sn/kjm

Melania

Trump, first lady attend premier of multimillion-dollar 'Melania' documentary

BY EMMA LACOSTE

  • - 'MUST WATCH' - While it promises an "unprecedented" glimpse into her life, "Melania" has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.
  • US President Donald Trump, Melania Trump and top administration officials attended the premier Thursday night of the first lady's new movie promising a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her husband's return to power.
  • - 'MUST WATCH' - While it promises an "unprecedented" glimpse into her life, "Melania" has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.
US President Donald Trump, Melania Trump and top administration officials attended the premier Thursday night of the first lady's new movie promising a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her husband's return to power.
The documentary, titled "Melania" and funded by an extraordinary multimillion-dollar deal with Amazon, was given a red-carpet screening at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy center in Washington.
"Glamorous, very glamorous," the president said of the film as he arrived at the event holding hands with his wife.
"We need some glamour."
Melania Trump's movie aims to document the 20 days leading up to Trump's second inauguration through the eyes of the Slovenian-born 55-year-old first lady.
But amid reports of soft ticket sales for the film, the huge fee paid by Amazon has raised questions about whether the US tech giant is merely trying to curry favor with the president.
Top administration officials like Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson, attended the screening.
Melania Trump has often been a mysterious figure since her husband's return to the White House in January 2025, preferring to spend her time with their son Barron in New York and Florida.
But she said the film, which goes on global release Friday and will later be shown exclusively on Amazon Prime, would give people a look behind the enigma.
"They will see how I work, who I am, how I communicate with people, and they will know me a little bit more," she told Fox and Friends on Wednesday.
A teaser for the documentary released in December showed the former model looking to the camera just before her husband's second swearing-in at the US Capitol and saying: "Here we go again."
The Trumps held a private screening at the White House on Saturday -- hours after immigration agents shot dead protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in an incident that has sparked national outrage.
In one of a series of promotional interviews this week for the film, Melania Trump called for "unity" after the Minneapolis killing.

'MUST WATCH'

While it promises an "unprecedented" glimpse into her life, "Melania" has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.
Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos has grown notably closer to Trump, securing a prime seat at the inauguration and telling the Washington Post newspaper he owns to favor pro-business editorials.
US media say that of Amazon's $40 million licensing deal for the film, Melania, who served as executive producer, will receive 70 percent. The next highest bid, from Disney, was reportedly only $14 million.
On top of that Amazon has reportedly paid for a stunning $35 million marketing campaign including television commercials, billboards and a simulcast in 25 theaters at the same time as Thursday's premiere.
"How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe?" Ted Hope, a former Amazon film executive, was quoted as saying by the New York Times. 
Billionaire Donald Trump has faced repeated criticism that his family members are profiting from deals made off the back of his presidency. The White House says Trump is already rich and makes no money from his position.
The president said on his Truth Social account that "Melania" was "A MUST WATCH."
But across the rest of social media the film and its PR campaign have drawn ridicule, with several internet users posting screenshots showing cinemas that have sold no seats for screenings.
South Africa's main cinema houses have pulled the documentary, with the distributor citing "the current climate," without elaborating, local media reported.
The South African government has strained ties with Trump's administration, which has repeated false accusations that Pretoria is behind a "white genocide" of the Afrikaans community.
The film has also drawn controversy over its choice of director. It is the first major project for Brett Ratner since multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017, allegations he denies.
"He was very talented," Melania Trump told Fox. "He was the best one, and he was great to work with."
eml/dk/sms/lga/mjw

music

Key nominees for the Grammy Awards

  • Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six -- Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.
  • Here is a list of nominees in the major categories for the 68th annual Grammy Awards, which will be handed out on Sunday in Los Angeles.
  • Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six -- Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.
Here is a list of nominees in the major categories for the 68th annual Grammy Awards, which will be handed out on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six -- Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.

Album of the Year

"Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" - Bad Bunny
"Swag" - Justin Bieber
"Man's Best Friend" - Sabrina Carpenter 
"Let God Sort Em Out" - Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)
"Mayhem" - Lady Gaga
"GNX" - Kendrick Lamar 
"Mutt" - Leon Thomas 
"Chromakopia" - Tyler, The Creator

Record of the Year, recognizing overall performance on a song

"DtMF" - Bad Bunny 
"Manchild" - Sabrina Carpenter
"Anxiety" - Doechii
"Wildflower" - Billie Eilish 
"Abracadabra" - Lady Gaga  
"luther" - Kendrick Lamar with SZA 
"The Subway" - Chappell Roan 
"APT." - Rose and Bruno Mars

