music

Eurovision brings pop and politics to Asia

BY ALICE RITCHIE

  • The show was first held in 1956 as an experiment by national public broadcasters and became a cultural phenomenon, known for its over-the-top staging, kitsch and eclectic music, and with a large LGBTQ following.
  • Boasting K-pop and Bangladeshi beatboxing, Eurovision stages its first Asia edition this Saturday, bringing the European song contest's unique brand of kitsch and geopolitics to the world's most populous region.
  • The show was first held in 1956 as an experiment by national public broadcasters and became a cultural phenomenon, known for its over-the-top staging, kitsch and eclectic music, and with a large LGBTQ following.
Boasting K-pop and Bangladeshi beatboxing, Eurovision stages its first Asia edition this Saturday, bringing the European song contest's unique brand of kitsch and geopolitics to the world's most populous region.
From Laos to Mongolia and the Philippines, 11 countries are competing in the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok on November 14.
It will be broadcast live on television in participating countries and on YouTube -- but a question remains over whether anyone will be watching.
Eurovision is the world's biggest televised live music event, drawing 131 million viewers in 2026, and over the past 70 years has launched the careers of artists such as ABBA and Celine Dion.
The Asia edition is its first multinational expansion, although a US version was held in 2022 -- and was not repeated.
India, Japan and China are absent from the Bangkok event, while ticket sales have been sluggish.
"Eurovision is very big in Europe and it's very new in Asia," acknowledged executive producer Assaf Blecher.
But he said three years of preparations had fostered a public appetite for the show.
"Suddenly they understood the spirit of Eurovision," he said of those involved, hailing "the music, the extravagance".
"It's a window to other countries, to music, to people, to costumes," he told AFP, adding that he hoped it would be the first of many.
 

Some provocation

 
The finalists have been chosen through national competitions, some of them established stars such as Vietnam's Toc Tien, a favourite to win with her pop-dance track.
South Korea will be represented by K-pop star Junhee, Bangladesh is sending an all-male a cappella beatbox collective, Beatmosphere, while Pratik Himal Rai is rocking it out for Nepal.
The Asia edition comes as Eurovision marks its 70th birthday under a cloud, 2026 viewing figures down 35 million on the year after a boycott by five countries over Israel's participation.
But the contest has always been marked by controversy, from protests in the 1960s over the participation of Franco-ruled Spain to Russia's exclusion over the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The show was first held in 1956 as an experiment by national public broadcasters and became a cultural phenomenon, known for its over-the-top staging, kitsch and eclectic music, and with a large LGBTQ following.
It grew as Europe became more integrated -- although its reach exceeds the continent's borders, with Canada joining next year -- and became as much about the politics as the music.
Votes are gathered by participating country, half from a jury and half from viewers, and no nation can vote for itself -- meaning ballots are often cast based on national relationships.
In the Asia contest, this could see viewers from Cambodia and Thailand, who clashed over their border last year, voting against each other, Blecher noted.
But the entries to Eurovision Asia -- which unlike the original is organised by commercial broadcasters -- are mostly love songs, lamented Dean Vuletic, an author and expert on Eurovision.
He noted as an exception Philippines pop singer Carmelle, whose "Sobra-Sobra" (Too Much) is an upbeat call to female empowerment.
The show is "lacking some provocation or some meaningful messaging that can resonate with international audiences", Vuletic told AFP.
"This is what makes Eurovision in Europe special from other song contests."
 

Budget cuts

 
The show has been hit by production issues, including a reported budget cut of one million dollars, forcing organisers to issue a statement last month insisting it was going ahead.
"There are always issues with budgets," Blecher insisted.
"This is the first year and we're working with some limitations," he said, adding that it would be a "beautiful production".
The performers were due to arrive this weekend in Bangkok ahead of rehearsals for the final show.
Some will sing in their native language, others in English, a choice made by Malaysian star Aina Abdul to reach a wider audience.
For Bhutan's Nyendra, who is performing his folk-pop love song in traditional dress, the show offers a platform well beyond his country of 800,000 inhabitants.
And he could do well, as Eurovision viewers have a habit of supporting the smallest countries, the underdogs.
Blecher says he already has 16 or 17 places interested in a 2027 edition, if all goes well this week.
He cites China, Hong Kong and Taiwan among those interested -- a selection that would certainly put the contest on the geopolitical map.
ar/abs/tc

film

John Malkovich reflects on the limits of friendship in 'Wild Horse Nine'

BY PAULA RAMON

  • The actor, who has been nominated for an Academy Award twice but never won, has generated significant Oscar buzz for his performance in "Wild Horse Nine," especially after winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at this year's Venice Film Festival.
  • US actor John Malkovich has close, longtime friends, but unlike his character Chris in the new dark comedy "Wild Horse Nine," he thinks there are limits on what one can ask them to do.
  • The actor, who has been nominated for an Academy Award twice but never won, has generated significant Oscar buzz for his performance in "Wild Horse Nine," especially after winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at this year's Venice Film Festival.
US actor John Malkovich has close, longtime friends, but unlike his character Chris in the new dark comedy "Wild Horse Nine," he thinks there are limits on what one can ask them to do.
Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Martin McDonagh, the movie follows two CIA spies in the lead-up to the US-backed 1973 coup in Chile.
As the spies -- played by 72-year-old Malkovich and Oscar winner Sam Rockwell -- visit Easter Island against a tense sociopolitical backdrop, veteran agent Chris asks his partner to end his life as he knows his days are numbered.
"I think asking a friend to take your life is about as big an ask as one can make," Malkovich told a news conference in Los Angeles this week.
"I wouldn't do it," he added, laughing.
Malkovich described the rapport between the characters: "They argue about odd things... whether they should kill people while they're eating, or how gay is cheese in various countries."
The actor, who has been nominated for an Academy Award twice but never won, has generated significant Oscar buzz for his performance in "Wild Horse Nine," especially after winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at this year's Venice Film Festival.
Malkovich said he was drawn to the project by McDonagh's script.
"He's a terrific writer of dialogue," Malkovich said.
"He's a terrific writer of writing about men, I think, and their various complications... their relationships with themselves and with other men, their need for other men in their lives and their rejection of that need."
McDonagh, a playwright and director, has been nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars three times, most recently for 2022's "The Banshees of Inisherin."
Steve Buscemi, who plays the CIA's Latin American bureau chief in "Wild Horse Nine," said the film hinges on the characters, rather than the plot.
"The story really is the relationships and what these characters have to do, what they ask of each other, how they relate to each other," he told the news conference.
pr/jgc/lkd

