literature

Austrian writer Stefan Zweig, who fled Nazis, honoured in London

BY HELEN ROWE

  • "His letters say how much comfort he gets from London, but the fact that the Brits are generally unbothered by the war -- that infuriates him," she said.
  • With its grand facade, the 1930s London mansion block looks like countless others.
  • "His letters say how much comfort he gets from London, but the fact that the Brits are generally unbothered by the war -- that infuriates him," she said.
With its grand facade, the 1930s London mansion block looks like countless others. But one flat hides a tale of one of the darkest chapters in 20th century European history.
Famed Austrian writer Stefan Zweig lived in flat number 71, at 49, Hallam Street, for three years until 1939 after fleeing his homeland as Nazi leader Adolf Hitler began his rise to power 
Largely forgotten by modern readers, Zweig -- the inspiration for Wes Anderson's 2014 film "The Grand Budapest Hotel" -- was a major literary figure who during his lifetime was the world's most widely translated author.
In the event of an invasion of Britain, the writer would have been among the highest profile targets of the Nazi's so-called "black book".
SS units would have been directed to Hallam Street to detain and "neutralise" Zweig.
The address was included in the secret Sonderfahndungsliste G.B. ("Special Search List Great Britain") which contained the names of around 2,820 politicians, writers, scientists, refugees, journalists and others considered enemies of the Nazi regime.
Ninety years after Zweig settled in Hallam Street, UK admirers including the late playwright Tom Stoppard and novelist Julian Barnes, have finally won their bid to have the address officially commemorated.
A round blue plaque, recently mounted on the block's exterior, now alerts passers-by to the building's famous former resident.

Freud eulogy

"Stefan Zweig 1881-1942, Austrian Writer lived in flat 71, 1936-1939," reads the marker erected as part of the English Heritage's Blue Plaques programme.
The scheme, which has been running since 1866, aims to honour the link between notable figures and UK buildings where they lived and worked.
Blue Plaques historian Susan Skedd said Zweig's mental state appeared to fluctuate during his time in the capital, where he also lived at several other addresses. 
"His letters say how much comfort he gets from London, but the fact that the Brits are generally unbothered by the war -- that infuriates him," she said.
Gathering material for his autobiography "The World of Yesterday" also caused him to dwell on the lost world of his past life in Vienna, she said. He left the city in 1933.
"He feels that civilisation is lost ... which is profoundly sad," she added. 
In September 1939, as war in Europe broke out, Zweig delivered the funeral eulogy for fellow exile, psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, at London's Golders Green Cemetery.

Cultural loss

According to English Heritage, 30 other blue plaque recipients appeared on the Nazis' list, but Zweig's Hallam Street flat was one of only two locations to be explicitly given, the other being the home of English science fiction author H. G. Wells.
Zweig's works included "Letter from an Unknown Woman" (1922) and "Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman" (1927), which were translated into dozens of languages.
His later novel "Beware of Pity" (1939) was written and published during the time he lived in Hallam Street.
Anderson said in a video message to mark the blue plaque that he had "never heard" of Zweig until he chanced upon a copy of "Beware of Pity", prompting him to immediately seek out another of his works, "The Post Office Girl", published posthumously in 1982.
"I sort of stole elements from both these books for 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'," he said, adding that Ralph Fiennes' character in the film was largely modelled on Zweig.
Although he did find refuge in London, there was to be no happy ending for Zweig whose later works drew on his own experiences of displacement and cultural loss.
He left for New York in 1940, and later set up home in Brazil. The worsening situation in Europe, however, left him profoundly depressed.
On February 23, 1942, the day after finishing his autobiography, Zweig, then aged 60, and his second wife Lotte, 33, each took a fatal dose of barbiturates.
har/jkb/db
  