Song of the Year, recognizing songwriting

"Abracadabra" - Lady Gaga, Henry Walter & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
"Anxiety" - Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii) 
"APT." - Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Roget Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas & Henry Walter, songwriters (Rose, Bruno Mars) 
"DtMF" - Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo Rene Sencion Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry & Roberto Jose Rosado Torres, songwriters (Bad Bunny) 
"Golden [From 'KPop Demon Hunters']" - EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI) 
"luther" - Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solana Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar with SZA)
"Manchild" - Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter) 
"Wildflower" – Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) 

Best New Artist

Olivia Dean 
KATSEYE 
The Marias 
Addison Rae 
sombr 
Leon Thomas 
Alex Warren 
Lola Young

Best Pop Solo Performance

"Daisies" - Justin Bieber
"Manchild" - Sabrina Carpenter
"Disease" - Lady Gaga
"The Subway" - Chappell Roan
"Messy" - Lola Young

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

"Defying Gravity" - Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande  
"Golden [From 'KPop Demon Hunters']” - HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI
"Gabriela" - KATSEYE 
"APT." - Rose, Bruno Mars 
"30 For 30" - SZA with Kendrick Lamar

Best Pop Vocal Album

"Swag" - Justin Bieber
"Man's Best Friend" - Sabrina Carpenter
"Something Beautiful" - Miley Cyrus
"Mayhem" - Lady Gaga
"I've Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2)" - Teddy Swims

Best Rap Album

"Let God Sort Em Out" - Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)
"Glorious" - GloRilla 
"God Does Like Ugly" - JID 
"GNX" - Kendrick Lamar 
"Chromakopia" - Tyler, The Creator

Best Rap Performance

"Outside" - Cardi B
"Chains & Whips" - Clipse (Pusha T & Malice), featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams
"Anxiety" - Doechii
"tv off" - Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay
"Darling, I" - Tyler, The Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown

Best Music Video

"Manchild" - Sabrina Carpenter
"So Be It" - Clipse
"Anxiety" - Doechii
"Love" - OK Go
"Young Lion" - Sade

Best Global Music Album

"Sounds Of Kumbha" - Siddhant Bhatia
"No Sign of Weakness" - Burna Boy
"Eclairer le monde - Light the World" - Youssou N'Dour
"Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live)" - Shakti
"Chapter III: We Return to Light" - Anoushka Shankar featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
"Caetano e Bethania Ao Vivo" - Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania

Artists with Most Nominations

Kendrick Lamar - 9
Lady Gaga - 7 
Bad Bunny - 6
Leon Thomas - 6
Sabrina Carpenter - 6
bur-sst/ksb

music

Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga face off at Grammys

BY PAULA RAMON

  • A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.
  • Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga are primed to make history on Sunday in Los Angeles at the 68th Grammy Awards, honoring the best in music.
  • A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.
Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga are primed to make history on Sunday in Los Angeles at the 68th Grammy Awards, honoring the best in music.
All three are angling to add to their trophy cabinets by taking home the gala's most coveted award, Album of the Year, for the first time.
Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper who won five gramophones last year, has nine nominations this time around -- the most of any artist -- including for Record and Song of the year.
Pop chameleon Lady Gaga and Puerto Rico's Bad Bunny also are competing in all three categories.
Also nominated for the top album prize are: pop princess Sabrina Carpenter; R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas; Tyler, the Creator; hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice); and pop superstar Justin Bieber -- with his first studio effort in four years.
Lamar is nominated this year for his album "GNX," which includes the single "Luther" featuring R&B artist SZA. The 38-year-old has won 22 Grammys during his career.
Lady Gaga, Bieber and Carpenter are set to perform, with more acts expected to be confirmed before Sunday.

Bad Bunny's hot streak

Standing in Lamar's way for Album of the Year is Bad Bunny, who is currently on a world tour in support of his album "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" (I Should Have Taken More Photos).
"It was a very exciting album," musicologist Lauron Kehrer told AFP.
"It touched on so much in terms of thematic material and musical material," Kehrer said, pointing to the allusions to decolonization and use of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms.
The 31-year-old Latin megastar, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, will headline the Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys, where he is up for six awards.
Last year, he completed a three-month residency in his native Puerto Rico and hosted the season opener of "Saturday Night Live."
His "Un verano sin ti" (2022) was the first Spanish-language album nominated for Album of the Year honors. A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.
Lady Gaga, 39, made a splashy comeback to touring with "Mayhem," her collection of pop bangers with a dark edge that embraces her dramatic side. She has seven nominations.
She has 14 Grammys to her name, but a win for Album of the Year would complete her hat trick of top awards. 
She took Record and Song of the Year honors seven years ago for the soundtrack hit "Shallow," from "A Star is Born" -- which also earned her an Oscar.
This time around, Song of the Year -- which honors songwriting -- is a crowded category that includes Carpenter's "Manchild" and "Golden" from the Netflix animated smash hit "KPop Demon Hunters."
Many pundits believe the energetic K-pop hit will triumph.
Up for best new artist are Alex Warren, girl group Katseye, Britain's Olivia Dean, TikTok dancer-turned-singer Addison Rae, The Marias, sombr, Lola Young and Thomas -- who was already a Grammy winner two years ago for producing a song by SZA.