literature

Cyberattack shuts down internet fan fiction library

BY MANON BELIOT

  • Fan fiction is where many future authors learn their craft and where readers disover new writers.
  • One of the world's most popular fan fiction libraries has been dark for over a week after a cyberattack forced it offline, leaving millions of fans without access to their favorite stories.
  • Fan fiction is where many future authors learn their craft and where readers disover new writers.
One of the world's most popular fan fiction libraries has been dark for over a week after a cyberattack forced it offline, leaving millions of fans without access to their favorite stories.
Since October 29, anyone trying to reach Archive of Our Own -- known to devotees as AO3 -- has been met with a message saying the site is down for maintenance. 
"It's all over my social feed. People are in withdrawal," Johanna Sarriot, a writer and co-founder of pop-up romance bookstore Love Love Books in Los Angeles, told AFP. 
Fan fiction refers to stories written by amateur authors using characters and worlds from already-existing books, films or TV shows.
Contributors rewrite endings, invent romances or give minor characters their own adventures, then share them online for free.
Once a niche hobby, it has become a launchpad for the publishing industry, generating breakout smashes like E.L. James's "Fifty Shades of Grey," which began as "Twilight" fan fiction, and Ali Hazelwood's bestseller "The Love Hypothesis," which sprang from the "Star Wars" universe.
Launched in 2008, AO3 has become the genre's main home, with more than 11 million registered users and nearly 18 million works stored on the platform.
In 2019, it won a Hugo Award for Best Related Work, one of science fiction's most prestigious prizes.
"We wanted to make sure that there was a place for fans to engage in non-commercial creativity in ways that wouldn't barrage them with ads, censor them to placate advertisers, sell their data, or do anything but provide a space for fandom," said Harvard Law School professor Rebecca Tushnet, who helped found the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) which runs the site.

'AO3 is not gone'

Romance fans have been among the hardest hit by the outage.
"Romance readers read really fast and they read a lot," explained Sarriot. 
For the bookseller, what is at stake goes beyond a website. Fan fiction is where many future authors learn their craft and where readers disover new writers.
"Writers who were able to cut their teeth on fanfiction, and just write as much as they wanted with all the joy and no constraints, can lead to really great novels," she said.
OTW says it does not believe the user database, which holds usernames, email addresses and encrypted passwords, was stolen, but cannot rule it out.
"AO3 is not gone! There is no data loss and we look forward to restoring the site as soon as possible," Tushnet added.
The non-profit says it hopes to have things up and running again within a month.
For web developer Yohan Mebrouk, the timeline is a sign of how serious the attack was.
The delay could reflect limited resources, he explained, or the need for a full software upgrade, which he called "an enormous job."
Well-run sites keep backup copies of their databases, he added. "If they did things right, everyone will get everything back."
In the meantime, Sarriot is happy to point stranded readers elsewhere.
"Come to Love Love Books and check out a romance novel!" she said, pointing to her shelves full of paperbacks.
mbt/hg/mlm

diplomacy

China's giant pandas make public debut at US zoo

  • Atlanta previously hosted pandas on loan from China starting in 1999, and seven panda cubs have been born at the zoo.
  • Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang delighted visitors to Zoo Atlanta during their public debut Friday, chewing bamboo and lounging in their new US habitat while on loan from China.
  • Atlanta previously hosted pandas on loan from China starting in 1999, and seven panda cubs have been born at the zoo.
Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang delighted visitors to Zoo Atlanta during their public debut Friday, chewing bamboo and lounging in their new US habitat while on loan from China.
A male named Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang arrived from Chengdu in September via a FedEx flight dubbed the "Panda Express," and are to be hosted in the southern US facility for the next 10 years. 
Pandas are "animals that have got a unique ability to inspire curiosity, instill passion, evoke joy, and unite people around the globe," CEO Raymond King told onlookers at Zoo Atlanta.
"This extraordinary spirit of partnership helps create a future for a species that is truly beloved the world over." 
In preparation for their arrival, Zoo Atlanta has renovated its panda facilities and assembled a team of animal caretakers.
It has also ensured a stable and long-term supply of bamboo, grown locally in Atlanta, which has a climate that is very similar to Chengdu.
Native to temperate forest habitats in East Asia, the lumbering black-and-white mammals do not typically travel long distances in the wild. 
But many have been shipped to zoos around the world as apart of Beijing's decades-long "panda diplomacy" program to foster foreign ties.
The furry show of "soft power" came as top US officials on Friday called on China to uphold the trade agreement made in an October 2025 meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. 
The accord calmed tensions after whirlwind of tariff hikes, and required China to buy US soybeans while suspending export controls on rare earths.
Before 2016 pandas were considered endangered but are now listed as "vulnerable" by wildlife advocates, and an estimated 1,800 pandas live in the wild. 
The Chinese government has established more than 50 panda reserves for conservation, but in the wild the bears continue to face threats of habitat loss and poaching.
Atlanta previously hosted pandas on loan from China starting in 1999, and seven panda cubs have been born at the zoo. All are now back in Chengdu, and Zoo Atlanta has not had any pandas since 2024.
Both of the new arrivals were born in 2020, and it's hoped they will be suitable mates. Pandas in captivity typically live for around 30 years.
In 1972, China gifted a pair of pandas to Washington, following US president Richard Nixon's historic visit to the Communist nation.
Beijing recalled two of its pandas from Japan early this year, following a diplomatic spat that began when Japan's prime minister hinted that Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of any attack on Taiwan.
sla/mlm

Republican

Republican who made Trump rap album wins midterms race

  • Nationally, the Democrats scored a landslide victory in the midterm elections, winning majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as governorships in traditionally Republican states such as Texas and Georgia. pel/bjt/mlm
  • Republican Anthony Constantino, who has recorded rap tracks paying tribute to Donald Trump and called for the release of disgraced hip‑hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, won his US House midterms race Friday. 
  • Nationally, the Democrats scored a landslide victory in the midterm elections, winning majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as governorships in traditionally Republican states such as Texas and Georgia. pel/bjt/mlm
Republican Anthony Constantino, who has recorded rap tracks paying tribute to Donald Trump and called for the release of disgraced hip‑hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, won his US House midterms race Friday. 
US media called the race for Constantino, 44, after a hard-fought battle with Democrat Blake Gendebien in New York state's 21st congressional district.
Constantino had claimed victory as early as election night in a profanity‑laced speech in which he lashed out at the "evil media," expelling a television crew from the room.
"I think President Trump should consider freeing Diddy. This is a historic New Yorker that did great things for New York State," he said. 
Combs, widely known in the music world as Diddy, was sentenced in 2025 to more than four years in prison for prostitution-related crimes. 
Constantino first drew attention in 2024 by installing a giant illuminated "Vote for Trump" sign on the roof of a building belonging to the sticker company he runs.
He released an album this year entitled "Thank You President Trump," featuring songs inspired by the president's slogans and books ("Art of the Deal") or his love of golf ("Hole in One").
Nationally, the Democrats scored a landslide victory in the midterm elections, winning majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as governorships in traditionally Republican states such as Texas and Georgia.
pel/bjt/mlm