media

UK clears Paramount's takeover of Warner Bros

  • The combined company would control a vast array of assets, including CNN, Warner Bros.
  • Britain on Thursday gave the green light to Paramount Skydance's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros.
  • The combined company would control a vast array of assets, including CNN, Warner Bros.
Britain on Thursday gave the green light to Paramount Skydance's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, as the entertainment and media mega-deal still faces a key hurdle in the United States. 
The UK government and the antitrust watchdog both cleared the deal after initially raising concerns over media plurality and competition, respectively.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that the takeover would not weaken competition in film distribution, children's TV and streaming services. 
Britain's culture minister Lisa Nandy, meanwhile, opted not to intervene in the merger, saying she had secured "assurances and further legally-binding commitments" to ensure a diverse range of broadcasting and on-demand services in the country.
"These assurances included a range of commitments on future investment in the UK, maintaining the distinct editorial identities of key services and the editorial independence of news," she said in a statement.
Paramount's bid still faces hurdles across the Atlantic after a federal judge in California ordered the companies to temporarily pause their merger last month.
Paramount agreed to delay the deal until June 2027.
The US judge's order came after 12 states led by California sued to block the deal over competition concerns, despite the justice department approving the merger.
If the merger eventually closes, the new combined company would reshape the entertainment and media industry, in addition to delivering a major win to its owners, the Ellison family, who are close allies of US President Donald Trump. 
The combined company would control a vast array of assets, including CNN, Warner Bros. Pictures and the HBO Max streaming service.
"Paramount is grateful to the CMA for its constructive engagement and its review of the transaction," the company said in a statement on Thursday. 
"These conclusions further demonstrate the misguided and gerrymandered market definitions relied upon by the US state AGs (attorney generals) in their antitrust complaint in California," it added.
The European Union gave the deal conditional approval last month.
ajb/cw

cymbals

Istanbul cymbals: From Ottoman war tool to pulse of global music

BY HAZEL WARD WITH MAYRA KOST

  • "Not a single blow is random," he explains as a trio of craftsmen land expert strikes that create the darker more complex tones so prized by jazz drummers. 
  • The rhythmic clanging of hammers on bronze echoes through the Istanbul workshop where three craftsmen are landing blows with astonishing precision to transform featureless metal discs into highly prized handcrafted cymbals.
  • "Not a single blow is random," he explains as a trio of craftsmen land expert strikes that create the darker more complex tones so prized by jazz drummers. 
The rhythmic clanging of hammers on bronze echoes through the Istanbul workshop where three craftsmen are landing blows with astonishing precision to transform featureless metal discs into highly prized handcrafted cymbals.
First used by Ottoman military "mehter" bands to frighten and demoralise the enemy, cymbals were a useful tool for an empire on the warpath. 
But it would take the skill of a 17th-century Armenian alchemist called Avedis Zildjian to transform them into a percussion instrument whose exotic sound would first captivate Europe's classical composers and then shape the world of jazz.
Although cymbals existed long before Zildjian, he developed a unique alloy and special process for treating the metals that made them less fragile, winning plaudits in 1623 from the Ottoman sultan who let him set up a workshop.
"It's really hard to make good cymbals because they're consistently being crashed, so to make something that wasn't brittle which could withstand continuous use is quite an achievement," explains ethnomusicologist Audrey Wozniak, who specialises in Turkish musical traditions. 
The secret was passed down through the generations and although the original Zildjian operation left Istanbul for America in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire, others who learned from the Zildjian masters have continued the tradition.
Today, Istanbul remains the centre of excellence for cymbals, where a handful of brands still produce hand-hammered bronze using techniques developed more than 400 years ago.

'A cymbal's soul'

"We are producing 100-percent handmade cymbals with traditional methods, without using electricity or gas, only coal and wood," explains Mehmet Ozturk, sales rep at Bosphorus Cymbals on Istanbul's northern outskirts, who says casting a cymbal takes up to a week.
First is the casting stage. Most cymbals are made of a copper and tin alloy that is melted into molten bronze which is poured into moulds and cooled into disc-shaped blanks.
Moving swiftly, a worker using a long-handled peel places the blanks into the glowing furnace then removes others that are put through a rolling mill in a cycle repeated up to 15 times to compress and spread the metal which is then water tempered.
"Every stage is crucial," explains master cymbalsmith Hasan Seker, a burly 56-year-old who co-founded Bosphorus Cymbals in 1996 and is sweating after hauling glowing blanks into and out of the furnace. 
"We use copper and tin and one more ingredient which is secret. Even though it's in very small quantities, it gives the cymbal a different character in terms of consistency and sound," he told AFP.
After punching out the raised bell and cutting it to size, what looks like the now recognisable cymbal must undergo the all-important hammering process.
"Not a single blow is random," he explains as a trio of craftsmen land expert strikes that create the darker more complex tones so prized by jazz drummers. 
This is where a man's emotional state is poured into his work, says Seker, who began working in the trade aged 12 as a summer job.
"When someone is hammering, he might hit softly, then something comes to mind, he gets angry and hit harder. Those variations in the metal's surface, the reservations, the tension patterns diversify the sound. In a way, he gives the cymbal it's soul."
Over the years, Seker has met countless grateful musicians, some of whom come on "a pilgrimage" to the workshop whose grubby walls are lined with ageing posters of jazz drummers like Jeff Hamilton, Stanton Moore and Ari Hoenig.