'Reactionary'

For musicologist Kehrer, the infusion of rap, reggaeton and K-pop in the top Grammy categories reflects changes in the composition of the Recording Academy's voting group.
More than 3,800 new members have been admitted. Half of those new members are age 39 or younger, and 58 percent of them are people of color, the academy says.
Invitations were also offered to all members of the Latin Recording Academy.
"The Grammys are more reactionary than anything else," said Kehrer.
"These artists winning those major awards is more of an indication of climate, rather than trying to move or change the climate."
The Grammy Awards will once again be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah. 
The main broadcast begins at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday), but many of the 95 awards will be handed out at a pre-gala event.
pr/sst/ksb

immigration

'Batman' confronts city over ICE Super Bowl plan

  • "Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else."
  • A man dressed as Batman berated officials in the California city set to host the Super Bowl next month over claims they could let ICE officers patrol the NFL championship game.
  • "Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else."
A man dressed as Batman berated officials in the California city set to host the Super Bowl next month over claims they could let ICE officers patrol the NFL championship game.
The Caped Crusader took to the mic during the public comments section of Santa Clara city's council meeting on Tuesday.
He kicked things off with a "Ker-pow!" any superhero would be proud of, dropping an f-bomb as he slammed his fist into the lectern and demanded "what... are we doing here?"
"You have had months to prepare for this upcoming event," he said of the game that will see the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks battle it out for American football supremacy on February 8.
"People are dying on our streets every single day in this country because we allow this federal government to walk all over you."
The outburst came with tensions running high in the United States over the deaths this month of two protesters in Minneapolis, both shot dead by federal agents in operations run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.
"You need to affirm that no city resources will go to ICE, that no cooperation will be given to them."
The man's real name was not known, but he was identifed as "Batman" on the clock counting down his speaking time.
Santa Clara City did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
The involvement of ICE in Super Bowl 60 emerged as an issue when Corey Lewandowski, an adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, criticized the choice of Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny -- a US citizen -- as the star of the halftime show.
"It's so shameful that they've decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much," Lewandowski said in September.
"There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally," he added. "Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else."
Tickets for the gridiron finale start at around $6,000, making them out of reach for the vast majority of undocumented people, who tend to work in low-paying jobs.
hg/mlm

fashion

Vietnam designer makes history as Paris Haute Couture wraps up

BY ADAM PLOWRIGHT

  • Phan has been fast-tracked into a field that is becoming increasingly diverse under the impulse of the French fashion federation, FHCM.  The last day of Haute Couture Week included shows by Saudi label Ashi Studio as well as Syrian designer Rami Al Ali, who joined the official schedule for the first time last year.
  • Vietnam's Phan Huy became the youngest-ever designer to present a collection on the official Haute Couture calendar in Paris aged just 27 on Thursday, rounding out a week of major fashion debuts and celebrity sightings.
  • Phan has been fast-tracked into a field that is becoming increasingly diverse under the impulse of the French fashion federation, FHCM.  The last day of Haute Couture Week included shows by Saudi label Ashi Studio as well as Syrian designer Rami Al Ali, who joined the official schedule for the first time last year.
Vietnam's Phan Huy became the youngest-ever designer to present a collection on the official Haute Couture calendar in Paris aged just 27 on Thursday, rounding out a week of major fashion debuts and celebrity sightings.
Phan thrilled the fashion scene at a venue in western Paris, having had a whirlwind rise into the world's most exclusive design club since creating his eponymous label in 2023.
His airy Spring/Summer 2026 collection of evening dresses made abundant use of light muslin and tulle fabric, as well as hand-stitched floral and beaded embellishments, all inspired by Vietnam's former royal Nguyen dynasty.
"I'm very happy and very proud because I can represent and bring the culture and creativity of Vietnam to the world," Phan told AFP earlier this week.
As well as being the youngest, he is the first Vietnamese designer on the programme.
Although Vietnam is well-known as a manufacturing hub for mass-market Western clothes, Phan's business partner Steven Doan stressed that the duo "want to prove that we can do fashion as well".
Phan has been fast-tracked into a field that is becoming increasingly diverse under the impulse of the French fashion federation, FHCM. 
The last day of Haute Couture Week included shows by Saudi label Ashi Studio as well as Syrian designer Rami Al Ali, who joined the official schedule for the first time last year.