death

Chilean Oscar-winning director Sebastian Lelio dies

  • "With great sadness we announce the death, due to health reasons, of filmmaker Sebastian Lelio," his partner Amalia Kassai wrote on Instagram.
  • Chile's Oscar-winning director Sebastian Lelio died in Santiago on Friday at the age of 52, his family reported.
  • "With great sadness we announce the death, due to health reasons, of filmmaker Sebastian Lelio," his partner Amalia Kassai wrote on Instagram.
Chile's Oscar-winning director Sebastian Lelio died in Santiago on Friday at the age of 52, his family reported.
The Argentine-born filmmaker raised in Chile is best known for his 2017 masterpiece "A Fantastic Woman," which took home an Oscar and a Silver Bear at the Berlinale.
"With great sadness we announce the death, due to health reasons, of filmmaker Sebastian Lelio," his partner Amalia Kassai wrote on Instagram.
"We are going through a very painful time, and his memory will remain with us forever," she said.
Prosecutors were investigating the exact cause of his death, the office told reporters.
Lelio first gained recognition for his 2013 film "Gloria," whose lead actor Paulina Garcia received the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival.
"A Fantastic Woman," about a transgender waitress reeling from her boyfriend's death, cemented his international reputation.
Not only did it win the Oscar for best foreign language film, but it sparked a debate that helped change the law in his native Chile, allowing people to legally change their gender. 
axl/gta/cc/md

rape

UK police expect more cases against celebrity sex convict Brand

BY AKSHATA KAPOOR

  • The comedian and Hollywood actor, who became a household name across Britain in the 2000s, also faces accusations of raping two other women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl, which the Metropolitan Police is probing.
  • London's Metropolitan Police believe "many more" women may come forward with accusations against Russell Brand, as the disgraced comedian spent Friday in jail braced for his sentencing for rape and sexual assault.
  • The comedian and Hollywood actor, who became a household name across Britain in the 2000s, also faces accusations of raping two other women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl, which the Metropolitan Police is probing.
London's Metropolitan Police believe "many more" women may come forward with accusations against Russell Brand, as the disgraced comedian spent Friday in jail braced for his sentencing for rape and sexual assault.
Brand, 51, was found guilty of rape and three sexual assaults against four women on Thursday following a high-profile trial, in which he was cleared of two other alleged rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault against two other women.
He was remanded in custody and told by the judge he faced a "significant custodial term" at his sentencing on Monday.
The comedian and Hollywood actor, who became a household name across Britain in the 2000s, also faces accusations of raping two other women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl, which the Metropolitan Police is probing.
"There's two more cases we're investigating at the moment," Met police chief Mark Rowley told the BBC. "I clearly wouldn't be surprised if many more came forward."
After the verdicts, the Met paid tribute to the "extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward".
"Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women," the Met's Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said in a statement Thursday.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham called Brand's actions "horrifying" in comments to Times Radio, praising the "bravery of the women... who've come forward and had the courage to speak out".
Domestic abuse charity Women's Aid said "high-profile, influential men must be held accountable for their actions."
"It should also be a wake-up call to broadcasters, and the media industry more broadly with whom Brand worked for so long," said the charity's head Farah Nazeer.
 

'Culture and failings'

 
Once one of the country's most high-profile entertainers, Brand had a reputation for lewd humour and promiscuity, passing through major media organisations including the BBC, Channel 4 and MTV.
The companies have come under pressure in recent years -- including in the wake of a 2023 joint investigation by Channel 4 and the Times into abuse allegations -- for allowing a culture of impunity and even encouraging Brand's behaviour.
On Thursday he was found guilty of sexual assaults against an MTV worker, a Channel 4 worker and a Capital Radio employee, as well as raping a 21-year-old fan.
After the verdicts, the BBC apologised again for the "culture and failings" when Brand was part of the organisation between 2006 and 2008.
He left amid controversy for sending a well-known actor sexually explicit messages about having slept with their granddaughter.
"Across the industry, we must work together to ensure that anyone who suffers at someone else's hand feels able to report it," a BBC spokesperson added.
During that time, Brand openly spoke about being addicted to sex and was named "shagger of the year" three times in a row by The Sun tabloid.
But his career was far from over, and he shot to global fame during his brief marriage with US pop star Katy Perry in 2010, and continued to make primetime appearances on British television shows.
In recent years, he has rebranded himself as a Christian online commentator and guru to his millions of social media followers.
aks/jkb/rlp

award

Reading in nightclubs, on tour: how Booker judges pick the winner

BY AKSHATA KAPOOR

  • Around December last year, the judges began receiving cartons of some 30 books at a time to digest on a strict schedule, reading one a day or more.
  • British classicist Mary Beard has read and lectured about Homer and Virgil's epics countless times.
  • Around December last year, the judges began receiving cartons of some 30 books at a time to digest on a strict schedule, reading one a day or more.
British classicist Mary Beard has read and lectured about Homer and Virgil's epics countless times. This year she embarked on an odyssey of her own: reading 163 works of fiction in six months to judge the Booker prize.
"I've never worked as hard in my life. I mean, writing a book is easier than that. It was a revelation and a privilege," Beard, who is chairing the Booker prize judges, told AFP.
For the prize -- which celebrates the best long-form fiction by writers of any nationality, written in English and published in the last year -- the panel of five judges whittled down 163 entries to a shortlist of six books.
The winner will be announced in London on Monday, with six authors, including previous winners Douglas Stuart and Marlon James in the running. The person who wins the Booker crown will walk away with £50,000 ($67,400) and see their careers transformed.
The gruelling judging process behind one of the most coveted prizes in the literary calendar has been a source of intrigue and drama since it launched in 1969.
Around December last year, the judges began receiving cartons of some 30 books at a time to digest on a strict schedule, reading one a day or more.
They're not allowed to divulge what books they're reading, working under a shroud of secrecy. "It's proved to be terribly easy to keep mum," said Beard.
When she slipped behind at one point, Beard sequestered herself in a seaside hotel in Greece reading 12 hours a day. But the judging routines, for the most part, were far from glamorous.
"You just end up taking a book with you wherever you go," Rebecca Liu, a writer and critic, told AFP. Once she ended up reading a few pages while waiting in a nightclub line.
 

'Tossing books'

 
Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker meanwhile had to squeeze in his reading while on tour with his legendary Britpop band, exchanging boxes of books for digital iPad versions.
"It is quite dull when you're travelling," Cocker told a September press conference. The books "took me somewhere, it was like having somebody".
He recalled one judges' meeting while in Australia on tour, when he joined in the middle of the night in a bathrobe with a glass of wine.
Poet Raymond Antrobus said he would "cry" every night a month into the process, and the books began affecting his dreams.
"You're trying to enter these people's universes that they've created, but also their ambition, that's a very human thing," Antrobus said.
In recent years, the Booker prize has expanded its pool of judges beyond novelists and literary critics to include celebrities such as Cocker and American actor Sarah Jessica Parker.
Over six months, each of the five judges reads every entry, so "every book gets five chances to be noticed", said Beard.
They create a longlist of 13 books, known as the Booker Dozen, then re-read them for the shortlist and repeat the process to pick a winner.
Then, during three-hour closed door meetings -- this year hosted at London's Fortnum & Mason luxury store -- the judges hash it out.
"I was standing up a lot and tossing books across the room," American poet Patricia Lockwood said.
 

