theater

'Liberation' and 'Schmigadoon!' top Tony Awards

BY RAPHAëLLE PELTIER

  • The award for Best Musical went to "Schmigadoon!
  • Bess Wohl's play "Liberation," a look at second-wave feminism, and musical "Schmigadoon!"
  • The award for Best Musical went to "Schmigadoon!
Bess Wohl's play "Liberation," a look at second-wave feminism, and musical "Schmigadoon!" earned the top prizes on Sunday at the 79th Tony Awards, the highest honors in American theater.
The ceremony, held at Radio City Music Hall, reflected the political climate of President Donald Trump's America, with host Pink taking a stand in support of transgender people and freedom of expression. 
The awards honored socially conscious works that explored feminism, antisemitism and US history, and celebrated LGBTQ culture. 
"Liberation," which explores sexuality and the place of women in society in the 1970s, was named Best Play after winning a Pulitzer Prize in May.
Wohl is only the fourth woman to receive the honor.
The award for Best Musical went to "Schmigadoon!," a humorous tribute to Broadway's greatest hits and an adaptation of the series of the same name.
John Lithgow won Best Actor for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in "Giant", and praised the play as "extraordinarily important right now."
The play by British writer Mark Rosenblatt revisits a period in Dahl's career after he published an essay about the 1982 Israeli siege of Beirut that was deemed antisemitic.
"It's the gift we give to an audience, it's just to ruminate on that very serious subject, antisemitism, cruelty of all kinds, hatred of the other," Lithgow said. 
"These are things that we're dealing with these days upfront and personal, and I think that's what makes 'Giant' so important, and what's made it such a success," he said. 
The play comes in the wake of a broader debate surrounding Dahl's work, which was revised by his publisher in 2023 to remove terms deemed offensive.

Reinterpretations

"Ragtime," which explores the social and economic upheavals affecting non-white people in early 20th century America, received four awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.
"Cats: The Jellicle Ball," a reinterpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical set within the LGBTQ "ballroom" culture of New York, won three awards, including one for costume designer Qween Jean, the first openly transgender person to be honored at the Tony Awards.
"This award has such incredible significance," Jean said, before denouncing efforts by the Trump administration to "demonize" transgender people and restrict their access to health care. 
Another adaptation, that of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," won six awards, more than any other work.
Among them were Best Revival of a Play and Best Supporting Actress for Laurie Metcalf, known for her role in the series "Roseanne."
Theater remains a hit with New York audiences, with 14.6 million tickets sold during the 2025–2026 season and bringing in $1.9 billion in gross revenue, according to the Broadway League, the industry’s leading trade association.
pel/ms/lkd/pbt

Finals

Sky-high ticket costs can't cool the cauldron of Madison Square Garden

BY THOMAS URBAIN

  • "There's nothing like seeing a basketball game at Madison Square Garden," said John Guercio, a 60-something accountant and self-proclaimed lifelong fan of the Knicks.
  • Soaring ticket prices and extra security for US President Donald Trump do not alter the electric energy of fabled Madison Square Garden as it hosts games three and four of the NBA Finals.
  • "There's nothing like seeing a basketball game at Madison Square Garden," said John Guercio, a 60-something accountant and self-proclaimed lifelong fan of the Knicks.
Soaring ticket prices and extra security for US President Donald Trump do not alter the electric energy of fabled Madison Square Garden as it hosts games three and four of the NBA Finals.
The New York Knicks, chasing their first basketball championship since 1973, take a 2-0 lead over the San Antonio Spurs into Monday's game three of the best-of-seven series, with game four to follow on Wednesday.
Ticket prices have skyrocketed out of the reach of most New Yorkers, but the self-proclaimed "World's Most Famous Arena" will still be packed to the rafters, with celebrities at courtside and Trump attending at least for game three.
The shiny trappings are just part of the allure of the 58-year-old venue. 
But on Sunday evening, five people were wounded in a stabbing at Penn Station, located directly underneath the arena -- a reminder of the security concerns that also lurk ahead of major events in New York. 
The Garden is one of America's most storied venues -- where the yellow-tinged lighting and vintage photos of Muhammad Ali and the Rolling Stones displayed on the concourses nod to its place in sports and entertainment lore.
"There's nothing like seeing a basketball game at Madison Square Garden," said John Guercio, a 60-something accountant and self-proclaimed lifelong fan of the Knicks.
NBA Hall of Famer Bill Bradley, who won titles with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973, says New York fans are the key to MSG's enduring spirit.
"It's a very loud audience, enthusiastic audience, critical audience, knowledgeable audience," Bradley said. "And when they get into the game they can carry the team."
But, as Bradley knows all too well, the fans can turn against one of their own -- or even against the entire roster.
Thrust into a position that was not his, Bradley had to endure the jeers of frenzied aficionados at the start of his professional career, along with spitting and tossed coins.
He was embraced, he recalled, "as soon as we started winning."

'Still awesome'

"The fans are just brutal here," said Guercio, who remembers a 2000s rough patch marked by six straight seasons without a playoff berth and the "dirt chanting" directed at coach Isiah Thomas.
"You come here, you've got to have tough skin," Guercio said.
"That's why players like playing here, because if you can win here, you can win anywhere."
Today's Knicks have won the hearts of fans with a gritty style that saw them reach the Eastern Conference finals last season and build a 13-game winning streak in the current playoffs.
"They're likable, they're easy to love, they're easy to root for," said superfan Anthony Donahue.
Unlike some of the past Knicks heroes, from Walt Frazier to Charles Oakley to Latrell Sprewell, these Knicks do not boast larger-than-life personalities.
But "they play hard, they never give up," said Donahue. 
"I don't think they're out partying. They're not being stupid. They're themselves," he added. "And New York has wrapped our arms around them."
Donahue does not believe that the eye-watering ticket prices have eroded MSG's DNA.
Although it's now hard to find a ticket for less than $7,000 on the resale market for Monday's showdown, he noted that prices are much lower for season ticket holders.
"I've been at every playoff game this year," Donahue said. "The Garden, the crowd's still awesome."
Rich Swann, who has been attending games for more than 30 years, draws a distinction between the regular-season and post-season vibe.
"During the regular season, you've got people who just come into games, it's a thing to do. Tourists come in," Swann said.
"Playoff atmosphere has been different. Playoff atmosphere is real."
tu/bb/msp/mlm