Debuts

The most-followed events of the last four days have been the Haute Couture debuts of new Chanel and Dior designers Matthieu Blazy and Jonathan Anderson, who took over the labels last year.
The two 40-something contemporaries were promoted as part of a vast overhaul of creative director positions in the European luxury clothing sector in the last 12 months.
Seen as new generational talents, the Franco-Belgian and Northern Irish designers have the daunting task of modernising some of the most venerable and profitable labels in fashion.
Blazy turned to birdlife for inspiration for his collection, producing designs that made waves for appearing both wearable and relatable -- and modelled by an unusual number of older models. 
A-listers from actor Nicole Kidman and singer Dua Lipa to rapper A$AP Rocky sat in the front row.
The Business of Fashion website called it a "slam dunk", while Paris-based fashion commentator Diane Pernet told AFP it was "everything that couture is supposed to be." 
Anderson has had more mixed appraisals, with some critics seeing the more risk-taking designer as still searching for a clear identity for his LVMH-owned mega-brand.
Singer Rihanna was full of praise for the son of a rugby player backstage, telling him that the "show took my breath away. People were stunned", according to a video of the encounter posted online by a fashion journalist. 
adp/cc

opera

Show must go on: London opera chief steps in for ailing tenor

  • A spokeswoman for the Royal Opera House told AFP it had emailed audience members about the "exceptionally rare situation" and offered a 50 percent credit on their ticket.
  • A theatre boss -- still dressed in his everyday workwear of jumper and chinos -- stepped in mid-performance to make sure the show went on at London's Royal Opera house after its star tenor was taken ill, a report said Thursday.
  • A spokeswoman for the Royal Opera House told AFP it had emailed audience members about the "exceptionally rare situation" and offered a 50 percent credit on their ticket.
A theatre boss -- still dressed in his everyday workwear of jumper and chinos -- stepped in mid-performance to make sure the show went on at London's Royal Opera house after its star tenor was taken ill, a report said Thursday.
Off-stage drama at the world-famous Covent Garden venue, at which tickets can cost hundreds of pounds, meant French singer Roberto Alagna was unable to continue after completing the second act of Tuesday's performance of Puccini's "Turandot".
With no time to get a replacement for the demanding role, a swift substitute was found in the form of the Royal Opera's Head of Music Richard Hetherington, a renowned pianist and conductor, The Times daily reported.
Before the curtain went up for the start of the third act a member of staff appeared on stage to explain that the performance would resume but with the lead role of Prince Calaf performed out of sight by someone who was not an opera singer.
Hetherington, still dressed for a regular work day behind the scenes, took over and the performance continued with him singing from the wings and the show's choreologist covering his moves on stage in costume.
Not everyone was happy with the last minute arrangement however, with some members of the audience reportedly booing when the opera's famous aria -- Nessun dorma -- was omitted.
Tuesday's performance had been Alagna's fifth and final night in the role.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Opera House told AFP it had emailed audience members about the "exceptionally rare situation" and offered a 50 percent credit on their ticket.
"Roberto Alagna was taken unwell... which prevented him from completing Act III. We wish Roberto a swift and full recovery," she added.
har/jkb/yad

luxury

'Watch the holes'! Paris fashion crowd gets to know building sites

BY MARINE DO-VALE

  • Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck, having previously occupied an empty office block in northern Paris, used a former Paris university building for his show this last season.
  • One of the hottest trends in fashion right now is hosting catwalk shows in empty office blocks or disused car parks.
  • Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck, having previously occupied an empty office block in northern Paris, used a former Paris university building for his show this last season.
One of the hottest trends in fashion right now is hosting catwalk shows in empty office blocks or disused car parks.
The appeal was evident again during the just-concluded Paris Men's Fashion Week, where designers sought out stripped-back buildings to showcase their creations. 
The lower rental prices compared with a plush hotel or cultural venue might also explain their popularity at a time when the industry has been struggling with reduced demand.
"There has been a real trend in recent years towards using raw venues where there are only the load-bearing walls and nothing else," Rod Reynolds, a location scout from the Records Collection company, told AFP.
Since 2017, he has been sourcing unusual spaces for a number of fashion houses such as Chloé, Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney. 
Among his loyal clients is the Dries Van Noten label.
Last Thursday, the Belgian brand presented its collection on the first floor of an under-construction building in the south of Paris —- a venue found by Reynolds.
Just days earlier, the space had been nothing more than a 1,500-square-metre (16,000 sq ft) empty floor area, with exposed concrete beams, damaged walls and a cracked floor. 
On the day itself, there was little sign of that. 
Large black curtains were hung on either side, one concealing the windows, the other marking off the backstage area. 
Two rows of chairs lined the runway, with spotlights suspended from the ceiling.
The irregularities in the floor, however, remained. 
"Watch out for the holes!" one guest warned another about the hazard for stilettos.