'Celebrating flaws'

 
There were disagreements -- Lockwood said at one point they tussled like "pigs in the mud" -- but the judges found ways to reach consensus.
One system, the "traffic light" method, involved each judge classing a book as green, amber or red. "The really interesting ones are where you get mixtures of red and green," said Beard.
There is no fixed judging criteria, which has resulted in the prize being criticised as arbitrary in the past. Judges this year settled on two questions: "Would you read it again?" and "would you recommend it?"
Lockwood joked her cat helped pick a book by "bleeding over it".
Ultimately, the judges found themselves looking for "distinctly human" books, Liu said, wary of the threat of artificial intelligence.
"I think we consciously towards the end wanted to make a human shortlist ... things that celebrated the flaws, that were strange and weird," said Liu.
aks/jkb/ach 

music

Dolly Parton's manager drops lawsuit against nephew: US media

  • The lawsuit filed in September by Parton's longtime manager Danny Nozell accused her nephew, Bryan Seaver, of attempting to extort money from the estate, which includes an amusement park, a hotel and a soon-to-be-opened museum. 
  • The manager of US country music legend Dolly Parton dropped a civil lawsuit against the singer's nephew on Thursday, US media reported, after a row enveloped the late musician's estate. 
  • The lawsuit filed in September by Parton's longtime manager Danny Nozell accused her nephew, Bryan Seaver, of attempting to extort money from the estate, which includes an amusement park, a hotel and a soon-to-be-opened museum. 
The manager of US country music legend Dolly Parton dropped a civil lawsuit against the singer's nephew on Thursday, US media reported, after a row enveloped the late musician's estate. 
The lawsuit filed in September by Parton's longtime manager Danny Nozell accused her nephew, Bryan Seaver, of attempting to extort money from the estate, which includes an amusement park, a hotel and a soon-to-be-opened museum. 
Seaver, who broke the news of the singer's death at age 80 in an emotional video in August, had provided security for Parton for years but was abruptly fired, according to TMZ. 
Court filings alleged that Seaver sent threats including a text message warning he would become "the hand of retribution for my entire family," The New York Times reported. 
A judge had issued a temporary restraining order against Seaver as part of the proceedings, which were voluntarily dismissed Thursday in a Nashville court, multiple US media said. 
Parton rose from grinding poverty to become a rhinestone-studded legend with hits like "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You." 
She also starred in multiple films and donated millions of dollars to charities as she built a vast business empire that includes her popular Dollywood theme park in Tennessee, cosmetics, pet apparel, baking mixes and even a truck stop.
bur-jgc/sla

GTA

"Grand Theft Auto VI": What we know

BY KILIAN FICHOU

  • For now it's a one-player game, though many fans expect an online multiplayer version will be released next year.
  • Online previews, a 26-minute Netflix teaser and media leaks and interviews have given "Grand Theft Auto" fans a taste of what awaits when the game's latest title drops on November 19.
  • For now it's a one-player game, though many fans expect an online multiplayer version will be released next year.
Online previews, a 26-minute Netflix teaser and media leaks and interviews have given "Grand Theft Auto" fans a taste of what awaits when the game's latest title drops on November 19.
Here is what we know about the long-awaited entry in the Rockstar franchise which, despite the name "GTA VI", is the eighth instalment in the series owned by US-based Take-Two Interactive.
Viewer discretion is advised: the realistic game features alcohol and drug use along with plenty of salty language in both English and Spanish.
 

What's it about?

 
Since its launch in 1997, "GTA" has been serving up a criminal underworld where players carry out heists and attacks in fictional -- but increasingly realistic -- American cities that can be almost infinitely explored.
The latest game sticks to the script with two new stars, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, a "Bonnie and Clyde" team taking on enemies, store owners and the police against a cinematic backdrop of intrigue.
For the first time since the initial game, a woman is one of the main characters and "GTA VI" highlights the bond between the two, with players able to take their relationship further -- or not.
There's a supporting cast of dozens of colourful characters, such as a conspiracy-minded hacker, a multinational CEO and a strip club owner.
The game also includes plenty of sarcastic swipes at many facets of modern living, not least social media and over-the-top advertising.

Where are we?

The action takes place in Vice City, the Miami-inspired megalopolis that first appeared in 2002, in the fictional state of Leonida -- a stand-in for Florida. 
Neighbourhoods are numerous and players can interact with all types of residents, or venture outside the city to an Everglades-style swamp or ocean islands teeming with tropical animals.
Scenes include dance clubs, dilapidated apartment complexes, strip malls and skyscraper rooftops -- feel free to jump off one and use your parachute.
"GTA VI" has a playing "surface" two times bigger than in the previous game, and Rockstar says it will have 10 times as many buildings that characters can enter.
- What can players do? - 
Almost whatever they want. But car chases, robberies and shoot-outs are the heart of the game.
Players are given missions ranging from break-ins to assassinations to drug deals, all the while being free to roam.
But there is a plot, and if you stray too much -- randomly robbing a jewellery store or shooting up passing cars -- the police will start hunting you down.
The realism even sees characters' appearances change based on their dietary choices. And cars now have a fuel gauge.
For now it's a one-player game, though many fans expect an online multiplayer version will be released next year.

What else is new?

Graphic details are much richer thanks to the latest generation of game consoles, which are much more powerful than those available 13 years ago when "GTA V" was released.
Rockstar set up a dedicated Los Angeles studio to create the animations and dialogue for the dozens of non-player characters (NPCs), aimed at giving each a realistic identity.
Along with classic rock hits and action-movie background music, the game also features an original score by French electro hitmakers Justice.
An official "GTA VI" soundtrack will include tracks by artists from American rapper Travis Scott to Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
- When, and how much? - 
"GTA VI" will be released on November 19 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles, with a PC version planned for an unspecified date.
The base price is $79.99 (79.99 euros in Europe) but a special edition costing $99.99 offers a variety of bonus material such as unique cars and weapons.
It can be bought online or in stores, but the box will contain only a download code, not an actual disc. Preorders began on June 25.
Take-Two has not since given any indication of demand, but analysts expect it could be the most profitable entertainment release ever.
kf/jlo/js/jxb

GTA

'Grand Theft Auto' set for blockbuster return after 13 years

BY KILIAN FICHOU

  • "The purchase intent that we're seeing on 'Grand Theft Auto' is far away above any other game we've ever tracked," said Mat Piscatella of consultancy Circana.
  • Fans of the violent "Grand Theft Auto" video game franchise are just two weeks away from getting their hands on the latest edition, which has taken almost a decade to make and has become the most expensive title in history.
  • "The purchase intent that we're seeing on 'Grand Theft Auto' is far away above any other game we've ever tracked," said Mat Piscatella of consultancy Circana.
Fans of the violent "Grand Theft Auto" video game franchise are just two weeks away from getting their hands on the latest edition, which has taken almost a decade to make and has become the most expensive title in history.
The franchise allows players to act out gangster fantasies -- shooting up bars, crashing cars -- in fictional renderings of US cities where the soundtrack piped through in-game radio is almost as important as the cutting-edge visuals.
GTA VI, which comes 13 years after its predecessor, is expected to break sales records when it lands on November 19 thanks in part to a monumental marketing campaign that kicked off in late 2023 with the first official trailer.
"It is going to be the biggest entertainment launch of all time," Chris Dring of The Game Business outlet told AFP.
The previous edition, GTA V, is still the second-biggest selling game ever -- it took just three days to rack up $1 billion in sales, two days less than the movie "Avengers: Endgame".
The budget of GTA VI has reportedly ballooned to over $1 billion --- far higher than any other game or film -- and projections have it on track to make several billion in its first week, which would smash all records for any cultural product.