cinema

Hundreds of Charlie Chaplin lookalikes gather in Switzerland

BY TIMOTHéE PIRON

  • Timed to mark the 10th anniversary of the museum's opening, the gathering in the end drew 429 Chaplin lookalikes, falling short of the world record set there in 2017, when 662 people took part.
  • More than 400 people donning black bowler hats, toothbrush moustaches and canes gathered in Switzerland Sunday seeking to break the record for the biggest ever assembly of Charlie Chaplin lookalikes.
  • Timed to mark the 10th anniversary of the museum's opening, the gathering in the end drew 429 Chaplin lookalikes, falling short of the world record set there in 2017, when 662 people took part.
More than 400 people donning black bowler hats, toothbrush moustaches and canes gathered in Switzerland Sunday seeking to break the record for the biggest ever assembly of Charlie Chaplin lookalikes.
The unusual rally, drawing Chaplin fans of all ages, took place at a museum dedicated to the legendary filmmaker at his former home in Corsier-sur-Vevey in western Switzerland.
Timed to mark the 10th anniversary of the museum's opening, the gathering in the end drew 429 Chaplin lookalikes, falling short of the world record set there in 2017, when 662 people took part.
But that did not dampen the mood.
Under a blazing sun, the Chaplins crowded together to form a giant number 10 on the lawn stretching before the large manor where the English movie icon spent the last 25 years of his life.
"I am sincerely the happiest man alive," said Anthony Champeil, a dapper 36-year-old Frenchman who looked the spitting image of Chaplin, explaining that he was an actor who often played the film legend on stage.
"We are at Chaplin's place with people who are passionate about Chaplin," he told AFP.
Suggesting that Chaplin had wanted to encourage people to maintain a childlike capacity for wonder and play for as long as possible, he mused that the actor would have enjoyed having hundreds "of big kids gathered here today".
"I find it marvellous."
The museum is set on the vast estate of Manoir de Ban, about 26 kilometres (16 miles) from Lausanne, where Chaplin lived with his wife Oona and their eight children until his death in 1977, at age 88.
He had moved to Switzerland after being barred from the United States in the 1950s over suspicions that he had communist sympathies, at the height of Cold War paranoia about Soviet infiltration.
Alice Kauffmann, who had brought her young children to participate as miniature Chaplins, said Sunday's gathering was "moving" to behold.
She and other participants said the event brought to mind the humanistic ideas Chaplin promoted with iconic films such as "The Great Dictator", "The Kid" and "Modern Times".
"He defended love, respect and beautiful values," she said.
Sophie Teteule, 52, agreed.
"I love Charlie Chaplin, and I love this place," she told AFP.
"I think it is magnificent that we can gather today, so long after he left us. It is a marvellous moment in his honour."
Organisers of Sunday's event also did not seem too bothered that it had failed to break the world record, which the museum already holds.
"Nothing is lost," spokeswoman Olivia Baliguet told AFP.
"Who knows, we may try again next year, or for the 20th anniversary."
str-nl/jhb

Trump

Trump storms out of tense, rain-plagued NBC interview

  • Several questions followed about Iran, nuclear weapons and his campaign pledges to keep the United States out of foreign wars.
  • President Donald Trump lasted through probing questions about his Iran war strategy and repeated weather disruptions during an interview with US broadcaster NBC -- but angrily stormed out when confronted over his unfounded claims of election fraud.
  • Several questions followed about Iran, nuclear weapons and his campaign pledges to keep the United States out of foreign wars.
President Donald Trump lasted through probing questions about his Iran war strategy and repeated weather disruptions during an interview with US broadcaster NBC -- but angrily stormed out when confronted over his unfounded claims of election fraud.
"You're a one-sided, crooked network. Sorry. Let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time," Trump told "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker before standing up and walking out of the interview that aired Sunday.
The interview, filmed Friday, was conducted on a farm in Wisconsin, where Trump was addressing farmers. A tractor and hay bales served as a backdrop.
The interview was interrupted several times by weather and audio issues as torrential rain pounded the roof, making it difficult to continue the conversation.
"Is that wind or what?" Trump asked at one point.
"Hear that sound?" he said later. "That sound of thunder, lightning, rain."
Welker asked her technical crew if they should stop.
"No. People will understand -- we're on a farm," the president replied.
Several questions followed about Iran, nuclear weapons and his campaign pledges to keep the United States out of foreign wars.
"First of all, I didn't guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?" he said, then accusing Welker of being "a big liberal, a big progressive."
"No, I'm just a journalist," she countered.
Trump went on to say: "I don't like these endless wars. This is not an endless war. We've been doing this for three months."
The tone escalated again as the discussion turned to Trump's proposed taxpayer-funded program to compensate people he believes were victims of partisan prosecution under his predecessor, Joe Biden.
"I don't know what's going to happen with the weaponization fund," he said. "I love the idea because people like you, the fake dirty press, the crooked press, people like stupid Biden ... they destroyed people. They sent people to jail who did nothing wrong."
"There is no evidence for what you're saying," Welker said.
Trump reiterated past false claims that the 2020 election was "rigged" and said last week's primary in California was, too.
Welker held her ground, asking the president to present evidence.
"You are either crooked or you're stupid," Trump finally shot back before leaving the camera's view while Welker attempted to keep him engaged.
On Sunday, Welker told viewers that she had spoken with Trump on Saturday about the weather disruptions and that he had agreed to give her another interview.
vla/mjf/msp

games

US gamers getting older as industry reports growth

BY ALEX PIGMAN

  • "It mirrors in large part the demographics of the nation," ESA president and chief executive Stanley Pierre-Louis told AFP, noting that more than half of all players in the United States are now 35 or older.
  • Video games are having a moment in the United States -- but the players are getting older.
  • "It mirrors in large part the demographics of the nation," ESA president and chief executive Stanley Pierre-Louis told AFP, noting that more than half of all players in the United States are now 35 or older.
Video games are having a moment in the United States -- but the players are getting older.
The average American video game player is now 37 years old -- up from 29 about two decades ago -- as the industry reports activity climbing back to their highest levels since the pandemic-era boom, a new report reveals.
The findings, from the Entertainment Software Association's annual Essential Facts report, challenge enduring stereotypes about who plays games while underscoring the industry's recovery from a post-pandemic slowdown.
"It mirrors in large part the demographics of the nation," ESA president and chief executive Stanley Pierre-Louis told AFP, noting that more than half of all players in the United States are now 35 or older.
The steadily rising average player age reflects both the aging of a generation that grew up with consoles and a wave of older adults who have since picked up the hobby.
The gender split also defies the stereotypical image of the young male gamer. 
Men account for 53 percent of players and women 46 percent, with women actually outnumbering men among Baby Boomers, the ESA said.
Overall, 67 percent of Americans play video games for at least an hour a week -- a figure broad enough to encompass everything from blockbuster console titles to casual mobile games like Wordle.
Revenues -- totaling $60.7 billion in 2025 -- have rebounded to their highest point since 2021, when pandemic lockdowns drove an outsized surge in both players and spending. 
After a pullback as restrictions lifted, the industry has returned to growth, Pierre-Louis said.

Self-regulation

As lawmakers in the United States and Europe weigh tougher regulations on screen time, age verification and in-game spending, Pierre-Louis argued the US gaming industry's track record of voluntary self-regulation sets it apart.
That voluntary framework, he said, has given the industry credibility with US lawmakers that social media platforms lack.
Those platforms, he noted, "traditionally didn't have the same level of parental tools that video games had" -- a gap that has fueled the regulatory backlash now engulfing companies such as Meta and TikTok.
"Safety is not a competitive issue in our industry -- it's one of collaboration," Pierre-Louis said. 
"Being on the ecosystem and staying on the ecosystem means you feel like you're in a trusted environment."

