Entertainment – International

BTS to release new album with 4 million pre-orders

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — K-pop superstars BTS were releasing their new album Friday, breaking records even before it came out as the country’s most pre-ordered album of all time, with its lead single the first track to make its debut on video app TikTok. BTS — or Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts — has gained a huge global following, becoming the first K-pop group to top charts in the US and […]

Pneumonia forces Elton John to cut short Auckland gig

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Elton John has tearfully apologized to fans after cutting short a concert in New Zealand due to illness, with the British superstar saying he was suffering from “walking pneumonia”. The 72-year-old, who is in the midst of a gruelling world tour, struggled to sing while seated at a grand piano during a performance at Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday night. After being checked by a medic with a stethoscope, he […]

Top UK TV presenter Caroline Flack found dead

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British television presenter Caroline Flack was found dead on Saturday, her family said in a statement, the third star connected with the hit reality show “Love Island” to have died. “We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today on the 15th February,” the 40-year-old’s family said in a statement. British media reported that the star, who was soon to go on trial accused of assaulting her boyfriend, was found […]

Brad Pitt back on top with Oscar win

by Jocelyne ZABLIT HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — Brad Pitt’s Oscar win on Sunday marks a fitting comeback for the veteran actor whose personal life, rather than his on-screen roles, has dominated headlines in recent years. Pitt won the golden statuette for his role as a laid-back fading stuntman in Quentin Tarantino’s ode to 1960s Tinseltown, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.” “This is incredible, really incredible,” the 56-year-old said as he accepted the […]

Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas dead at 103

  LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — US silver screen legend Kirk Douglas, the son of Jewish Russian immigrants who rose through the ranks to become one of Hollywood’s biggest-ever stars, has died, his family said Wednesday. He was 103. One of the last survivors of the golden age of cinema and the father of Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker Michael Douglas, the “Spartacus” actor was renowned for the macho tough guy roles he took on […]

Joaquin Phoenix wins best actor Bafta for ‘Joker’

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Joaquin Phoenix on Sunday won a Bafta for his brooding performance as the troubled man who would become Batman’s arch-nemesis in dark comic book tale “Joker”. He beat Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”), Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”), Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”) and Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”). © Agence France-Presse

Grammys gala begins with love letter to late NBA star Kobe Bryant

by Maggy DONALDSON LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The 2020 Grammys kicked off Sunday with an emotional tribute to the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, whose sudden death in a helicopter crash left Los Angeles in tears on music’s marquee night. Before the star-studded event’s top nominee Lizzo owned the stage at the Staples Center with a show-stopping medley of her top hits — where Bryant made NBA history as a championship-winning Laker — […]

‘Tonight is for Kobe’: Lizzo dedicates Grammys to late NBA legend

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Top nominee Lizzo kicked off the 2020 Grammys on Sunday with a tribute to the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant, before launching into a rousing medley of her hits. “Tonight is for Kobe,” shouted the 31-year-old, who has already won two awards in the pre-gala event that led into music’s marquee night. Bryant — a hero for Los Angeles who played for the Lakers in the Staples Center, where […]

‘Parasite’ invades Oscars race with stunning SAG award win

by Andrew MARSZAL LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — “Parasite” shocked the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday by landing the night’s top prize, a historic win which thrusts the South Korean black comedy into Oscars contention. The critical smash hit film overcame the language barrier to win an outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, the SAG equivalent of a best film Academy Award. “I’m a little embarrassed feeling like we’re the […]

Disney drops ‘Fox’ name from 20th Century film studio: reports

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Disney will rename 20th Century Fox to distance its legendary film studio from the assets of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, US media reported Friday. The entertainment conglomerate last year acquired most of the assets of 21st Century Fox group, including the film house, while former owner Murdoch and his shareholders kept several TV channels, including Fox News. Variety magazine reported that the entertainment giant decided to rename its subsidiary […]

‘Parasite’ wins Golden Globe for best foreign language film

LOS ANGELES, United States  (AFP)  — South Korea’s “Parasite,” a vicious satire about the rich-poor divide, on Sunday won the Golden Globe for best foreign language film, edging out a top crop of nominees. “Wow, amazing, unbelievable,” gushed director Bong Joon-ho as he accepted the award. “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” The film bested France’s “Les Miserables,” Pedro Almodovar’s “Pain and Glory,” Chinese-American […]

Hollywood prepares to toast winners at Golden Globes

by Andrew MARSZAL Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, Unites States (AFP) — Hollywood’s biggest party, the Golden Globes, kicks off the showbiz awards season Sunday, with streaming giant Netflix expected to be popping champagne corks through the night. Stars will don couture gowns and extravagant jewels before they hit the red carpet at the luxury Beverly Hills hotel where the calendar’s second-most important — but rowdiest — prize-giving gala takes place. Victory at the Globes ensures […]