Contrast

Since the Covid pandemic, demand for this type of venue has "exploded", Rod Reynolds said -— a view shared by his colleague Benjamin Roussel, founder of Subspaces.
Last June, Roussel identified a car park awaiting redevelopment for a show by Israeli designer Hed Mayner.
Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck, having previously occupied an empty office block in northern Paris, used a former Paris university building for his show this last season.
According to the location scouts, the success of such austere settings lies in their aesthetic, practical and economic value. 
"What’s nice is really the contrast between something very clean and something a bit dirty, a bit raw," explained Roussel. 
There is also a practical advantage: venues with no pre-existing decor, and therefore fewer constraints.
They are also less expensive. 
"Compared with the Palais Brongniart (the former stock market building used by Hermes last Saturday), which has a similar capacity of 500 to 600 people, they are half the price," the specialist explains.

Theatre

French property company Covivio has been offering buildings under renovation or standing empty for hire for the past two and a half years, a way of creating value while they await redevelopment.
Dries Van Noten was its first client. 
In April 2023, the veteran Belgian designer, who has since stepped back from the label, visited the former headquarters of telecoms group Orange and fell in love with the building. 
He decided to "create a collection entirely inspired by the building’s facade and to hold his June show there", recalled Celine Leonardi, the group’s marketing and customer experience director.
Since then, Covivio has opened other sites, such as a former postal sorting centre built in the 1900s in the heart of Paris, which has hosted 23 shows in a year and a half. 
French label AMI organised a concert there for its January 2025 show, while Lacoste installed sand, tennis nets and giant screens during the October 2024 Fashion Week.
For French sociologist Emilie Coutant, the trend fits into a longer tradition.
Fashion shows rely on a "fundamental theatricality" that requires designers to "continually reinvent themselves by seeking out new locations", she told AFP.
mdv-adp/yad

entertainment

South Africa drops 'Melania' just ahead of release

  • News24 media reported Wednesday the South African distributor Filmfinity had abruptly dropped the film.
  • South Africa's main cinema houses have pulled a documentary about US First Lady Melania Trump just ahead of its release, with the distributor citing "the current climate", local media reported.
  • News24 media reported Wednesday the South African distributor Filmfinity had abruptly dropped the film.
South Africa's main cinema houses have pulled a documentary about US First Lady Melania Trump just ahead of its release, with the distributor citing "the current climate", local media reported.
"Melania" was not listed on the websites of the Nu Metro or Ster Kinekor theatres on Thursday, the day before its international release on January 30.
News24 media reported Wednesday the South African distributor Filmfinity had abruptly dropped the film.
"Given the current climate, the film will no longer be releasing theatrically in (the) territory," the site quoted the distributor's head of marketing, Thobashan Govindarajulu, as saying. 
It was not clear what "climate" he was referring to and AFP could not immediately reach a company representative for details.
Nu Metro confirmed to AFP Thursday that it had been told by Filmfinity to withdraw the film. 
"The rights sit with Filmfinity, and it's at their request that we are not releasing it," Nu Metro said in a statement. 
The South African government has strained ties with the administration of President Donald Trump, which has criticised Pretoria's position on a range of domestic and international policies.
Trump has notably repeated false claims that Pretoria is behind a "genocide" of the white Afrikaans community, which he has invited to settle in the United States.
br/yad