'Satisfaction'

The ESA was founded in 1994 partly in response to congressional concern over violent content in games, and almost immediately established the Entertainment Software Rating Board, which assigns age ratings from E for Everyone to M for Mature for titles sold in North America. 
The system also flags details about online interactions and in-game purchases.
Major console platforms including Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch now offer parental control tools that allow families to restrict what games children can access, cap spending and limit screen time -- capabilities Pierre-Louis said have been refined over decades in direct response to parent and policymaker feedback.
The argument, however, faces increasing pushback in the United States.
The gaming industry is facing growing scrutiny as platforms expand into social media-like features, with ESA member Roblox especially under pressure over child safety issues with regulators and in courts.
Legislative proposals range from mandatory age verification for games with chat features to bills that would impose national safety standards.
For the industry, such legislation should not be necessary.
"It's a matter of how do we get everyone up to speed on what the video game industry has been doing, so that there's satisfaction around the practices and trust and safety mechanisms we have in place," Pierre-Louis said.
arp/sst

Netherlands

Kanye West draws crowd in Netherlands despite antisemitic tirades

BY STéPHANIE HAMEL

  • Near the concert venue, the Jewish organisation CIDI held a small protest against the artist, displaying antisemitic quotations from the rapper on placards.
  • Tens of thousands of fans flocked to see US rapper Kanye West perform in the Netherlands on Saturday, despite controversy over his antisemitic tirades that have prompted the cancellation of several European concerts.
  • Near the concert venue, the Jewish organisation CIDI held a small protest against the artist, displaying antisemitic quotations from the rapper on placards.
Tens of thousands of fans flocked to see US rapper Kanye West perform in the Netherlands on Saturday, despite controversy over his antisemitic tirades that have prompted the cancellation of several European concerts.
West sparked widespread outrage with comments glorifying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, a song titled "Heil Hitler" and the sale of T-shirts bearing a swastika on his website.
Outside the Gelredome stadium in the eastern city of Arnhem, where 40,000 attended the concert, fans told AFP they wanted to separate the music from the controversial reputation of the 48-year-old artist, known as Ye.
"I'm not supporting all of those things he said, like it's really controversial," said Loes Snyers, a 20-year-old Belgian student.
"But for me, I really don't care about the backlash of all the bad stuff artists do, I really focus on the music."
The rapper has denied being antisemitic and distanced himself from his remarks on social media, attributing them to his bipolar disorder.
Near the concert venue, the Jewish organisation CIDI held a small protest against the artist, displaying antisemitic quotations from the rapper on placards.
"I know that his fans are probably coming for the music, but we cannot look away (from) the Jew-hatred that he has spread widely in the past," said the CIDI's director, Naomi Mestrum.
The organisation sought to have the concert cancelled but an Amsterdam court ruled the shows did not pose a threat to public order.
Ye's concerts have been scrapped in the United Kingdom, France, Poland and Italy.
"We are not happy with the fact that he gets such a huge stage here in the Netherlands, where other countries around us have drawn a moral line and rejected him," said Mestrum.
"If you really want to make amends, you have to (make) more than just an apology on Twitter."
Ye is due to perform in the Albanian capital Tirana on July 11 and in Prague on July 25.
sh-str/rlp/jhb

television

Eurovision viewing figures drop to 131 million after boycott

  • "It's fantastic to see the impact the Eurovision Song Contest is having on young audiences globally," said Green.
  • The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest was watched by 131 million viewers, organisers said Friday, down 35 million on the year before after five countries boycotted over Israel's participation.
  • "It's fantastic to see the impact the Eurovision Song Contest is having on young audiences globally," said Green.
The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest was watched by 131 million viewers, organisers said Friday, down 35 million on the year before after five countries boycotted over Israel's participation.
Bulgaria won the TV extravaganza for the first time with Dara's catchy floor-filler "Bangaranga" sweeping the 70th edition of the world's biggest live televised music event, with Israel finishing in second place.
The Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all pulled out of this year's Eurovision -- with the latter three refusing to broadcast the show at all.
Eurovision 2026 was held in Vienna, with the grand final taking place on May 16.
First held in 1956, Eurovision is run by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world's biggest public-service media alliance.
"While some of our figures are naturally lower without those of our five members who chose not to participate this year, we remain committed to doing everything possible to find pathways back for them in 2027," said Eurovision director Martin Green.

Big Nordic audiences

The biggest share of viewers watching Eurovision was recorded in Finland (93 percent), Sweden (86 percent), Norway (83 percent) and Denmark (79 percent).
Across the board in 35 measured TV markets, the grand final attracted an average viewing share of 42.6 percent.
The share for viewers aged 15 to 24 was higher, at 54.8 percent.
The EBU noted that viewing figures were down 3.8 million in Poland, 3.7 million in Britain and 3.3 million in France, compared to those for Eurovision 2025, held in the Swiss city of Basel.
Eurovision garnered more than a billion views for content on Instagram this year.
"It's fantastic to see the impact the Eurovision Song Contest is having on young audiences globally," said Green.
"The hundreds of millions reached via our digital platforms also underlines the Eurovision Song Contest's 70-year evolution from a TV show to a true global, cultural, multi-platform phenomenon."
People in 148 different countries and territories cast votes for their favourites.
Outside the 35 participating countries, the biggest votes were received from the United States, the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Ireland, Slovakia and Turkey.
Around 100,000 tickets were sold for the shows at the Wiener Stadthalle arena, bought by fans from 75 countries.
After Dara's win, next year's edition will be hosted in Bulgaria.
rjm/nl/phz

rock

Argentine rock legend Carlos 'Indio' Solari dies at 77

  • "His human commitment, his dignity as an independent musician, and the profound social and cultural phenomenon that Los Redonditos de Ricota generated deserve to be remembered," former center-left president Alberto Fernández wrote on X. He drew throngs of fans to his concerts -- both with Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota and from 2004 with his solo band, Indio Solari y los Fundamentalistas del Aire Acondicionado.
  • Carlos 'Indio' Solari, a towering figure in Argentine music known for his blend of hard rock and punk, died Friday at the age of 77, according to a police report seen by AFP. The legendary frontman of Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, which enjoyed a cult following over four decades before its break-up in 2001, had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease around a decade ago.
  • "His human commitment, his dignity as an independent musician, and the profound social and cultural phenomenon that Los Redonditos de Ricota generated deserve to be remembered," former center-left president Alberto Fernández wrote on X. He drew throngs of fans to his concerts -- both with Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota and from 2004 with his solo band, Indio Solari y los Fundamentalistas del Aire Acondicionado.
Carlos 'Indio' Solari, a towering figure in Argentine music known for his blend of hard rock and punk, died Friday at the age of 77, according to a police report seen by AFP.
The legendary frontman of Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, which enjoyed a cult following over four decades before its break-up in 2001, had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease around a decade ago.
Local media reported that he died early Friday at his residence in Parque Leloir, about 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of Buenos Aires. 
Solari was beloved for his searing social commentary, and many of his songs became anthems in Argentina, with their criticism of consumerism, capitalism and state repression.
"His human commitment, his dignity as an independent musician, and the profound social and cultural phenomenon that Los Redonditos de Ricota generated deserve to be remembered," former center-left president Alberto Fernández wrote on X.
He drew throngs of fans to his concerts -- both with Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota and from 2004 with his solo band, Indio Solari y los Fundamentalistas del Aire Acondicionado.
The massive crowds and mosh pits at his concerts sometimes ended in tragedy.
Two people were crushed to death at a gig in the eastern city of Olavarria in 2017.
mry/mel/cb/sst