'Top creators'

'GTA VI' has two main protagonists, former drug-runner Jason and newly released ex-con Lucia, who try to survive in Vice City, a reimagining of Miami.
Lucia is the first playable woman character in a main edition of the almost 30-year history of a franchise.
During the 1990s and 2000s the game's graphic depictions of sex, violence and misogyny became notorious -- tabloid media outrage boosting the title's notoriety and helping sales to skyrocket.
Rockstar Games has spent eight years developing the sixth edition, a process beset by difficulties including the leak of development footage and code for the game online in 2022.
But expectations are sky-high.
"They've spent a long time on this game, but they are probably the top game entertainment creators in the world," said Dring.
Analysts expect the game to have an impact on the entire video game sector, including on console sales and accessories.
Several other studios delayed the release of new games to avoid being caught in the hype cycle around GTA VI.
Analysis firm Sensor Tower said the game had already generated around $750 million from pre-sales.
Surveys suggested almost one-third of the 49 million people who use PS5 and Xbox Series consoles in the United States intended to buy the game.
"The purchase intent that we're seeing on 'Grand Theft Auto' is far away above any other game we've ever tracked," said Mat Piscatella of consultancy Circana.
"For me, it's the game of the decade," Jocelin Lebeau, 39, a gamer who works for the French military, told AFP at a recent event in Paris. "I'm ready to buy it sight unseen."
kf/jxb/rl/hol

fashion

Pierpaolo Piccioli quits as creative director at Balenciaga

  • Piccioli took over at Balenciaga in May 2025 after spending 25 years at Valentino, with a mandate to turn a new chapter for Balenciaga following its years under Georgian designer Demna, who was known for his daring but sometimes controversial designs.
  • Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli has quit as creative director at Balenciaga, the fashion house's parent company Kering said Thursday.
  • Piccioli took over at Balenciaga in May 2025 after spending 25 years at Valentino, with a mandate to turn a new chapter for Balenciaga following its years under Georgian designer Demna, who was known for his daring but sometimes controversial designs.
Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli has quit as creative director at Balenciaga, the fashion house's parent company Kering said Thursday.
Piccioli's departure after just one and a half years on the job comes as Kering has shaken up management as it tries to turn around its struggling fashion conglomerate.
"We are deeply grateful for Pierpaolo's contribution to Balenciaga," Balenciaga's chief executive Gianfranco Gianangeli said in a statement.
"Through his vision, he reaffirmed the couture origins of the House, bringing his considered approach to craftsmanship, construction and creativity," he added.
Kering said new creative management would be announced soon.
"Our ambition is to build on Balenciaga avant garde spirit, honor its remarkable heritage and continue to push creative boundaries, further establishing the House as a powerful and relevant voice," said Kering's CEO Luca de Meo.
De Meo, who has a reputation as a cost-cutter and turnaround specialist, took over in 2025 at Kering, which has struggled for years to turn around its leading fashion house, Gucci.
But Kering has recently shaken up management at its smaller houses, last month pushing out Anthony Vaccarello as creative director at Saint Laurent and Sean McGirr at Alexander McQueen. 
Piccioli took over at Balenciaga in May 2025 after spending 25 years at Valentino, with a mandate to turn a new chapter for Balenciaga following its years under Georgian designer Demna, who was known for his daring but sometimes controversial designs.
In a message on his Instagram channel that did not directly confirm his departure, Piccioli thanked those he worked with and supported him.
"Couture requires time and attention; it demands conviction and courage," the 59-year-old couturier wrote.
"In the end, our identity and our values are the only things we truly own," he added.
agu/rl/ach 
 

rape

Russell Brand guilty of rape, three sexual assaults

BY HELEN ROWE AND ANNA MALPAS

  • Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, a recording studio and Brand's home address.
  • British comedian Russell Brand was on Thursday found guilty by a London jury of one rape and three sexual assaults, involving a total of four women.
  • Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, a recording studio and Brand's home address.
British comedian Russell Brand was on Thursday found guilty by a London jury of one rape and three sexual assaults, involving a total of four women.
Brand, who closed his eyes but showed no emotion as the jury delivered the verdicts, was cleared of two rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault against two other women.
Judge Joel Bennathan warned the 51-year-old actor turned conservative religious online guru that he faced a "significant custodial term".
Brand's wife Laura, who has accompanied him most days since the start of the trial on October 12, watched from the public gallery as the jury at London's Southwark Crown Court delivered their four unanimous guilty verdicts.
He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Monday. The maximum sentence in the UK for rape is life imprisonment.
Brand, who was briefly married to US popstar Katy Perry, also faces a further accusation of raping two more women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl, and could face further criminal charges.
The allegations, which are being investigated by the Metropolitan Police and could not be reported earlier, were revealed at previous hearings of his four-week trial. 
A Met spokesperson said in a statement sent to AFP that Brand had "been interviewed under caution in connection with the allegations" but declined to confirm the women's ages.
After the verdicts, the Met paid tribute to the "extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward".
"Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women," the Met's Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said in a statement.
"As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be," Furphy added.
Ahead of the trial, Brand's defence team attempted to get the case dismissed on the grounds that a 2023 documentary and newspaper article making separate, anonymised allegations about Brand meant he had been convicted "in the court of the media of being a rapist". 
But the judge ruled it was sufficient to eliminate jurors who remembered seeing this coverage, which prompted police to investigate Brand.
Police released videos of interviews with Brand during the investigation where he read out prepared statements slamming the "defamatory and fictitious documentary" which he said resulted in further encounters being "invented or reimagined".
 