'Every one is different'

Inside Nardis Jazz Club, a dimly lit venue with an intimate feel in the shadow of Istanbul's Galata Tower, a jazz trio is rehearsing ahead of an evening show with a singer.
For drummer Derin Bayhan, he would only ever use Istanbul-made cymbals because they're "100 percent handmade" and each one has a unique sound.
"Even if you bought two from the same series, the same weight and structure, the two cymbals wouldn't perfectly match. Because it's handmade, it's basically an adventure," the 42-year-old told AFP. 
"So you search for one and when you find it, no-one else will have it: that sound is yours."
As to why the Istanbul tradition remains so popular among jazz musicians despite the Zildjian family's move to America where they set up a factory, jazz historian Berk Ozler said it was the search for uniqueness.
"Mass production started when Zildjian went to the USA whereas the ones that stayed in Istanbul were handcrafted and still are. Jazz musicians chase after that uniqueness so that's why they are very valuable."
hmw-mak/ach/abs

politics

Paramount CEO says politics fueling Warner Bros. merger battle

  • Ellison's Paramount Skydance agreed late last month to delay its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. to June 2027 while the US lawsuit seeking to block the deal moves forward.
  • Paramount CEO David Ellison said Tuesday that the legal battle over his proposed multibillion-dollar takeover of Warner Bros.
  • Ellison's Paramount Skydance agreed late last month to delay its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. to June 2027 while the US lawsuit seeking to block the deal moves forward.
Paramount CEO David Ellison said Tuesday that the legal battle over his proposed multibillion-dollar takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery was fueled by politics rather than concerns over market share.
His remarks in an opinion piece published in The New York Times came as a federal judge set a March 2027 trial date for the antitrust challenges to the megamerger.
Ellison's Paramount Skydance agreed late last month to delay its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. to June 2027 while the US lawsuit seeking to block the deal moves forward.
If the merger eventually closes, the new combined company would reshape the entertainment and media industry, in addition to delivering a major win to its owners, the Ellison family, who are close allies of US President Donald Trump.
If the deal doesn't close, the Ellison family could be on the hook for billions in kill fees. 
In a combative op-ed, Ellison argued that the fight over the deal "is not really about market share."
"The issue is whether I can be trusted as a steward of Warner's CNN. There has been speculation about my politics, my loyalties, my intentions," he wrote.
In their complaint against the deal, 12 Democratic-led US states claim the combined company would control roughly 27 percent of wide-release theatrical film distribution and a similar percentage of basic cable channel licensing.
"We are eager to continue to make our case in court... to ensure this unlawful merger never sees the light of day," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement last month. 
The deal would include CNN, one of the largest US cable news networks and a frequent target of Trump's insults and attacks over coverage critical of his administration.
On June 12 the Trump administration approved the blockbuster deal without demanding a single change, clearing the way for one of the largest media mergers in years.
Ellison argued that he held views across the political spectrum, "just like most Americans."
"When it comes to our news operations, I do not aspire to lead these companies to bend their newsrooms to my views," he said. "I believe that news should be based on facts and truth."
Ellison's Skydance acquired CBS News in mid-2025, with the major US broadcaster reaching a $16 million settlement with Trump over coverage of presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the same period.
Shortly after CBS became a part of Paramount Skydance, the company brought in Bari Weiss -- a longstanding critic of progressive politics -- to lead its news division.
Many CBS News journalists quit following Weiss's appointment, alleging curbs on their editorial independence.
David Ellison is the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who Forbes says has a net worth of more than $185 billion, making him the seventh richest person in the world.
aha/smb/mlm