Sicily

Sicily braces for post-wedding blowout of Dua Lipa, Callum Turner

  • On Friday morning, paparazzi spotted the happy couple -- with Lipa in shorts and a baseball hat worn backwards -- on the terrace of Palermo's luxurious five-star Villa Igiea, where hotel rooms are entirely sold out, according to a video posted on La Stampa daily.
  • The yacht is docked, the paparazzi have arrived, and Dua Lipa and Callum Turner -- the celebrity newlyweds set to party in Sicily this weekend -- have been spotted at their five-star hotel.
  • On Friday morning, paparazzi spotted the happy couple -- with Lipa in shorts and a baseball hat worn backwards -- on the terrace of Palermo's luxurious five-star Villa Igiea, where hotel rooms are entirely sold out, according to a video posted on La Stampa daily.
The yacht is docked, the paparazzi have arrived, and Dua Lipa and Callum Turner -- the celebrity newlyweds set to party in Sicily this weekend -- have been spotted at their five-star hotel.
The city of Palermo and neighbouring Bagheria on Sicily's northwest coast are poised for a two-day blowout beginning Friday, following the May 31 nuptials in London of 30-year-old pop star Lipa and actor Turner, 36.
Organisers have been tight-lipped about the VIP event for the British couple, with rumours swirling about a star-studded 300-person guest list that could include Elton John -- and Lipa's wardrobe consisting of 26 different dresses.
The Grammy-winning singer of "Levitating" and "One Kiss" and the star of "The Boys in the Boat" and "Masters of the Air" spent time in Palermo last summer, according to Lipa's Instagram page, where they wandered the city's historic alleys, enjoyed fresh seafood pasta and frolicked on a boat.
On Friday morning, paparazzi spotted the happy couple -- with Lipa in shorts and a baseball hat worn backwards -- on the terrace of Palermo's luxurious five-star Villa Igiea, where hotel rooms are entirely sold out, according to a video posted on La Stampa daily.
Two plazas in the historic centre of Palermo have been blocked off, with vehicle and pedestrian traffic prohibited, to the dismay of local shopkeepers and the ire of residents. On the itinerary, according to local media, was a visit to Palermo's Gallery of Modern Art, which closed early at 2:00 pm.
The celebration then shifts to the small city of Bagheria to Palermo's east, where the 18th-century nobility built sumptuous Baroque summer villas, including Villa Valguarnera, the site of Saturday's party.
Called "Sicily's most Romantic Hideaway" by the luxury and lifestyle magazine Conde Nast Traveler, the villa is often used for weddings, special events, and as a backdrop in film and television productions, such as Netflix's 2025 miniseries based on Sicily's most famous novel, "The Leopard".
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke was married at the villa in 2020.
The entire plaza in front of the villa was to be shut to traffic beginning at 8:00 am Saturday, according to a city circular.
"All sorts of press have arrived, foreign media, Italian, lots of journalists," Bagheria Mayor Filippo Tripoli told AFP.
Local chefs and florists had been hired for the event -- "a lot of manpower for various services", he said.
A local source who asked not to be named said participants in Palermo had been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, but that was not the case in Bagheria.
Protesting the closed plazas and inconveniences to residents, an association against overtourism in Palermo put up flyers in the historic centre saying "Our square is not your living room" and "Palermo is not for the rich".

Tabloids chasing rumours

On Thursday, Italian news agency ANSA reported that the 90-metre (295-foot) yacht "Nero" -- whose website boasts of "luxury on every deck", including a cinema, beauty salon and gym -- was already docked in the Palermo harbour, with speculation that it could transport guests from Palermo to Bagheria.
"British tabloids have sent correspondents to Palermo who, lacking certainty, are reporting on all the rumours swirling through the alleys of the historic centre," ANSA wrote.
As for Mayor Tripoli, he shrugged off not being invited to the party.
"She's an international rock star," he said of Lipa.
"Some have even compared her to the new Madonna -- it might be a bit early for that, but it seems to me she's also quite spectacular."
ams/ide/jhb/phz

crime

Dutch court jails trio over Romanian golden helmet theft

BY RICHARD CARTER

  • The court sentenced the trio to terms of nearly four years (47 months) for stealing the fifth-century BC Helmet of Cotofenesti and three gold bracelets from a Dutch museum in January 2025.
  • A Dutch court Friday handed jail terms to three men convicted of the brazen theft of a 2,500-year-old golden Romanian helmet that sparked outrage in Romania and the art world.
  • The court sentenced the trio to terms of nearly four years (47 months) for stealing the fifth-century BC Helmet of Cotofenesti and three gold bracelets from a Dutch museum in January 2025.
A Dutch court Friday handed jail terms to three men convicted of the brazen theft of a 2,500-year-old golden Romanian helmet that sparked outrage in Romania and the art world.
The court sentenced the trio to terms of nearly four years (47 months) for stealing the fifth-century BC Helmet of Cotofenesti and three gold bracelets from a Dutch museum in January 2025.
"Given the nature and gravity of the offences, only a substantial prison sentence will suffice," said the court in Assen, in the north of the Netherlands.
The heist and subsequent search for the loot has gripped the Netherlands and regularly made headline news.
In a dramatic development in April, authorities revealed they had recovered the helmet and two of the three bracelets after striking a bargain with two of the suspects.
Under huge pressure from Romania, Dutch police offered to reduce sentences for the robbers if they gave up the location of the booty.
The third bracelet, however, is still missing, with the search ongoing.
The helmet itself -- a national treasure in Romania -- suffered only slight damage and was returned to Bucharest in a near-perfect state.
In January 2025, the gang of robbers had used firework bombs to break into the Drents Museum in the north of the Netherlands, smashing display cases with sledgehammers and making off with the priceless haul.
Police arrested the trio days later, obtaining evidence linking them to the scene of the crime, including CCTV footage, DNA traces on fragments of glass and even shards of gold.

'Literally priceless'

Prosecutors struck a plea bargain with two of them, identified as Jan B. (21), and Douglas Chesley W. (37), for the return of the loot. They therefore called for a 44-month sentence for this pair.
The other suspect, identified as Bernhard Z. (35), refused a deal with the authorities. Prosecutors had called for him to face a 66-month sentence.
The process of reaching a deal with the two suspects was "long, intensive, and complex," said prosecutors.
However, the court decided to impose the same sentence on all three, regardless of the plea bargain.
"In the court's opinion, all defendants should benefit from the return of the art treasures," said the court in a statement.
The Dutch government had set aside 5.7 million euros ($6.5 million) for a likely payout following the theft.
"The importance and value of objects like these cannot be expressed in money. They are literally priceless," said the court.
The pieces were on loan from a Bucharest museum, whose head was promptly sacked for lending the works out in the first place.
Dutch museums and galleries have been targeted by thieves in the past -- including in November, when works by artist Andy Warhol were taken, and in 2020, when a Van Gogh was stolen from a museum.
The heists have prompted calls for better security to protect valuable artworks.
ric/cw

crime

Dutch court jails trio over Romanian golden helmet theft

  • The court sentenced the trio to terms of nearly four years (47 months) for stealing the fifth-century BC Helmet of Cotofenesti and three gold bracelets from a Dutch museum in January 2025.
  • A Dutch court Friday handed jail terms to three men convicted of the brazen theft of a 2,500-year-old golden Romanian helmet that sparked outrage in Romania and the art world.
  • The court sentenced the trio to terms of nearly four years (47 months) for stealing the fifth-century BC Helmet of Cotofenesti and three gold bracelets from a Dutch museum in January 2025.
A Dutch court Friday handed jail terms to three men convicted of the brazen theft of a 2,500-year-old golden Romanian helmet that sparked outrage in Romania and the art world.
The court sentenced the trio to terms of nearly four years (47 months) for stealing the fifth-century BC Helmet of Cotofenesti and three gold bracelets from a Dutch museum in January 2025.
"Given the nature and gravity of the offenses, only a substantial prison sentence will suffice," said the court in Assen, in the north of the Netherlands.
The heist and subsequent search for the loot has gripped the Netherlands and regularly made headline news.
 