'Insatiable'

 
Senior prosecutor David Roberts said outside the court Thursday that Brand was "predatory and used his celebrity status to commit sexual crimes". 
"He was a manipulator with an insatiable desire to get what he wanted regardless of whether consent was given or not," Roberts added.
Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, a recording studio and Brand's home address.
He had pleaded not guilty to all the charges saying that although he used to be very promiscuous he had always had consensual sex.
Following the guilty verdicts, Brand's lawyer Ian Winter urged the judge to renew his bail over the weekend as "an act of humanity". 
Winter said he was asking for bail so Brand could "put his affairs in order and in particular to say goodbye to his three young children".
Judge Bennathan said he regretted the "hardship caused to the children".
But he said Brand had "considerable resources" and that whatever his good intentions were there were substantial grounds to "fear he might in the end not feel able to come along and face his sentence".
From the dock, Brand signalled to his defence team that he was okay, adding: "I'm good, I'm good, I'm good" before being led out of the dock.
Brand's wife Laura later left the court building wearing dark glasses and was hurried into a car by a bodyguard.
har-am/jkb/pdw

rape

Russell Brand guilty of rape, three sexual assaults: UK court

  • Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.
  • British comedian Russell Brand was on Thursday found guilty by a London jury of one rape and three sexual assaults, involving a total of four women.
  • Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.
British comedian Russell Brand was on Thursday found guilty by a London jury of one rape and three sexual assaults, involving a total of four women.
Brand, who closed his eyes but showed no emotion as the jury delivered the verdicts, was cleared of two rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Judge Joel Bennathan warned the 51-year-old actor turned conservative, religious online guru that he faced a "significant custodial term".
After the verdicts, London's Metropolitan Police paid tribute to the "extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward and reported what happened to them".
"Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women," Met's Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said in a statement.
"As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be," Furphy added.
Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.
He had pleaded not guilty to all the charges saying that although he used to be promiscuous he had always had consensual sex.
The prosecution had earlier described him as a "ruthless, calculated and manipulative" sexual predator.
har/jkb/jj

games

Nintendo producer 'all nervous' as Zelda classic remake hits shelves

BY KILIAN FICHOU

  • "I'm all nervous about releasing the remake of 'Ocarina' because I don't know how it's going to turn out, I can't stop thinking about it," the 63-year-old Japanese creator, one of the most respected figures in video games, told AFP during a visit to Paris.
  • He has been behind some of Nintendo's biggest hits, but producer Eiji Aonuma still feels "nervous" as he awaits players' reactions to the new Zelda video game, "Ocarina of Time" out November 5.
  • "I'm all nervous about releasing the remake of 'Ocarina' because I don't know how it's going to turn out, I can't stop thinking about it," the 63-year-old Japanese creator, one of the most respected figures in video games, told AFP during a visit to Paris.
He has been behind some of Nintendo's biggest hits, but producer Eiji Aonuma still feels "nervous" as he awaits players' reactions to the new Zelda video game, "Ocarina of Time" out November 5.
"I'm all nervous about releasing the remake of 'Ocarina' because I don't know how it's going to turn out, I can't stop thinking about it," the 63-year-old Japanese creator, one of the most respected figures in video games, told AFP during a visit to Paris.
For over 25 years Aonuma has steered the series, which many people consider one of the best video games ever made.
Created in 1986 by Nintendo legend and Mario inventor Shigeru Miyamoto, who was Aonuma's mentor, the series has enjoyed growing success.
Its last two main installments, "Breath of the Wild" (2017) and "Tears of the Kingdom" (2023), sold more than 55 million copies between them.
 

Islands in the sky

 
Poetic, melancholy and ground-breaking for its era, what set the original "Ocarina" apart was its sweeping story, shifting between the childhood and adulthood of its hero, Link.
Floating islands in the sky, a wind-swept ocean -- "The Legend of Zelda" under Aonuma's direction has evolved to offer ever vaster and more open worlds.
The series centres on the adventures of the green-clad warrior Link, who battles the evil demon Ganondorf across the ages trying to save Princess Zelda.
"I've worked a lot on using space to surprise players and spark their imagination," said the designer, in order to "create games that instil in them the joy of exploration".
Infusing the saga with this intrepid spirit is where the Japanese creator says he feels he has made his mark on the series. 
It is "the very essence of Zelda today."
 

Karakuri dolls and 3D

 
To keep players engaged, the Zelda saga alternates between major releases, smaller titles, side adventures and remakes of older titles.
"Ocarina of Time" is by far the most ambitious of its remakes, and its release is part of the 40th anniversary of the saga.
The new installment has a special meaning for Aonuma, the son of a telecommunications engineer and second of three children.
The original "Ocarina of Time", released in 1998, was the first project he worked on with Miyamoto.
At university Aonuma studied design and in particular 3D composition through Karakuri dolls -- traditional Japanese automatons.
A keen drawer, he joined Nintendo somewhat by chance in the late 1980s and worked as a graphic artist before being spotted by the Mario creator, who brought him onto the team working on the fifth Zelda game.
"It was the first time Nintendo was creating games in 3D," he recalls.
He went on to take the helm of its sequel, "Majora's Mask" (2000), and directed several installments before moving into a producer role to oversee the development of the saga.
 

Young blood

 
Some of the younger members of his team have never played the original "Ocarina", bringing a freshness to the creative mix for the remake.
"It's thanks to these young people, by thinking about how to adapt the game in the best possible way, how to make it fun once you have the controls in your hands, that this remake came into being," he says. 
On Friday in Paris, Aonuma was made Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters at the French culture ministry, an honour also bestowed two decades earlier on Miyamoto.
In his thank-you speech Aonuma said "the road travelled has not always been easy," but he does not yet seem ready to pass the baton. 
"I'm very interested to see what the younger staff will imagine" for future titles, he said, adding that he was "extremely happy" to offer his guidance so they can "think together" about the next Zelda.
kf-eab/rlp

Zelda

Gamers get nostalgic as Zelda remake hits shelves

  • In a five-star review for the Guardian newspaper, Keza MacDonald wrote: "Nintendo's modern Zelda team have turned one of the best games of the 1990s into one of the best games of the 2020s, and made time-travellers out of us all."
  • Gaming fans around the world excitedly welcomed the release on Thursday of Nintendo's latest addition to its long-running Zelda series, "Ocarina of Time".
  • In a five-star review for the Guardian newspaper, Keza MacDonald wrote: "Nintendo's modern Zelda team have turned one of the best games of the 1990s into one of the best games of the 2020s, and made time-travellers out of us all."
Gaming fans around the world excitedly welcomed the release on Thursday of Nintendo's latest addition to its long-running Zelda series, "Ocarina of Time".
The game, a remake of a classic 1990s edition, is being released as part of the 40th anniversary of the action-adventure saga.
It has already won widespread praise, with a score of 96 out of 100 on aggregator site Metacritic by the eve of its release, putting it among the best-reviewed titles of the year so far.
"I used to play (Zelda) a lot on the Nintendo 64 when I was little, so I'm really excited about this remake, especially the improved graphics," 27-year-old fan Takumi Kawata told AFP in Tokyo, referring to the console first released in 1996.
His brother Kousuke Kawata, 31, added that Zelda visuals are "absolutely stunning, especially the beautiful forests".
The series centres on the adventures of green-clad warrior Link, who battles the evil demon Ganondorf across the ages trying to save Princess Zelda.
US tourist Marissa Olvera reminisced that she had spent "a whole summer" playing the original "Ocarina of Time" when she was a child.
"I just loved it. It was a bonding experience with my brothers," she told AFP, adding that the trailer for the remake had "brought back a lot of those feelings".