US

'Spider-Man' breaks record for domestic box office debut

  • The updated domestic figures also bring the film's total global debut to $932 million, still in second-place to the gargantuan $1.2 billion earned by "Endgame."
  • "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" had the biggest debut weekend of all time at the domestic box office, updated figures for the United States and Canada showed Monday.
  • The updated domestic figures also bring the film's total global debut to $932 million, still in second-place to the gargantuan $1.2 billion earned by "Endgame."
"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" had the biggest debut weekend of all time at the domestic box office, updated figures for the United States and Canada showed Monday.
The latest entry in the Marvel superhero franchise -- with British actor Tom Holland once again in the titular role -- earned $360 million, up from Sunday's estimate of $355 million, production company Sony Pictures said.
That haul put "Brand New Day" ahead of the previous record-holder, Disney's "Avengers: Endgame," which debuted in 2019 with $357 million -- not adjusted for inflation.
The updated domestic figures also bring the film's total global debut to $932 million, still in second-place to the gargantuan $1.2 billion earned by "Endgame."
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, "Brand New Day" sees Peter Parker (Holland) living in isolation after he erased his identity from the world and struggling with changes to his mutant powers.
As he tries to reconnect with former girlfriend MJ (played by Zendaya, who is Holland's real-life wife) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), Spider-Man must go toe-to-toe with a new force threatening New York City.
Mark Ruffalo, Florence Pugh, and Sadie Sink also join in the film, which precedes the release of "Avengers: Doomsday" in December.
Variety called the "Brand New Day" opening "mind-boggling," while noting it and "Endgame" are the only two movies to ever earn $300 million in a single weekend.
The Spider-Man debut is also notable given its competition with Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster "The Odyssey," which had dibs on IMAX screens.
"Brand New Day" is set to begin its IMAX run this coming weekend.
des/pnb

music

Ariana Grande withdraws from London musical, seeks to 'step back'

  • "We can confirm that she has decided to step back from 'Sunday in The Park with George'," producers said in a statement carried on the show's official X account, without providing a reason for Grande's withdrawal.
  • Pop star Ariana Grande has dropped out of what would have been her debut appearance in London's West End, the show's producers said Sunday, as a representative for the singer said she wants to take a "step back" from the public eye.
  • "We can confirm that she has decided to step back from 'Sunday in The Park with George'," producers said in a statement carried on the show's official X account, without providing a reason for Grande's withdrawal.
Pop star Ariana Grande has dropped out of what would have been her debut appearance in London's West End, the show's producers said Sunday, as a representative for the singer said she wants to take a "step back" from the public eye.
The 33-year-old Grande had been slated to star opposite her "Wicked" castmate Jonathan Bailey in the Stephen Sondheim musical "Sunday in The Park with George" in the summer of 2027 at London's Barbican theater. 
But amid renewed public scrutiny of the singer's health, especially on social media, her representative said she wanted a "much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances" when her "Eternal Sunshine" tour wraps in London on September 1.
"We can confirm that she has decided to step back from 'Sunday in The Park with George'," producers said in a statement carried on the show's official X account, without providing a reason for Grande's withdrawal.
"We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support," the statement said, adding that the show would go ahead as planned and casting would be announced "in due course."
"We wish her nothing but the best."
Grande's representative told People magazine that while the Grammy-winning artist is eager to complete her tour, she wants to take a "step back from visibility," as her many appearances have "led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny."
Fans have expressed growing concern for her health, particularly after Friday's release of a music video for "Petal" in which the pint-sized singer appears to have lost significant weight. 
Grande has said before that body-shaming comments are "really dangerous." 
She began her career as a teen on Broadway before embarking on a hugely successful pop career
Her star turn as Glinda in the film adaptation of "Wicked" earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. 
But the massive success of the film and its sequel "Wicked: For Good" meant Grande was doing constant media appearances for the better part of two years.
She is set to appear in the comedy "Focker-in-Law" opposite Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, which hits theaters in November.
msp/sst

television

Returning to 'Ted Lasso' after break 'effortless': Hannah Waddingham

BY PAULA RAMON

  • In a teaser for its highly anticipated return, Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt appeared in character as Lasso and his assistant Coach Beard during the halftime show of last month's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.
  • With World Cup excitement still reverberating, Apple TV's football comedy hit "Ted Lasso" is returning after a three-year hiatus, and according to the cast, they needed no warm-up to get back on the pitch.
  • In a teaser for its highly anticipated return, Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt appeared in character as Lasso and his assistant Coach Beard during the halftime show of last month's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.
With World Cup excitement still reverberating, Apple TV's football comedy hit "Ted Lasso" is returning after a three-year hiatus, and according to the cast, they needed no warm-up to get back on the pitch.
"It felt completely and utterly... effortless. Just ridiculously effortless," Hannah Waddingham told AFP at a press event alongside costars Jeremy Swift and Juno Temple ahead of Season 4's premiere on Wednesday.
"I think we've always felt like a family from day one on this," added Waddingham, the award-winning British actress who plays Rebecca Welton, the ruthless president of the fictional professional English soccer club AFC Richmond. 
Swift, who portrays team executive Leslie Higgins, chimed in that the cast "hit the ground running" when filming resumed.
The new season of "Ted Lasso," which stars Jason Sudeikis in the title role, shifts the action to the optimistic American coach's (and Sudeikis's own) native Kansas, where he has been invited to helm a second-division women's team.
The trip allowed the actors to better understand Sudeikis's inspiration when he co-created the show, one of Apple TV's most successful series, said Temple, who plays the charismatic model-turned-publicist Keeley Jones.
"It felt like a really, really special way to come back again, to be slightly out of our comfort zone," said the English actress. "That was great."
It was vital to "have this kind of beautiful vacation together in a place that's both very important to Ted and very important to Jason," Temple said, describing it as "such a fun experience for all three of us."