In a dramatic development in April, authorities revealed they had recovered the helmet and two of the three bracelets after striking a bargain with two of the suspects.
Under huge pressure from Romania, Dutch police offered to reduce sentences for the robbers if they gave up the location of the booty.
The third bracelet however is still missing, with the search ongoing.
The helmet itself -- a national treasure in Romania -- suffered only slight damage and was returned to Bucharest in a near-perfect state.
ric/jhb

film

Latest 'Scary Movie' aims to cancel 'cancel culture,' creators say

BY PAULA RAMON

  • But true to tradition, the new installment was refreshed by satirizing recent horror hits — including "The Substance," "Sinners," "Smile," "Weapons," "Longlegs," "Terrifier" and the series "Wednesday."
  • With its fake horror and off-color jokes, the creators of the sixth installment in the "Scary Movie" franchise say they are offering an antidote to what they see as today's censorious culture.
  • But true to tradition, the new installment was refreshed by satirizing recent horror hits — including "The Substance," "Sinners," "Smile," "Weapons," "Longlegs," "Terrifier" and the series "Wednesday."
With its fake horror and off-color jokes, the creators of the sixth installment in the "Scary Movie" franchise say they are offering an antidote to what they see as today's censorious culture.
The Wayans family, who created the politically incorrect parody almost three decades ago, bring their offering to US cinemas this Friday, and think it is arriving at just the right time.
"I think that it's an important movie right now for the culture, so that we can handle cancel culture in a whole another way," Shawn Wayans told AFP at the Los Angeles red carpet premiere.
Wayans is confident that audiences in 2026 will embrace this new episode of the saga, which takes on issues at the heart of the culture wars, like sexuality, gender and race.
"Just because cancel culture exists, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't have laughter anymore," he said.
"I think it's important for the world to be able to laugh; that's healthy, it's healing, it's medicine."
His sister, actress and comedian Kim Wayans, agreed that as a society we need to have fewer sacred cows and be more ready to laugh at things, even if it offends some people.
"Tonight we're going to cancel cancel culture -- that's what this movie is going to do," she said.
Director Michael Tiddes said the project proved to be a challenge. 
"You had to find a balance between the movies we were spoofing, the Wayans brothers' authentic comedy that I was injecting into the film, and also our own story and our own characters, making sure that they had a beginning, a middle and an end," he said.
In addition to Shawn, Kim, Marlon and Damon Wayans, the cast also features Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Jon Abrahams and Cheri Oteri — bringing back Doofy, the parody of the killer from "Scream" (Ghostface) that served as the catalyst for the very first film.
But true to tradition, the new installment was refreshed by satirizing recent horror hits — including "The Substance," "Sinners," "Smile," "Weapons," "Longlegs," "Terrifier" and the series "Wednesday."
The franchise is back in the hands of the Wayans clan after several years of absence, becoming a true family affair. 
Not only did several of the brothers write the script, but some of their children and nephews — such as Gregg Wayans — also joined the team. 
For the 37-year-old, "Scary Movie" is timeless and has the potential to make different generations laugh, thanks to his uncles' brand of "no-limits" humor.
"I think people want to laugh. They're just waiting for filmmakers like my family to stop abiding by all the rules," he told AFP.
"We need some more rule-breakers, and us getting this franchise back, I think it's the first step," he said. "It's the Wayans antidote."
pr/hg/mjf

environment

Designer Gabriela Hearst still believes in 'brilliance of humanity' despite AI

BY EUGENIA LOGIURATTO

  • In a world threatened by climate crisis and the emergence of artificial intelligence, "there will be a genuine need for handmade creation," Hearst told AFP during a recent trip to Montevideo to present World Cup uniforms to the Uruguayan team.
  • The "brilliance of humanity" will matter more, not less, in an AI world, Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst told AFP in an interview.
  • In a world threatened by climate crisis and the emergence of artificial intelligence, "there will be a genuine need for handmade creation," Hearst told AFP during a recent trip to Montevideo to present World Cup uniforms to the Uruguayan team.
The "brilliance of humanity" will matter more, not less, in an AI world, Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst told AFP in an interview.
Natural materials and handmade craftsmanship are the hallmarks of Hearst's luxury brand, whose commitment to environmentally friendly fashion has secured her status as a sustainable style icon.
With celebrities including Kate Middleton, Julia Roberts and former US first lady Jill Biden wearing her personal brand, Hearst was also the first Latin American woman to lead the French fashion house Chloe from 2020 to 2023.
In a world threatened by climate crisis and the emergence of artificial intelligence, "there will be a genuine need for handmade creation," Hearst told AFP during a recent trip to Montevideo to present World Cup uniforms to the Uruguayan team.
"The human part, the part of our brain that is unique to us, the part that represents the brilliance of humanity, is going to matter more and more," she said.
The designer on the cusp of 50 prizes quality over quantity, and obstinately opposes fast fashion fads.
"There are so many clothes in the world," she said. "There's always a way to have a small amount, but of good quality."

'True beauty'

Now based in New York, Hearst said she owes her intimate knowledge of quality, sustainability and "true beauty" to her native Uruguay.
"When I was little, I wanted to go travel, to see the world," she said.
"After traveling," she continued, "I was able to appreciate what it means to grow up with those star-filled skies, the nature, eating food from the land, the quality, the natural luxury that surrounded me."
"Clothes were passed down" in Hearst's community, she said, recalling picking through her mother's wardrobe filled with garments made by the family seamstress.
In her native country of 3.4 million people, hundreds of weavers work for Manos del Uruguay, a network of cooperatives that produces handcrafted garments for Hearst's brand.
The finished products end up on runways, Vogue magazine covers and even on-screen in "Sex and the City" movie sequel, where a multi-colored blanket designed by Hearst appears draped over Sarah Jessica Parker's legs.
"It's incredible that our craftsmanship reaches so far," said 60-year-old weaver Mabel Bargas, who works in one of the Manos del Uruguay workshops.
Hearst wants to leave a legacy of positive social impact by creating jobs and doing her bit for the environment.
"We can't afford to lose our human connection," she said, adding that people with privilege "have a responsibility to help others."
mel/lbc/cc/mjf