Rave reviews

Created in 1986 by Nintendo legend and Mario inventor Shigeru Miyamoto, the Zelda series has enjoyed growing success.
Its last two main installments, "Breath of the Wild" (2017) and "Tears of the Kingdom" (2023), sold more than 55 million copies between them.
Eiji Aonuma, who produced the new "Ocarina of Time", told AFP last month he was "all nervous" about the release.
"I don't know how it's going to turn out, I can't stop thinking about it," he said.
The reviews so far have gone some way to allaying his fear, with US outlet IGN calling it an "exceptional remake of an incredible game and a rich adventure that stands on its own".
In a five-star review for the Guardian newspaper, Keza MacDonald wrote: "Nintendo's modern Zelda team have turned one of the best games of the 1990s into one of the best games of the 2020s, and made time-travellers out of us all."
Market analysts will be watching to see how much the title can boost sales of the Switch 2, which became the world's fastest-selling games console on its 2025 release.
Nintendo reported a drop in quarterly net profit on Thursday as those sales, but maintained its annual forecasts.
kf/jxb/eab/tc/kaf-cg/mjw

India

India's 'Lord of the Rings': filmmakers hail 'Ramayana' epic

BY JOE JACKSON

  • The release and its global nature were "a very important moment" for Indian cinema, he added.
  • The makers of an Indian blockbuster based on the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana have hailed the new film as an unprecedented fusion of homegrown and Hollywood talent, calling it India's first truly global release.
  • The release and its global nature were "a very important moment" for Indian cinema, he added.
The makers of an Indian blockbuster based on the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana have hailed the new film as an unprecedented fusion of homegrown and Hollywood talent, calling it India's first truly global release.
"Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" -- in cinemas worldwide from Thursday -- has been more than a decade in the making, with a reported mega $420 million combined budget.
It draws on the talents of Oscar winners in visual effects and music, buoyed by a stellar cast featuring some of Indian cinema's biggest names.
"People from all over the world came in to work on this project," Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor told AFP in London before its release. 
"So we really had the platform to really express (ourselves) in the best way possible."
The film, inspired by the millennia-old Sanskrit epic that serves as a foundational text for Hindus, chronicles the virtuous Rama's (Kapoor) battle to save his kidnapped wife Sita from the evil demon king Ravana, played by fan-favourite Yash, who goes by one name.
This latest screen adaptation featuring flying elephants and gargantuan-sized demons is bursting with computer-generated visual effects, known in the industry as VFX.
The brainchild of producer Namit Malhotra, his UK-headquartered visual effects arm DNEG has won eight Academy Awards for work on films including "Inception" and "Dune".
The movie, which has Hindi and English versions, has been scored by Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, while its action directors and production designers boast numerous Hollywood credits.
Planned as a two-part spectacle, the creators believe it heralds a breakout moment globally for India's film industry, which has yet to win an Oscar in the coveted film categories.

'Authentically Indian'

"It's the largest production in the history of Indian cinema," said Malhotra, who has branded it India's "Star Wars" or "Lord of the Rings".
"The story and the scale and the spectacle is something that the world, I think, is ready to consume."
Long dominated by mass-market Hindi-language Bollywood, Indian cinema churns out around 2,000 films each year and has been expanding its global appeal.
That has been fuelled in part by the country's strong diaspora networks and increasing access to Bollywood offerings on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
With its English version, Hollywood special effects and epic battle scenes, "Ramayana" appears aimed at international audiences as much as the movie-mad country of 1.4 billion people.
Made by Malhotra's Mumbai-based Prime Focus Studios and actor Yash's Monster Mind Creations, with Sony Pictures the international distributor, it eschews some hallmarks of traditional Bollywood, in particular its elaborate song-and-dance routines.
But many of Bollywood's core ingredients -- melodrama, romance and action alongside awe-inspiring landscapes and a long running time of nearly three hours for the English version -- are present.  
"It's a very original telling of a very original story from India, and it makes no compromises in that regard. It keeps it authentically Indian," Malhotra said.
Yash, a hugely popular figure in India's Kannada-language cinema who co-produced and co-stars in "Ramayana", told AFP that "East and West have come together in a true sense". 
The release and its global nature were "a very important moment" for Indian cinema, he added.

'Personal connection'

In the film, Sita, played by South Indian star Sai Pallavi, is a fearless, fighting character.
She and other cast members highlighted the responsibility they felt in their roles, since many Indians have "a very personal connection with these characters". 
"It was quite challenging because you have to silence every part of you that wants to overperform and ... let the character speak for itself," Pallavi told AFP.
The filmmakers constructed a massive set in Mumbai for the central story settings, while VFX teams worked there and in London and Vancouver.
Although the movie was shot entirely in Hindi, the creators wrote an English-language screenplay for the global release.
English dialogue was added to a separate master version using both the cast and voice artists and traditional lip syncing techniques.
For director Nitesh Tiwari, evoking the ancient poem's messaging was paramount.
"There's a certain sense of timelessness to the emotions and the values which Ramayana stands for and that is exactly what we wanted to bring to the rest of the world," he said.
jj/jkb/phz/tc

religion

Ramayana: ancient Hindu epic and India's most expensive film

  • Here is a look at why the Ramayana holds such a central place in Indian politics and society.
  • A big-budget film adaptation of the Ramayana, one of Hinduism's most revered epics, has renewed attention on the ancient tale that continues to shape India's culture, identity and politics.
  • Here is a look at why the Ramayana holds such a central place in Indian politics and society.
A big-budget film adaptation of the Ramayana, one of Hinduism's most revered epics, has renewed attention on the ancient tale that continues to shape India's culture, identity and politics.
"Ramayana: Rise of a Legend", featuring Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, is set for release in India on Thursday, two days before the country's biggest festival of Diwali.
Conceived as the first in a two-part series,the movie has had a budget of $420 million, making it the most expensive project in Indian cinema history, according to industry experts.
It premiered in Los Angeles last week and has been dubbed into nearly 40 languages, according to Indian media.
Director Nitesh Tiwari has said artificial intelligence was used to synchronise characters' lip movements with the translated scripts.
With its vast scale, visual spectacle and mythical characters, "Ramayana" has drawn comparisons with Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey", a global smash hit based on Homer's classic poem.
Here is a look at why the Ramayana holds such a central place in Indian politics and society.
 

What is it about?

 
Traditionally attributed to Valmiki, an ancient poet who wrote in Sanskrit, the Ramayana recounts the story of Prince Ram, who is exiled for 14 years and embarks on a quest to rescue his wife Sita after she is abducted by the demon king Ravana.
Ram is aided in his journey by his brother Lakshman and the monkey god Hanuman.
The epic has been retold and reinterpreted for centuries across South and Southeast Asia in numerous languages and traditions.
Hindus widely revere Ram as an incarnation of the god Vishnu.
 

