by Shaun TANDON Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The Grammy Awards opened Sunday with hip-hop being recognized like never before as rap superstar Jay-Z, who once boycotted the gala as biased, leads the nominations. The music industry’s biggest night, taking place in New York after 15 years in Los Angeles, also looks set to rally behind the #MeToo movement to end sexual harassment, with a number of A-listers wearing white roses […]
Entertainment
Out on a limb: Vanity Fair’s curious cover
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The latest cover of prestigious US magazine Vanity Fair features an annual photograph of Hollywood’s elite — with a twist. Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Robert de Niro, Nicole Kidman and other stars are grouped for the magazine’s “Hollywood Issue” in a photo lavishly retouched — but forgetting, it seems, to erase an extra leg. “Well…I guess everybody knows now…I have 3 legs,” Witherspoon joked on Twitter. “I […]
Moscow cinema stops showing ‘Death of Stalin’ after police raid
by Ola CICHOWLAS Agence France-Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — A Moscow cinema which screened British comedy “The Death of Stalin” in defiance of an official ban has announced that it will stop showing the film after a raid by Russian police on Friday. The culture ministry on Tuesday withdrew permission to screen British director Armando Iannucci’s film, which satirises the death of the dictator after Russian officials labelled it offensive and “extremist”. But Moscow cinema […]
Steven Spielberg to remake ‘West Side Story’
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — It’s one of the most beloved movies in musical cinema and now Steven Spielberg is giving “West Side Story” a makeover — except this time, he is recruiting Latino talent to play the lead roles. The original film version of Leonard Bernstein’s musical — Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” reimagined in the world of warring New York gangs — came out in 1961, winning 10 Oscars and captivating a generation […]
Snoop Dogg joins ‘Star Trek’ parody
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Gangsta rapper turned entertainment icon Snoop Dogg has joined the cast of long-gestating “Star Trek” parody “Unbelievable!!!!!,” the production announced on Thursday. The West Coast hip-hop legend will co-star as Major LeGrande Bushe opposite co-producer Nichelle Nichols, who played communications officer Nyota Uhura in the original NBC series and six of the movies. Snoop — real name Calvin Broadus — will also serve as an executive producer on the […]
Disney star arrested over armed robberies
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Former Disney actor Adam Hicks was behind bars on Thursday in connection with a series of early-morning armed street robberies in the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank, police said. Hicks, 25, who lives in Burbank, is best known for his work on the Disney XD series “Zeke and Luther,” and had roles in other projects made by the studio as well as in 2015 erotic thriller “The Boy Next […]
Nominees for the Grammy Awards
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Rap superstar Jay-Z leads the nominations for Sunday’s Grammy Awards with eight, followed by fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar at seven and retro R&B star Bruno Mars at six. Here is the list of nominees in major categories: Album of the Year Childish Gambino, “‘Awaken, My Love!’” Jay-Z, “4:44” Kendrick Lamar, “DAMN.” Lorde, “Melodrama” Bruno Mars, “24K Magic” Record of the Year, recognizing overall performance on a song Childish Gambino, […]
Meryl Streep joins HBO’s ‘Big Little Lies’ season two
NEW YORK, United States (AFP0 — Meryl Streep will join the cast of “Big Little Lies” season two, US cable network HBO announced Wednesday, generating another boost for a hit drama already basking in awards glory. The triple Oscar winner will star opposite Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman in the second edition of a show that won plaudits for tackling domestic violence at a time when US society is increasingly focused on its treatment of […]
Elton John to ‘go out with a bang’ on final tour
by Shaun Tandon Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Elton John announced Wednesday that he is retiring from touring, with the consummate showman saying he wants to devote himself to his children — but after a final, massive swing around the world. The 70-year-old British entertainer, revealing his plans at a gala New York event, said he planned to “go out with a bang” with a global tour that will open on September […]
Enrique Iglesias sues label over streaming revenue
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Pop star Enrique Iglesias on Wednesday accused his former label Universal of short-changing artists while benefiting from the soaring growth of streaming as he filed a lawsuit for breach of contract. “Universal has been systematically underpaying Iglesias’ streaming royalties by calculating those royalties at a small fraction of the contractually required 50 percent royalty rate,” said the lawsuit filed in Miami, where Iglesias lives. The lawsuit alleged that the 42-year-old […]
Hindu queen film releases in India amid high security
MUMBAI, India (AFP) — A controversial Indian movie that has angered Hindu extremists finally opens on Thursday amid heightened security owing to fears of widespread riots. Police are on high alert across several states after protesters pledged to disrupt the release of “Padmaavat,” a Bollywood epic about a mythical Hindu queen. Radical groups say the film will portray queen Padmavati falsely, a claim producers vehemently deny, and have threatened to attack any cinema that shows it. Violent […]
Gladys Reyes and Christopher Roxas renew vows, celebrate 25 years as a couple
(Eagle News) –Celebrities Gladys Reyes and Christopher Roxas renewed their wedding vows as they celebrated their 25 years as a couple and their 14th year as husband and wife at the Iglesia Ni Cristo house of worship in Tagaytay City on Tuesday, January 23. Reception followed at Fernwood Garden in Tagaytay which was well-attended by family, relatives and friends, including celebrities who have expressed admiration for the couple’s love and faith in God through the […]