Showcasing women's sports

"Ted Lasso" debuted on Apple TV in 2020 and became the platform's flagship series.
In a teaser for its highly anticipated return, Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt appeared in character as Lasso and his assistant Coach Beard during the halftime show of last month's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.
In the skit, Sudeikis acted as if he were sending pop superstar Justin Bieber into the match as a substitute.
The location shift in the new season has allowed the series to bring back familiar faces including Sudeikis, Waddingham, Temple, Swift, Hunt and Brett Goldstein, who plays AFC Richmond captain Roy Kent.
But it also offers the bandwidth to introduce new characters, bringing fresh tension and comedic drama.
The focus will be on the up-and-coming team, the challenges it faces, and the roster of players jockeying for influence and pitch time.
Faye Marsay, who steps into the cleats of the sharp-tongued center back Lizzie, said she felt it was appropriate to use the hit series as a "platform to shine light on the problems in women's sport and the things that we need to do better."
The show is not "shoving anything down anyone's throat," she said, but it is exposing challenges for women athletes including motherhood and equal treatment.
"I think we do it in a kind of subtle and graceful way."
Apple TV will release weekly episodes of "Ted Lasso" until the season finale premieres on October 7.
pr-mlm/pnb/sst

Canada

'Spider-Man' soars to huge $355 million opening in North America

  • "Spider-Man" -- the ninth live-action film featuring the hero, previously played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield -- earned an additional $573 million abroad, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.
  • "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," Sony and Marvel's latest chapter in the comic book adventure starring Tom Holland as the iconic web-slinger, raked in a massive $355 million in its North American debut, industry estimates showed Sunday.
  • "Spider-Man" -- the ninth live-action film featuring the hero, previously played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield -- earned an additional $573 million abroad, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.
"Spider-Man: Brand New Day," Sony and Marvel's latest chapter in the comic book adventure starring Tom Holland as the iconic web-slinger, raked in a massive $355 million in its North American debut, industry estimates showed Sunday.
The opening was the second-biggest in domestic box office history, only behind "Avengers: Endgame" (2019) at $357 million, not adjusted for inflation, according to Box Office Mojo.
The film -- which also stars Zendaya (who happens to be Holland's wife), Mark Ruffalo, Florence Pugh, and Sadie Sink -- sees Peter Parker living in isolation after he erased his identity from the world, confronting a personal transformation and new threats.
"This is a colossal opening," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
"The summer has been without a big action title for nine weeks -- an eternity at the box office. The market is ripe-ripe-ripe for this film."
"Spider-Man" -- the ninth live-action film featuring the hero, previously played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield -- earned an additional $573 million abroad, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.
That puts its worldwide total at a staggering $928 million.
"Overseas business should be more than 60% of the worldwide total, with good news already coming out of China (a rarity now)," Gross said.
Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster, "The Odyssey," held its own in second place at $51 million, for a total of nearly $400 million in the United States and Canada.
Based on Homer's ancient epic poem, the Universal film tracks hero Odysseus (Matt Damon) as he faces obstacle after obstacle on his way home from the Trojan War. Anne Hathaway and Holland co-star as his wife Penelope and son Telemachus.
"The combination of 'Spider-Man' and 'The Odyssey' -- a legacy superhero sequel and a big original production -- is taking the box office to new highs by a comfortable margin," Gross said.
Disney-Pixar's "Toy Story 5" took third place with $6.3 million, and another animated effort, Universal's "Minions & Monsters," took fourth place at $5.8 million.
Fifth place went to "Moana," Disney's latest live-action remake of one of its animated hits, with $5.3 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"Hadestown: The Musical" ($2 million)
"The Invite" ($1.2 million)
"I Want Your Sex" ($600,000)
"Evil Dead Burn" ($525,000)
"Young Washington" ($478,000)
sst/dw