Entertainment

Di Caprio among celebrities backing new climate initiative

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Actor Leonardo di Caprio joined former US vice president Al Gore and other personalities Wednesday in backing a new initiative to seek solutions to climate change. Leading figures from politics, economics, science, and entertainment are lending their support to Countdown, which seeks to build support for zero-net emissions and is organized by the TED conference platform. TED President Chris Anderson and former UN environment chief Christiana Figueres launched the […]

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Drake declared Spotify’s most-streamed artist of decade

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — As the 2010s winds to a close streaming titan Spotify announced Tuesday that poppy rap sensation Drake is the most globally streamed artist of the decade with more than 28 billion streams. British crooner Ed Sheeran, hip hop warbler Post Malone, pop royalty Ariana Grande and rap iconoclast Eminem rounded out the top five most-streamed artists between 2010 and 2019, Spotify said. Global hit machine Sheeran’s “Shape of You” […]

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China fans desert K-pop star for ‘liking’ Hong Kong tweet

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A South Korean pop star has become the latest celebrity to spark anger on the Chinese internet after he “liked” a tweet about the divisive issue of pro-democracy unrest in Hong Kong. Choi Siwon, a member of popular K-pop boy band Super Junior, was forced to apologize twice after liking a post on Twitter by South Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo about the Hong Kong protests. Twitter is blocked in China, […]

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‘Frozen 2’ ices out competition at N. American box office

  LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Disney’s new release “Frozen 2” iced out competitors to top North American box offices over the weekend, taking in $130.2 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Monday. The film follows the beloved characters from 2013 hit “Frozen,” as they travel to an ancient, autumn-bound forest in search of the origin of Queen Elsa’s (voiced by Idina Menzel) magical ice powers. “Frozen 2,” which has come out just in […]

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K-pop star Goo Hara found dead at her home

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — K-pop star Goo Hara was found dead at her home on Sunday, South Korean police confirmed. Goo, a former member of the girl group Kara, was discovered at her home in Seoul early Sunday evening, officers said. The exact cause of death was still under investigation, they added. South Korea has one of the world’s highest rates of suicide which, according to recent government figures, is among the top causes […]

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From 10 cents to $1.3 million, first Marvel comic sets auction record

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The first comic book produced by Marvel, the famed US publisher behind Spider-Man, X-Men and The Avengers, went under the hammer Thursday, fetching a record $1.26 million, Heritage Auctions said. “This is a historic copy of a historic comic book,” Ed Jaster, auction house senior vice president, said of the book, which was published in 1939 by Timely Comics, which later became Marvel. “Without question, this is the granddaddy of […]

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Mario mugs, Zelda tote bags as Nintendo opens first Tokyo store

  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Nintendo this week throws open the doors to its first bricks-and-mortar store in Tokyo, offering everything from Super Mario mugs to Zelda handbags as part of a new gaming complex in the heart of the city. Set in a refashioned department store on one floor just minutes from the famed “scramble crossing” in Shibuya district, the giant retail space also includes shops selling merchandise from some of the biggest names […]

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Disney bets streaming launch on new ‘Star Wars’, past classics

by Andrew MARSZAL LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The star of Disney’s hugely ambitious new Star Wars television series remembers the moment he first stepped into a galaxy far, far away. Pedro Pascal was trying on his character’s helmet for “The Mandalorian” — the mega-budget, live-action show which launches the Disney+ streaming platform this Tuesday — when he caught a glimpse in the mirror. “If you grow up playing with Star Wars toys, and […]

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‘Terminator’ takes top spot but underwhelms N.America box office

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Terminator: Dark Fate” opened atop the North American box office this weekend with a take of $29 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Monday, but analysts said that figure fell far below expectations. After all, the sixth and latest installment in the franchise — reuniting stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton with series creator James Cameron — cost $185 million to make. “A storied Hollywood film franchise has been […]

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Depressed and suicidal? Fighting the feeling, Guerrero style

By CAESAR VALLEJOS, Open for Business “Galit sa mundo.” That could be one of the feelings of Filipinos, over 3 million of them, who suffer from depression.  According to the World Health Organization, 800,000 people die each year due to suicide. What is more alarming is that suicide cases and students with mental illnesses have “risen drastically in the last two years with at least one suicide referral made each day.” “There remains to be […]

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Abominable’ won’t be screened in Malaysia over S. China Sea map

  KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Animated film “Abominable” will not be shown in Malaysia after its distributor Sunday said it could not comply with censors’ demands to cut a controversial scene showing Beijing’s disputed claims in the South China Sea. The decision comes after Vietnam pulled the Universal Pictures movie from theatres days ago and the Philippines’ foreign secretary called for the segment to be excised. “Universal has decided not to make the censor […]

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Fans, celebrities mourn death of K-pop star Sulli; celebrity had long been a target of online bullying

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Fans and fellow performers on Tuesday mourned the death of a K-pop star who had long been the target of online bullying, some calling for greater mental health support for those working in the country’s notoriously competitive show business industry. The body of Sulli, a former member of top girl group f(x), was discovered Monday by her manager at her home on the outskirts of Seoul. “There has been […]

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