politics

As US tensions churn, new generation of protest singers meet the moment

BY MICHAEL MATHES

  • Eighty years after folk icon Guthrie scrawled "This Machine Kills Fascists" on his guitar, his musical heirs are savaging President Donald Trump on his immigration crackdown, his renamed Department of War, the US attack on Venezuela, Republican opposition to health care subsidies, and Washington's glaring failure to tackle American poverty.
  • American singer-songwriters are taking up the protest torch like their forebears Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Joan Baez, releasing tracks featuring searing criticism of Donald Trump and homage to Minneapolis residents killed this month by federal immigration agents.
  • Eighty years after folk icon Guthrie scrawled "This Machine Kills Fascists" on his guitar, his musical heirs are savaging President Donald Trump on his immigration crackdown, his renamed Department of War, the US attack on Venezuela, Republican opposition to health care subsidies, and Washington's glaring failure to tackle American poverty.
American singer-songwriters are taking up the protest torch like their forebears Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Joan Baez, releasing tracks featuring searing criticism of Donald Trump and homage to Minneapolis residents killed this month by federal immigration agents.
Eighty years after folk icon Guthrie scrawled "This Machine Kills Fascists" on his guitar, his musical heirs are savaging President Donald Trump on his immigration crackdown, his renamed Department of War, the US attack on Venezuela, Republican opposition to health care subsidies, and Washington's glaring failure to tackle American poverty.
This week, after two US citizen residents of Minneapolis were fatally shot in January by federal officers, folk and protest singers unveiled scalding musical assaults on the establishment.
A musical collective called the Singing Resistance has taken to the streets and churches of Minneapolis, singing about love and community but also about their call to "abolish ICE," the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency at the heart of aggressive operations in the Minnesota city and elsewhere.
Other protest singers are embracing today's most reliable pathway to getting music into young people's ears: Instagram and TikTok.
"Genuine American Hero," a folksy, guitar-driven track by little-known musician Joseph Terrell about the death of Renee Good at the hands of a federal agent, has quickly become an anti-ICE anthem, generating millions of views online.
"He keeps us safe and snatches us inside our homes and offices, yes he's a genuine American hero," Terrell sneers of Good's killer who "shot her in the face in her SUV."
"I wrote it on Monday because I'd been stewing in anger about ICE," Terrell posted on Instagram, adding he was stunned by the reception it received.
"I'm glad it's been reaching yall as we try and make sense of this moment."

'Join ICE'

Folk musician Jesse Welles has been reaching a far larger audience. Over the past year, the shaggy-haired guitarist and singer has emerged as a modern-day protest troubadour, collaborating with Baez, selling out concert halls, and soaring to rarified fame on social media.
His songs' videos have racked up more than 200 million views on TikTok alone. He has been nominated for four Grammy's this year, including Best Folk Album.
"Join ICE, boy ain't it nice. Join ICE, take my advice. If you're lacking control and authority, come with me and hunt down minorities," Welles, 33, sings in a satirical twang.
With civil unrest and outrage churning in Minnesota and elsewhere, some established musical stars, most notably Bruce Springsteen, are getting in on protest art.
On Wednesday the rock icon released "Streets of Minneapolis," a fiery song about the fatal shootings there and "King Trump's private army" wearing "occupiers' boots" as they carry out the president's mass deportation campaign.
Some emerging artists have parlayed ferocious ICE criticism into a growing following, including country singer Bryan Andrews, who has garnered millions of views on TikTok for his songs and outspoken commentary about the conservative MAGA movement, ICE raids and the killings in Minneapolis.
But mainstream country music, with its conservative legacy, is less likely to embrace protest calls to arms, especially after star Zach Bryan faced backlash last year for his politically charged "Bad News."
The song offered not-so-subtle condemnation of ICE operations and earned criticism in Nashville -- and reproach from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who called the track "completely disrespectful."
mlm/sla

immigration

Springsteen releases fiery ode to Minneapolis shooting victims

  • Springsteen said the song "Streets of Minneapolis" was a response to "state terror" in the northern US city, rocked by the actions of armed federal officers that have stoked vociferous local protests.
  • American rock hero Bruce Springsteen dived into the outrage over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown with a fiery song released Wednesday that pays tribute to two protesters fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis.
  • Springsteen said the song "Streets of Minneapolis" was a response to "state terror" in the northern US city, rocked by the actions of armed federal officers that have stoked vociferous local protests.
American rock hero Bruce Springsteen dived into the outrage over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown with a fiery song released Wednesday that pays tribute to two protesters fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Springsteen said the song "Streets of Minneapolis" was a response to "state terror" in the northern US city, rocked by the actions of armed federal officers that have stoked vociferous local protests.
"I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city" in the state of Minnesota, The Boss wrote on his Instagram page.
"It's dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good," the 76-year-old wrote, referring to the two US nationals killed this month. Pretti died after a scuffle with agents on a snowy Minneapolis street on Saturday. 
"Stay free," Springsteen added.
The "Born to Run" and "Badlands" singer has often been willing to criticize President Donald Trump with very blunt language in interviews and at performances, and the anthemic song he released online Wednesday pulls no punches.
It refers to the several thousand immigration agents who descended on Minneapolis as "King Trump's private army" wearing "occupiers' boots" and with "guns belted to their coats" as they undertake Trump's push to deport undocumented immigrants.
"There were bloody footprints where mercy should have stood, and two dead left to die on snow-filled streets: Alex Pretti and Renee Good," he sings in the opening verse.
The chorus: "Oh Minneapolis I hear your voice, crying through the bloody mist. We'll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis."
The song's title echoes the 1994 classic "Streets of Philadelphia," Springsteen's haunting ballad about people living with AIDS.
For decades, Springsteen has been revered by rock fans in the United States and beyond for his man-of-the-people guitar music and socially conscious, working-class anthems like "Born in the USA," "The River," and "Rosalita."
During the 2024 election campaign that led to Trump's second presidency, Springsteen threw his support behind Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, and said Trump was running to be an "American tyrant."
At that time he said of Trump, "He does not understand this country, its history or what it means to be deeply American."
Trump has in recent days sought to tamp down the furor over the violence in Minneapolis and has shuffled the leadership of immigration agents deployed there, putting a less confrontational figure in charge.
But on Wednesday he warned the mayor of Minneapolis that he is "playing with fire" with his refusal to cooperate with federal authorities.
msp/mlm