US

Richard Gere says 'ashamed' of US migration policy

  • "Everyone is an immigrant or a refugee or migrant," Gere said at the launch of the partnership between his foundation and the Hertie School, a Berlin-based public policy university.
  • Hollywood legend Richard Gere on Thursday said he was "ashamed" of the way the United States is handling migration as he launched an initiative to change attitudes to the topic in Berlin.
  • "Everyone is an immigrant or a refugee or migrant," Gere said at the launch of the partnership between his foundation and the Hertie School, a Berlin-based public policy university.
Hollywood legend Richard Gere on Thursday said he was "ashamed" of the way the United States is handling migration as he launched an initiative to change attitudes to the topic in Berlin.
"Everyone is an immigrant or a refugee or migrant," Gere said at the launch of the partnership between his foundation and the Hertie School, a Berlin-based public policy university.
"We often speak about migrants, about refugees, as if they were different from us. As though they belong to another category of human beings," said the 76-year-old star of "American Gigolo", "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Pretty Woman". 
"The US government is calling them aliens," said Gere, a fervent critic of US President Donald Trump. "They had been vermin, now it's aliens. I'm deeply ashamed of this, I want you to know."
The Joint Initiative on Migration will aim to help generate "a new perspective, new politics and new policies on migration", the school said. Focusing on migration from Africa to Europe, it will encourage a shift from "hostility-based to opportunities-led policymaking".
"Migration is often discussed through statistics, border policies, quotas, election campaigns... racism," Gere said, adding that "European governments frequently focus on reducing arrivals rather than addressing the causes" of migration.
German Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said the initiative was being launched "at a time when the public discourse on displacement and migration is increasingly hostile and polarised, making it very difficult to find sustainable solutions".
Gere has been involved in humanitarian work for decades and has helped fund projects to support refugees, public health, education and emergency relief as well as culture, especially in Tibetan communities.
In August 2019, he boarded the Open Arms rescue ship near Lampedusa, where migrants were stranded after being denied permission to dock.
Gere laid into Trump at an awards ceremony in Oslo on Tuesday, calling the US president a "maniac" who has "dismantled almost everything that was good" about the United States. 
fec/fz/sbk

culture

'Persepolis' author Marjane Satrapi dies aged 56

BY JEREMY TORDJMAN AND SUSANNAH WALDEN

  • "Even if this is a universal film, I want to dedicate this prize to all Iranians," Satrapi told AFP at the time. 
  • Franco-Iranian author and film director Marjane Satrapi, renowned for her graphic novel and film "Persepolis", has died aged 56, a year after the passing of "the love of her life", a member of her close circle told AFP on Thursday.
  • "Even if this is a universal film, I want to dedicate this prize to all Iranians," Satrapi told AFP at the time. 
Franco-Iranian author and film director Marjane Satrapi, renowned for her graphic novel and film "Persepolis", has died aged 56, a year after the passing of "the love of her life", a member of her close circle told AFP on Thursday.
"Marjane Satrapi died of sadness a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and the love of her life," they said in a statement sent to AFP.
Born in 1969 in Rasht in northern Iran, Satrapi arrived in France in 1994 and gained French nationality in 2006.
An outspoken critic of Iran's theocratic government, Satrapi's "Persepolis" recounts her early life in Tehran, struggling with restrictions imposed by Iran's Islamic leadership after the 1979 revolution, before her parents sent her to Europe and she began a life in exile.
French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Satrapi, saying she was "a great artist who turned her Iranian childhood into a universal tale".
The films she directed included a 2007 adaptation of the graphic novel of "Persepolis" -- co-directed by Vincent Paronnaud -- which won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar. 
"Even if this is a universal film, I want to dedicate this prize to all Iranians," Satrapi told AFP at the time. 
"Marjane was an extraordinary artist and a charming woman who embodied the joy of creation and the sorrow of exile and painful memories. We mourn her this morning," Cannes festival supremo Thierry Fremaux told AFP.

'Her courage will resonate'

She was a vocal supporter of the protests that erupted in the Islamic republic after the 2022 death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini while in custody for allegedly breaching the dress code for women.
She curated a collection of graphic stories on the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement in her latest book that came out in English in 2024, and was among those at a protest in Paris that same year to mark two years since Amini's death.
"It's very important that this regime disappears," she said of the Islamic republic, but she stressed it could not happen overnight.
"I think it's important to remain hopeful."  
The foundation of Narges Mohammadi, the jailed Iranian Nobel peace prize winner, praised Satrapi as "a fearless voice for feminism, human rights, and freedom". 
"She consistently advocated for women's rights, standing in solidarity with the people of Iran and amplifying the message of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement on the global stage," it said. 
"Her courage will continue to resonate far beyond her lifetime." 
Also a painter, in 2020 Satrapi exhibited a series of works she said she had spent the past seven years painting between other projects, speaking of a need to isolate herself from the world with her canvases.
"I think my mental health depends on it," she said.
She said she believed in being a feminist through her actions.
"If I show that I know how to do things just as well as -- or even better than -- a man, then I've won the battle and I can be an example for the girl who will come after me," she said.

'Love of my life'

She said last year she had turned down France's highest civilian honour, the legion d'honneur, accusing the country of "hypocrisy" over visa policies that prevented dissidents travelling from Iran to France.
"I can't ignore what I see as a hypocritical attitude towards Iran, which forged the other part of my identity," she wrote, adding that she meant no disrespect to the award and that she loved France "deeply".
Her work expanded beyond stories connected to Iran, including "Radioactive", a 2019 biopic about pioneering radioactivity researcher and Nobel-prize winner Marie Curie, starring Rosamund Pike. 
Her husband, a Swedish producer, actor and screenwriter, had been a long-time collaborator.  
After his death on April 8 last year, Satrapi founded the Mattias and Marjane Ripa-Satrapi Cinema Foundation to support foreign students wishing to come to Paris to study filmmaking. 
Since he died, Satrapi's Instagram page consisted almost exclusively of a series of images spelling out "For I lost the love of my life", along with a picture of her husband and an announcement of the foundation. 
jt/sw/ah/jxb

history

Nigerian museum revamp brings treasures within reach

BY TONYE BAKARE

  • One of the three galleries at the museum in Nigeria's cultural and entertainment hub has been remodelled to allow visitors to interact with some artefacts, reversing the typical ban on touching exhibits, as well as take unrestricted photographs in an effort to engage younger audiences, curator Nkechi Adedeji told AFP. As the group felt the texture of the elephant tusks to the tune of Afrobeats softly playing on overhead speakers, a young photographer was busy snapping away, likely for a social media post.
  • Gazing at two large engraved 16th-century elephant tusks on display at Nigeria's National Museum Lagos, a guide surprised visitors by telling them: "You can touch them gently". 
  • One of the three galleries at the museum in Nigeria's cultural and entertainment hub has been remodelled to allow visitors to interact with some artefacts, reversing the typical ban on touching exhibits, as well as take unrestricted photographs in an effort to engage younger audiences, curator Nkechi Adedeji told AFP. As the group felt the texture of the elephant tusks to the tune of Afrobeats softly playing on overhead speakers, a young photographer was busy snapping away, likely for a social media post.
Gazing at two large engraved 16th-century elephant tusks on display at Nigeria's National Museum Lagos, a guide surprised visitors by telling them: "You can touch them gently". 
One of the three galleries at the museum in Nigeria's cultural and entertainment hub has been remodelled to allow visitors to interact with some artefacts, reversing the typical ban on touching exhibits, as well as take unrestricted photographs in an effort to engage younger audiences, curator Nkechi Adedeji told AFP.
As the group felt the texture of the elephant tusks to the tune of Afrobeats softly playing on overhead speakers, a young photographer was busy snapping away, likely for a social media post.
According to Tinuke Odunfa, the interior designer of the gallery, the plan was to modernise the space and present Nigerian history in an "intentional" and "immersive" environment.
"Everything was intentional in terms of how the space should be experienced, in terms of the colours, how the space leads you," Odunfa told AFP. 
The gallery holds one of the country's most extensive collections, including major archaeological and ethnographic artefacts such as 5th-century terracotta by indigenous Nok people. 
Its white walls are lined with artefacts encased in glass, arranged chronologically from the oldest to the newest, each accompanied by brief notes.  
A few other items of the permanent exhibition, "Echoes of the Past", especially those made of wood and metal, are laid out in such a way that visitors can touch and "feel them", the museum's head of exhibition Olusegun Adeleye, 51, said.
Low ambient lighting casts a soft glow across the gallery, giving the space a quiet, reflective atmosphere. 
Lagos, the vibrant mega city of more than 20 million people, and often described as Nigeria's melting pot, inspired Odunfa's design.
 
