London, United Kingdom | AFP | Oscar winner Rami Malek hinted Thursday he would appear as the villain in a new James Bond thriller that could see Daniel Craig bow out as 007 after eight years. The 25th edition of one of the world’s most enduring Hollywood franchises will also see …
Read More »Bobi Wine detained, police block music show
Kampala, Uganda | AFP | Ugandan police on Monday detained Bobi Wine, a pop star turned MP who became a high-profile government critic, after shutting down one of his concerts and firing tear gas at his fans. The local music sensation, a potential challenger to veteran President Yoweri Museveni, was pulled …
Read More »Pop superstar Adele splits from husband
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Global superstar Adele, one of the world’s top recording artists, has split from her husband, UK media reported Saturday, citing the British singer’s representatives. Pop diva Adele, 30, married charity entrepreneur Simon Konecki in 2016 after five years together. They have a son, Angelo, …
Read More »Films in the running for Cannes’ top prize
Paris, France | AFP | From a zombie flick starring Iggy Pop to a tale of Chinese gangsters who decide to take over a city, these are the films vying for the top prize at the Cannes film festival next month: – The Dead Don’t Die – Jim Jarmusch’s zombie …
Read More »Ariana Grande, reigning teen pop idol with a defiant edge
Palm Springs, United States | AFP | Bubblegum pop coquette on the outside, saucy master of celebrity on the inside, there is perhaps no current star better at re-fashioning her own trials into larger-than-life success than Ariana Grande. While suffering a highly publicized burst of personal and professional upheaval — …
Read More »Spotify lodges EU complaint against Apple over unfair music competition
Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Swedish music streaming giant Spotify said Wednesday it had filed a formal complaint with the EU Commission against Apple, accusing its US rival of stifling competition in the online music market. Analysts were quick to point out that there is no guarantee that the EU’s executive arm will actually investigate …
Read More »Jackson’s defamed legacy has superfans up in arms
New York, United States | AFP | A documentary on pedophilia accusations against Michael Jackson has left some fans grappling with the late superstar’s tarnished legacy — but among his outraged superfans, protecting it is all that matters. Celebrity fandom has morphed into a vicious online tool, with superfan gangs — Beyonce’s Beyhive, Justin Bieber’s …
Read More »Trump accuses film-maker Spike Lee of ‘racist hit’ job
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Monday accused veteran film director Spike Lee of a “racist hit” job after he won his first competitive Oscar and urged voters to mobilize for the next election. Lee took home a statuette for best adapted screenplay for “BlacKkKlansman,” a stranger-than-fiction true story of …
Read More »Five things to watch for on Oscars night
Hollywood, United States | AFP | Oscars night is quickly approaching — on Sunday, all will be revealed. Will Alfonso Cuaron sweep the awards for his cinematic masterpiece “Roma?” Will another contender swipe the best picture Oscar from him? Can Glenn Close finally claim her first Academy Award? The ceremony will …
Read More »Police summons Bad Black
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police has issued criminal summons to socialite Shanita Namuyimba alias Bad Black for allegedly abusing president Yoweri Museveni on social media. The summon, which is signed by Joseph Obwona, the Deputy Director Criminal Investigations Joseph Obwona requires Bad Black to appear before the criminal …
Read More »