Britain

Anti-immigration protesters force climbdown in Sundance documentary

BY HUW GRIFFITH

  • The community effort worked; the men were released.
  • When immigration officials came to arrest two men targeted for deportation, a community sprang into action to protest what they said was a brutal policy by an inhumane government.
  • The community effort worked; the men were released.
When immigration officials came to arrest two men targeted for deportation, a community sprang into action to protest what they said was a brutal policy by an inhumane government.
With little more than cellphones and a righteous sense of injustice, a handful of people spread the word that they needed to take a stand.
Dozens, then hundreds, then thousands more arrived to confront the authorities to stop their neighbors being taken away.
But this was not Minneapolis in 2026 -- it was Scotland's Glasgow in 2021. The community effort worked; the men were released.
"Everybody to Kenmure Street" was perhaps the most timely documentary at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
Director Felipe Bustos Sierra pieced together the events using cellphone footage from some of the estimated 2,500 people who answered the call from WhatsApp groups, book club text message circles or Facebook livestreams.
What emerged was an uplifting portrait of a spontaneous, organic and leaderless protest in Pollockshields, an ethnically diverse suburb of Glasgow.  

'Drip, drip, drip'

Tabassum Niamat had been up all night preparing a family feast for Eid al-Fitr, the celebration that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"Suddenly, I got these text messages," she told AFP. "I made my way to Kenmure Street, and lo and behold, what was in front of me was a big immigration van."
A dawn raid on the first day of Eid by a team from Britain's Home Office (interior ministry) seemed designed to inflame tensions in an area with a large South Asian population.
One quick-thinking campaigner crawled underneath the van as the arrests were happening inside a home -- a place he would remain for over eight hours to prevent the van moving.
"It was just maybe five of us at that point. And soon after, there was 10, then it was 20...just like drip, drip, drip, until there were so many of us I couldn't see one end of Kenmure Street to the other," said Niamat.
A growing police presence did not deter the protesters, who set up a makeshift pantry in a bus stop offering food and drinks.
The local mosque also threw open its doors to allow anyone -- police officers or protesters -- to use the toilets.
"What do you do when guests arrive at your doorstep? You feed them, you look after them," Niamat said.
As news of the protest spread, a local human rights lawyer arrived and was able to negotiate the detainees' unconditional release. No one was seriously injured in the spontaneous protest.

Van man

Many of the locals who told the story of the protest appeared on camera, but some key characters did not. 
Among them was the figure dubbed simply "Van Man," whose name was not revealed, but whose words were spoken by actress Emma Thompson, appearing to be lying under a van.
Partly, explained Bustos Sierra, this was to safeguard a person who became something of a legend around Glasgow after the protest.
But it was also an effort to emphasize that this protest was a collective action, and a victory for everyone.
"Van Man had the opportunity," Bustos Sierra told AFP. 
"Anybody could have done this. Anybody should do this. It's the only way we move forward."
The documentary premiered at Sundance two days before 37-year-old protester Alex Pretti was shot dead by US federal agents in Minneapolis as he demonstrated against a military-style immigration crackdown in the city.
While the context was different -- UK police are not routinely armed, and there were no signs in the film that pepper spray or batons were used on protesters -- Niamat saw parallels with Minnesota.
"If you come out for your fellow man, if you come out for the sake of humanity, if you come out because you believe what's happening is wrong, you're instantly going to feel connected, and you'll want to stand together."
The Sundance Film Festival runs until February 1.
hg/acb