 - 'Coming in droves' -
 
Since the renovated gallery opened to the public in April, it has been drawing more visitors than before, Adedeji said, without giving figures. 
Its Instagram-ready spaces are drawing more schoolchildren and young adults, with pictures and videos increasingly shared online, making it a popular destination among "content creators".
"They come here, do content and before you know it, it is all over the place," Adedeji said. "Youths are coming in droves now".
"I love the way the artefacts are displayed," Oyin Isioye, a 25-year-old photographer, visiting the museum for the first time, told AFP. "I learned a lot of things... where the artefacts are from, what they represent."
 

Repatriation calls

 
In one corner of the gallery, three empty cases contain a sheet of paper bearing the inscription "British museum, how far??" (meaning "what's up?" in Nigerian Pidgin). 
The installation sends a message to foreign museums that Nigeria is ready to pursue the repatriation of its looted artefacts.
Western museums, including those in Britain, the Netherlands and Germany, have in recent years returned several hundred artefacts, but countless more remain in galleries in Europe and America.
"This renovation shows that we can protect and preserve our objects ourselves, we do not need any other country to do it for us," said Adedeji.
The remodelling, funded by a private entity, also aimed at creating more display areas for the collection, the bulk of which are kept in storage.
More projects are in the works. Another gallery at the Lagos museum has been shut for renovation, along with other sites nationwide. 
And Nigerian authorities are seeking partners to support future upgrades in preparation for more repatriated artefacts.
tba/sn/giv

ballet

Show must go on for ballerinas in crisis-hit Cuba

BY LISANDRA COTS

  • Born in Jesus Maria, a working-class neighborhood with a strong Afro-Cuban influence, Rojas' life was imbued with song and dance from day one.
  • Cuban ballerina Laura Kamila Rojas is dancing her way through the transport woes, lengthy power cuts and economic hardship that now define daily life on the Caribbean island.
  • Born in Jesus Maria, a working-class neighborhood with a strong Afro-Cuban influence, Rojas' life was imbued with song and dance from day one.
Cuban ballerina Laura Kamila Rojas is dancing her way through the transport woes, lengthy power cuts and economic hardship that now define daily life on the Caribbean island.
Twirling and pirouetting as a soloist with the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC), the usually shy 25-year-old transforms into a commanding performer onstage.
Rojas nabbed the coveted position a year ago, but it hasn't been easy.
The Afro-Cuban dancer is balancing a pivotal moment in her career with fuel shortages that have drastically curtailed Cuba's cultural scene, along with every other walk of life.
"It has been a bit difficult," she told AFP.
"The blackouts sometimes keep me from getting any rest, but I always do whatever I can. I get up and tell myself that I can do it, and I keep moving forward."

'This is what we love'

Ballet has featured prominently in Cuban cultural life since the 1959 Revolution, which democratized access to the arts.
Overseen by the late ballet legend Alicia Alonso, the country developed its own school and proudly maintains one of the world's most prestigious companies.
Rojas has become a star of the scene and received enthusiastic accolades from the hard-to-please crowd following her role as Swanilda, the heroine of the comedic 1870 ballet "Coppelia."
"Bravo, Kamila!" the audience cried after a flawless sequence of turning jumps during an April performance at Havana's National Theater.
Born in Jesus Maria, a working-class neighborhood with a strong Afro-Cuban influence, Rojas' life was imbued with song and dance from day one.
With a mother who danced in a folkloric group directed by her father, their daughter's decision to pursue pointe work over the family tradition surprised everyone.
Now, her enduring passion has encountered countless obstacles as a result of the severe fuel shortages in US-blockaded Cuba.
Every day, Rojas looks for a way to get to her dance studio, located in the Vedado neighborhood five kilometers (three miles) away from her home.
"If necessary…I'd come on foot," said the young dancer with angel wings tattooed on her back.
Company buses are now only available on performance days due to fuel shortages.
Previous all-day rehearsals have also been scaled back to just four hours, as a way to save electricity and give the dancers time to get home.
"But the demand on us is the same," said Rojas.
"We all want to be here, because this is what we love," she added as she prepared for a practice session.

'Out of reality'

A lack of sleep makes the challenging work even trickier.
At night, the use of air conditioning or even a fan to offset the intense summer heat has become impossible due to outages. Mosquitos also have to be reckoned with.
But "when I dance, I forget everything," said Rojas.
"Anything can happen, but my thing is dancing."
BNC director and prima ballerina Viengsay Valdes, 49, takes pride in this attitude that prevails across the company.
"They have a lot of talent and a real desire to dance, and that is essential," she said.
Despite a slump in Cuba's cultural activity, the Ballet has forged ahead with rehearsals and performances.
"The dancer needs the stage," said Valdes. "If they stop, that body has to be trained all over again."
The efforts have not gone unnoticed -- the theater's 2,000-seat hall almost reaches capacity during shows, whose schedules have been adjusted depending on electricity availability.
Elegantly dressed spectators arrive, either taxied by bikes or motorcycles or on foot, in defiance of the punishing heat and lack of relief.
"You sit there watching the ballet, in the middle of Havana, with so many problems, and it's like a bubble that takes us out of reality," said Teresa Betancourt, a 52-year-old teacher, after attending a performance.
"It's strange, but beautiful," she said.
lis-jb/rd/nn/mr/cc/sla

