New York, United States | AFP | Rap superstar Kanye West is back nearly a year after suffering a breakdown — making a brief musical appearance in which he appears to keep his feud with Taylor Swift alive. West, a once omnipresent celebrity with a prolific media presence and high-profile marriage …
Read More »Netflix cancels flagship series ‘House of Cards’
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | The next season of Netflix’s award-winning “House of Cards” will be the last, a spokesman said Monday, as the series reeled over sexual misconduct allegations against its star Kevin Spacey. The 58-year-old double Oscar winner, who plays ruthless President Francis Underwood in the hit …
Read More »Workplace harassment not just a Hollywood problem
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | The Weinstein revelations have once again shone a light on Hollywood’s seedy underbelly — but rampant sexual harassment in the workplace is hardly confined to the glamorous world of show business. From the cleaning industry to the corporate world, a common thread is …
Read More »#MeToo: Sexual abuse stories around the world pour out on social media
Washington, United States | AFP | Celebrities and everyday people flooded social media with personal accounts of sexual assault and harassment Monday, responding to calls to break the culture of silence around such abuse. The massive global response was triggered by allegations recently made public against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, …
Read More »Men dominate American Music Awards nominations
New York, United States | AFP | Bruno Mars, Drake and Ed Sheeran led nominations Thursday for the American Music Awards, where for the first time no women were vying for the top prize. In the televised gala, set for November 19 in Los Angeles, winners are determined by fan voting, …
Read More »Weinstein scandal envenoms US political feuds
Washington, United States | AFP | The sexual assault accusations against Harvey Weinstein have seeped into America’s partisan politics, with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton accused of waiting too long to disavow their friend and party donor. The politicization of the scandal came as the Hollywood producer faced claims he raped …
Read More »Hollywood mogul Weinstein fired over sex harassment claims
New York, United States | AFP | Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was fired from his film studio The Weinstein Company following reports he sexually harassed women for decades, as Hollywood stood accused Monday of protecting one of its own despite a pattern of misconduct. The firing came three days after a …
Read More »Record 92 countries vying for foreign language Oscar
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | A record 92 countries have entered the race hoping to snag an Oscar for best foreign language film at next year’s awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday. Among the contenders that have created a buzz this year is …
Read More »With Hefner gone, Playboy’s impact on women still has people talking
Washington, United States | AFP | Playboy degraded women, it empowered women. It liberated them, and objectified them. The legacy of the iconic magazine founded six decades ago by Hugh Hefner, who died Wednesday at 91, remains a topic of heated debate, especially its impact on women. Playboy brought nudity into …
Read More »Netflix to spend Can$500 mln to make films, TV shows in Canada
Ottawa, Canada | AFP | Netflix will spend Can$500 million (US$400 million) over the next five years to make original films and television shows in Canada, the company and Heritage Minister Melanie Joly announced Thursday. This amounts to about five percent of the video streaming service’s estimated total US$7 billion production …
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