music

Neil Young gifts music to Greenland residents for stress relief

  • "I hope my music and music films will ease some of the unwanted stress and threats you are experiencing from our unpopular and hopefully temporary government," Young wrote.
  • Veteran rock legend Neil Young has given Greenland residents free access to his catalogue, saying he hoped the gesture offered stress relief to those unsettled by US President Donald Trump's threats.
  • "I hope my music and music films will ease some of the unwanted stress and threats you are experiencing from our unpopular and hopefully temporary government," Young wrote.
Veteran rock legend Neil Young has given Greenland residents free access to his catalogue, saying he hoped the gesture offered stress relief to those unsettled by US President Donald Trump's threats.
"This is an offer of peace and love," the dual US‑Canadian musician said on his website.
"I hope my music and music films will ease some of the unwanted stress and threats you are experiencing from our unpopular and hopefully temporary government," Young wrote.
After European pushback, Trump backed down on his threat to take Greenland, a mineral‑rich Danish autonomous territory.
"All the music I have made during the last 62 years is yours to hear," the 80‑year‑old Young said.
Anyone with a cellphone number using Greenland's country code can access the gift, which Young said is renewable "as long as you are in Greenland."
Young has been a long-standing critic of Trump. When Trump was elected to his first term in 2016, Young wrote a song called "Already Great" as a repudiation of Trump's Make America Great Again movement.
bur-aje/bs/md

music

'No. 1 fan': Rapper Minaj backs Trump

  • "I will say that I am probably the president's number one fan, and that's not going to change," said Minaj, who wore a furry white coat as she embraced Trump and took the podium.
  • Rap icon Nicki Minaj declared Wednesday she was Donald Trump's "number one fan," adding that "hate" directed at the US president made her support him more.
  • "I will say that I am probably the president's number one fan, and that's not going to change," said Minaj, who wore a furry white coat as she embraced Trump and took the podium.
Rap icon Nicki Minaj declared Wednesday she was Donald Trump's "number one fan," adding that "hate" directed at the US president made her support him more.
Republican Trump called the provocative singer-songwriter up on stage after she announced her support for so-called "Trump Accounts," which provide trust funds for children.
"I will say that I am probably the president's number one fan, and that's not going to change," said Minaj, who wore a furry white coat as she embraced Trump and took the podium.
"And the hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more."
The Trinidadian star, 43, added that she would not let the billionaire president's opponents "get away with bullying him and you know, the smear campaigns. It's not going to work."
"He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him. Amen."
Trump, who had earlier joked that he would grow out his nails to emulate the "Starships" and "Super Bass" rapper, then held her hand while another speaker took the podium.
The self-proclaimed "Queen of Rap" is known for her shape-shifting musical and fashion styles -- but she has also radically modified her politics in recent years.
Previously a critic of Trump's hardline immigation policies, Minaj has moved in recent years to praising his leadership. 
In November she made a surprise appearance at the United Nations to call for an end to faith-based persecution in Nigeria, an allegation by the Trump administration which the government there denies.
aue-dk/mlm

influencer

US YouTuber IShowSpeed gains Ghanaian nationality at end of Africa tour

  • Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa said in an X post on Monday that following "confirmation of the irrefutable ties of IShowSpeed to Ghana", his government "has approved the issuance of a Ghanaian Passport to IShowSpeed". 
  • Ghana has granted citizenship to US YouTuber IShowSpeed, the country's foreign minister announced, as the influencer wraps up a month-long tour of Africa.
  • Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa said in an X post on Monday that following "confirmation of the irrefutable ties of IShowSpeed to Ghana", his government "has approved the issuance of a Ghanaian Passport to IShowSpeed". 
Ghana has granted citizenship to US YouTuber IShowSpeed, the country's foreign minister announced, as the influencer wraps up a month-long tour of Africa.
Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa said in an X post on Monday that following "confirmation of the irrefutable ties of IShowSpeed to Ghana", his government "has approved the issuance of a Ghanaian Passport to IShowSpeed". 
"Keep making our great nation Ghana, and our beloved African continent proud. Ghana celebrates you," the minister said.
The 21-year-old African American IShowSpeed -- born in Cincinnati, Ohio as Darren Jason Watkins Jr. -- is one of the most-followed influencers on the planet.
He hit 50 million YouTube subscribers this month, Rolling Stone magazine named him the Most Influential Creator of 2025 and Forbes estimates his net worth at $20 million.
The YouTube and Twitch star's tour, which started on December 29, has taken him to 20 countries, showing his tens of millions of followers a different side of Africa as he visited a diamond mine in Botswana, discovered Ethiopia's rich cuisine and attended the Africa Cup of Nations football final in Morocco.
Subscribers to his channel have soaked up his coverage of the continent, with some black Americans posting emotional videos of their own saying IShowSpeed had opened their eyes to a completely different vision of Africa, far from TV cliches of endless poverty and violence.
fvl/sn/cc