history

Bayeux Tapestry to be moved in secret to British Museum: minister

  • The tapestry will travel, on a date kept secret, to the British Museum in a crate specially designed to cushion vibrations, the minister and officials said. 
  • France's medieval Bayeux Tapestry will be moved to Britain in secret in a shock proof container so that it can be displayed in London this year, the culture minister said Wednesday.
  • The tapestry will travel, on a date kept secret, to the British Museum in a crate specially designed to cushion vibrations, the minister and officials said. 
France's medieval Bayeux Tapestry will be moved to Britain in secret in a shock proof container so that it can be displayed in London this year, the culture minister said Wednesday.
The 11th century artefact depicting the 1066 Norman conquest of England is to go on display at the British Museum from September and French Culture Minister Catherine Pegard said all possible precautions will be taken to protect it.
Normally on display in the northern French town of Bayeux, President Emmanuel Macron agreed a loan to celebrate cross-Channel relations.
Some experts have however voiced concern about possible damage to the 70-metre (230 feet) embroidery, which already has over 24,000 stains, 9,000 holes and 30 tears.
But Pegard said she had "found the insinuations of incompetence that some have tried to spread particularly unfair".
"Nothing, absolutely nothing, has been left to chance, particularly when it comes to the movement of this work," she told a Paris press conference.
The tapestry will travel, on a date kept secret, to the British Museum in a crate specially designed to cushion vibrations, the minister and officials said. 
According to a culture ministry study published on Wednesday following a second trial run carried out in April, the crate can absorb 96 percent of the force of a significant impact over the entire journey.
The conclusions of this study amount to giving the green light for transporting the tapestry, even though "zero risk does not exist", the minister said. 
"Never in the history of transporting works of art have so many tests, so many protocols, so many risk checks been carried out for a single relocation," she said, comparing the crate to "a cradle in which a newborn has been laid". 
When it returns to France at the end of 2027, the Bayeux Tapestry will undergo a long‑planned restoration that had been postponed. 
jt/mch/pdw/tw

Finals

New York turns blue and orange as Knicks fever grips city

BY BEN TURNER

  • Graham said the Knicks' successful run -- reaching their first NBA Finals since 1999 -- has brought people together in New York. 
  • Tasha Graham, dressed head to toe in Knicks clothing, is the embodiment of New York's passion for its basketball team battling to win the NBA Finals and end a five-decade drought. 
  • Graham said the Knicks' successful run -- reaching their first NBA Finals since 1999 -- has brought people together in New York. 
Tasha Graham, dressed head to toe in Knicks clothing, is the embodiment of New York's passion for its basketball team battling to win the NBA Finals and end a five-decade drought. 
"This is our season, this is our time. We're going all the way," said the 53-year-old, who sported glittery shoes with a basketball design, a large medallion with the team's emblem, and the increasingly ubiquitous, blue Knicks cap.
She spoke to AFP outside Madison Square Garden, the home of the Knicks, where fans gathered Wednesday to watch a video feed of the first match against the San Antonio Spurs, being played in Texas. 
Graham said the Knicks' successful run -- reaching their first NBA Finals since 1999 -- has brought people together in New York. 
"New Yorkers can be rude -- everybody's in a rush, everybody's pushing -- but when people see you with the gear on, it's like: 'Let's go Knicks!'" she said.
As excitement builds around the team that last won the NBA Finals in 1973, New York is awash in the Knicks' blue and orange colors. 
At subway stations, US actor and comedian Tracy Morgan's voice booms out over the speakers with a rallying cry of "Orange and blue skies, baby!" and "Go New York, Go!"
Meanwhile, New York's Mayor Zohran Mamdani has signed a tongue-in-cheek executive order "temporarily repealing bedtimes" to encourage children to watch the late-night games.

 'So excited'

"You notice a lot of good energy knowing that everybody's rallying behind the team," said Damani Darling, a 22-year-old communications student. 
He admitted to not being a loyal Knicks follower but said he backed New York sports -- especially as the city's last major victory was the Giants' Super Bowl triumph in 2012.
"It feels good that we have a team that actually could win something for us," said Darling.
Several fans mingled Wednesday by a subway stop near Madison Square Garden that city officials have painted blue and orange to honor the Knicks. 
Professional artist Katie Thomas, 29, sat nearby with a friend, both drawing the scene in their sketchbooks.
"It's great to see the city just so excited and all the fanfare," Thomas, wearing a Knicks cap, told AFP. 
"People are literally around a subway station right now instead of going through it. They're taking pictures for each other and having cute little moments," she added. 

 'Buzz'

Many Knicks fans will be watching the NBA Finals at watch parties before the team plays in New York next week. 
Madison Square Garden's event sold out in an hour. Other supporters will watch from outside the venue -- something New York police had initially blocked after unrest among fans following a Knicks game in May.
Local bars, many adorned in blue and orange flags and balloons, are also hoping to cash in on the excitement. 
"There's a buzz around the place, you can feel it," said John Crombie, a bartender at the Irish pub Jack Doyle's, which is hosting watch parties. 
"It's great. Bars are packed, restaurants are packed. Everyone's doing well," the 34-year-old added.
At another pub, a staff member told AFP they were fully booked for all the Knicks' matches, saying the phone had been "ringing off the hook."
bjt/sms

television

Javier Bardem terrifies Amy Adams in TV adaptation of 'Cape Fear'

BY PAULA RAMON

  • The latter version starred Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, and Jessica Lange, and was directed by Martin Scorsese.
  • Spanish actor Javier Bardem drew inspiration from the natural world to embody the disturbed protagonist in the TV version of "Cape Fear," bringing the character, previously portrayed by Robert De Niro and Robert Mitchum, to a new generation with different traumas.
  • The latter version starred Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, and Jessica Lange, and was directed by Martin Scorsese.
Spanish actor Javier Bardem drew inspiration from the natural world to embody the disturbed protagonist in the TV version of "Cape Fear," bringing the character, previously portrayed by Robert De Niro and Robert Mitchum, to a new generation with different traumas.
"There's some menace, there's this animal component in Max Cady that has always been there, that is so physical," Bardem told journalists ahead of the June 5 series' release on Apple TV.
"But also it has to be attractive. It has to be something that you cannot take your eyes off, and at the same time, when you least expect, it can attack you," added the 57-year-old actor. 
It's a quality that co-star Amy Adams says makes Cady a "patient predator."
The 51-year-old actress plays Anna Bowden, who, along with her husband Tom (Patrick Wilson) and their two children, becomes the target of Cady's fury years after he is jailed for murdering his own wife.
Adams says she drew inspiration for the role from the performers of Hollywood's Golden Age.
"I always sort of go back to classic actresses in the way that they could sort of toe a line between extreme femininity and just rock hard will and grit," she said.
"I think it's just a part of how I like to view women is this 'strong' and 'soft,' and I love that contradiction," she added.

'Invisible vulnerabilities'

The series is based on the 1957 book "The Executioners" by John D. MacDonald, which was adapted into two films, one in 1962 and the other in 1991.
The latter version starred Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, and Jessica Lange, and was directed by Martin Scorsese.
Scorsese and Steven Spielberg are executive producers of the upcoming series created by Nick Antosca.
Antosca said expanding a two-hour film into a 10-episode series allowed the team to create twists and turns that reflect the nature of the current moment.
One of the new elements is Cady's story, whose murder trial is the genesis of the marriage between his then-lawyer Anna and the prosecutor, a young Tom Bowden. 
The idea was that "this family's life and their happiness is fully built on Max Cady's suffering. He's not an incidental, forgotten figure in their past," Antosca said.
"Both the husband and wife were involved in the trial...they got married because of the trial. They have kids because of the trial.
"'Cape Fear' is the story of the destruction of a family that feels safe (by) a monster...who finds invisible vulnerabilities under the surface."
The television format also allowed the production to give Cady more depth and show the evolution of his rage. 
"I wanted the audience to be able to sympathize with him at times, and be terrified of him at times," Antosca told AFP on the Los Angeles red carpet. 
pr/hg/jgc