Entertainment – International

Bill Cosby freed after US court quashes sex crimes conviction

  by Peter HUTCHISON Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — US comedian Bill Cosby was freed from prison Wednesday, in a blow to the #MeToo movement after a US court overturned his conviction for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman 17 years ago. The 83-year-old flashed the V sign outside his home near Philadelphia after leaving jail following a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that he had been denied a fair trial. He […]

US actress Lisa Banes dies 10 days after hit-and-run

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — US actress Lisa Banes, best known for her role in the movie “Gone Girl,” has died 10 days after a hit-and-run by a scooter or motorbike in New York, a police spokesman said Tuesday. The 65-year-old TV, Broadway and film actress was pronounced dead Monday after suffering a head trauma in the accident in Manhattan, the New York Police Department spokesman told AFP. Banes was struck as the two-wheeler […]

Tarzan actor Joe Lara among 7 presumed dead in US plane crash

    WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — All seven passengers aboard a plane, including Tarzan actor Joe Lara and his diet guru wife, are presumed dead after it crashed in a lake near the US city of Nashville, authorities said. The small business jet crashed at around 11:00 am local time on Saturday, shortly after taking off from the Smyrna, Tennessee airport for Palm Beach, Florida, Rutherford County Fire & Rescue (RCFR) said on Facebook. […]

Prince Harry and J-Lo lead ‘Vax Live’ concert in Los Angeles

  by Andrew MARSZAL Agence France Presse Britain’s Prince Harry joined pop royalty including Jennifer Lopez at a star-studded concert in Los Angeles Sunday to urge faster and more even global vaccinations, as he voiced support for India during its devastating Covid outbreak. “Vax Live: The Concert To Reunite The World” featured video messages from the pope and President Joe Biden and in-person appearances from Hollywood stars such as Ben Affleck and Sean Penn. The […]

PHL “Jukebox King” Victor Wood passes away at 75

  (Eagle News) – The country’s “Jukebox King” Victor Wood, one of the pillars of Philippine music, passed away on Friday, April 23. He was 75. The legendary singer of the 1970s who turned hit songs one after the other such as “I’m Sorry My Love,” “Eternally,” “Carmelita,” and a string of popular American songs, as well as Visayan and Filipino love songs, gained fame and popularity for his singing style, voice, and good looks. […]

Stalker-plagued Taylor Swift has break-in at New York home

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — An alleged stalker of pop superstar Taylor Swift was arrested after she suffered a break-in at her New York apartment, police said Monday. Hanks Johnson, 52, was charged with criminal trespassing after police responded to an emergency call on Saturday, reporting that someone was breaking into Swift’s home in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. Johnson was released on his own recognizance following an arraignment in Manhattan criminal court Sunday […]

EBC Films’ “Guerrero Dos” wins SoCal Film Award of Excellence for Best Feature film in the US

  (Eagle News) — EBC Films’ “Guerrero Dos: Tuloy ang Laban (The Fight Continues)” bagged the Award of Excellence for Best Feature film at this year’s SoCal Film awards in the United States. This is the film’s first win in a foreign filmfest.  It also came after “Guerrero Dos” became the Philippines’ official entry for Foreign Language Film at the 78th Golden Globe Awards. It also reached the official selection level at the 2020 Montreal […]

Beyonce breaks record for most Grammy wins by female artist

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Beyonce made Grammys history Sunday by becoming the winningest woman in the history of the music industry’s top awards gala, and its most decorated singer with 28 career wins. She secured the record after winning Best R&B Performance for her hit “Black Parade,” a single celebrating Black culture and activism that dropped in the wake of mass protests ignited by the death of George Floyd in police custody in […]

Taylor Swift wins Grammy for Album of the Year for ‘folklore’

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Pop powerhouse Taylor Swift won the Grammy for Album of the Year for “folklore,” her first of two quarantine records — the third time she has won the coveted trophy, putting her in rarefied company. Swift bested contenders including Post Malone, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, sister act Haim and the Black Pumas to win the award. Only three other artists have won Album of the Year three times — Stevie […]

H.E.R. wins Song of the Year Grammy

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The soulful 23-year-old R&B performer H.E.R. pulled an upset in scooping the Grammy for Song of the Year on Sunday for her justice-minded song “I Can’t Breathe,” which tackles Black pain and police brutality. The guitar virtuoso’s single — which debuted in June 2020 in the wake of mass anti-racism protests following the death in police custody of a Black man, George Floyd — bested competition from Taylor Swift, […]

No holds barred: Meghan and Harry’s historic interview

  by Thomas URBAIN, with Ben SHEPPARD in Washington Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Meghan Markle opened up about battling suicidal thoughts, Prince Harry disclosed a painful rift with his father — and both settled a fair few scores in their history-making interview with Oprah Winfrey. The gloves came off as the pair lifted the veil on their dramatic exit from royal life, holding little back as they alleged racism in […]

‘Minari’ wins Golden Globe for best foreign language film

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — “Minari,” the critically acclaimed story of a Korean-American family that moves to a farm in rural Arkansas in the 1980s, on Sunday won the Golden Globe for best foreign language film. It bested “Another Round” (Denmark), “La Llorona” (Guatemala, France), “The Life Ahead” (Italy) and “Two Of Us” (France, US). © Agence France-Presse