A political flashpoint

 
In modern India, the Ramayana became closely linked to a Hindu nationalist movement to build a temple to Ram in Ayodhya, a city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh that believers regard as his birthplace.
But on the proposed temple site stood a 16th-century mosque built by Mughal emperor Babur. Hindu nationalists believe the mosque was built over Ram's birthplace.
The dispute emerged as a major flashpoint in the late 1980s and early 1990s, helping propel Hindu nationalism into the political mainstream.
A Hindu mob demolished the mosque in 1992, triggering nationwide religious riots that killed about 2,000 people, most of them Muslims.
The Supreme Court awarded the disputed site for the construction of a Hindu temple in 2019.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a grand temple there in 2024.
 

A television phenomenon

 
Of the many screen adaptations of the Ramayana, the most influential was a television series broadcast by state-run Doordarshan in the late 1980s.
At a time when visual depictions of Ram were relatively rare, millions of Indians tuned in each week, with viewing often taking on a devotional character.
Some scholars argue the hugely popular series strengthened the then-nascent Hindu nationalist movement.
Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, which championed the Ayodhya campaign, won just two parliamentary seats in 1984.
But its tally rose to 120 in 1991 as the dispute became a national issue.
 

Beyond India

 
The Ramayana has spread far beyond India, inspiring countless retellings across South and Southeast Asia in several languages including Tamil, Bengali, Thai, Khmer and Indonesian.
Its stories and characters feature in traditional dance, theatre and shadow-puppet performances in countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia.
The epic also plays a key role in Hindu festivals, particularly during Dussehra, which marks Ram's victory over Ravana, and Diwali, which is widely associated with his return to Ayodhya after exile.
sai/abh/mjw/abs

film

Anthony Ippolito channels 'Rocky' aura to portray young Stallone

BY PAULA RAMON

  • Stallone met with Ippolito a month before filming began, and shared the story of his difficult journey towards "Rocky."
  • When Anthony Ippolito learned Hollywood was planning a new "Rocky"-related film, he rigged up a punching bag in his grandmother's basement and improvised his audition.
  • Stallone met with Ippolito a month before filming began, and shared the story of his difficult journey towards "Rocky."
When Anthony Ippolito learned Hollywood was planning a new "Rocky"-related film, he rigged up a punching bag in his grandmother's basement and improvised his audition.
It was a bold move that paid off: the up-and-coming actor essentially secured the coveted role of a young Sylvester Stallone before the official casting process for the biographical drama, headed to theaters this month, even began.
"I just really wanted to try to get my foot in the door for it if possible," the 27-year-old told AFP. "I was kind of just making stuff and sending it their way, just hoping they would respond."
"Thankfully, they did."
Directed by Oscar-winner Peter Farrelly ("Green Book"), "I Play Rocky" chronicles Stallone's difficult early days, when he at times slept on the streets while dreaming of a career on the big screen.
Stallone caught the attention of two producers after writing a screenplay about a boxer who, against all odds, gets his big break when the American champion Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers) challenges him in the ring.
The narrative served as a metaphor for Stallone's own life.
He was once so poor he had to sell his dog because he couldn't afford to feed it (he would later get the dog back).
He turned down lucrative studio offers for his script, insisting that he would only sell it if he were cast in the lead role.
The rest, of course, is history: Stallone catapulted to stardom and "Rocky" won three Academy Awards, including best picture.
"Rocky" became a cultural phenomenon and its iconic imagery lives on to this day: the Philadelphia museum steps, the gray sweatsuit, and the unmistakable cry of "Adrian!"
And now, a half-century after the original film's release, the story has opened the gates of Hollywood to Ippolito.
 

'Love letter' to Rocky, and to film

One of the few suggestions Stallone made for "I Play Rocky" was to cast a little-known actor, said producer Michele Weiss at a press conference.
So the team launched a worldwide search.
Ippolito surprised them with an audition in which he managed to capture the essence of Stallone, including his mannerisms and physique.
But despite impressing the likes of Stallone himself, for Ippolito -- who played a young Al Pacino in "The Offer," a mini-series chronicling the making of "The Godfather" -- the pressure was on.
He had to portray Stallone but also the iconic character of Rocky, an immortal of pop culture.
The character, Ippolito said, is "such a hero to people" who have an almost "spiritual connection" to his story.
"It's just a lot to take on," he said.
Stallone met with Ippolito a month before filming began, and shared the story of his difficult journey towards "Rocky."
"He was dealing with facial paralysis that he suffered from a birth accident that is so singular to him, and followed him throughout his youth, and made trying to become an actor so much harder for him," Ippolito recounted.
"There are definitely elements of his story that are very unique to him, and that make it even more inspiring."
The Los Angeles premiere of "I Play Rocky" gathered key figures from the story's era.
For Frank Stallone, watching a film that chronicles his older brother's challenges was "very touching."
Bill Conti -- who composed the "Gonna Fly Now" theme of "Rocky," a track instantly recognizable for its triumphant brass swells -- it's "a story about a story."
Ippolito said he couldn't imagine what Stallone must have felt seeing his own life story unfold onscreen.
For the actor the film is "really a love letter," an homage both to Stallone's perseverance through to struggle and to filmmaking itself.
pr/mdo/des

politics

'Dragon Ball Z' composer elected to Texas attorney general

  • Johnson said, naming the show's lead character, in the video he posted. 
  • Long before Texas Democrat Nathan Johnson was elected Tuesday to be the state's attorney general, he was a composer for the music on acclaimed anime series "Dragon Ball Z." Johnson won the majority of votes in nearly all of the southern state's border districts and major cities in his race against Republican Mayes Middleton to become the Lone Star State's top prosecutor.
  • Johnson said, naming the show's lead character, in the video he posted. 
Long before Texas Democrat Nathan Johnson was elected Tuesday to be the state's attorney general, he was a composer for the music on acclaimed anime series "Dragon Ball Z."
Johnson won the majority of votes in nearly all of the southern state's border districts and major cities in his race against Republican Mayes Middleton to become the Lone Star State's top prosecutor.
"If you grew up watching 'Dragon Ball Z,' you might know me better than you think: I composed the musical scores for 67 episodes and five movies and had a great time doing it," the 58-year-old posted to Facebook.
The popular, long-running Japanese anime follows martial artists as they defend Earth from space invaders, monsters and more.
"I had a one-year-old at the time, and I remember him sitting on my knee and stuff blowing up. He was like 'Oh, Daddy, Goku!'" Johnson said, naming the show's lead character, in the video he posted. 
"He just thought it was super cool."
Johnson said the work gave him "a creative outlet and a cultural connection that very few people had the opportunity to have."
According to online database IMDB, Johnson was listed as composer on dozens of episodes between 1990 and 2008. He also worked as a voice actor on "Berserk" anime films.
A seasoned litigator with degrees in physics and law, Johnson has been a state senator in Texas since 2019.
He will take over the role of attorney general from Republican Ken Paxton, who lost to Democrat James Talarico in the race for a US Senate seat despite President Donald Trump's vocal support.
sla/mlm