Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Hollywood action star Arnold Schwarzenegger is in a stable condition after undergoing emergency open-heart surgery, his representatives said Friday, adding that his first words on waking were “I’m back.” The 70-year-old actor turned activist — famous for the catchphrase “I’ll be back” — was …
Read More »US judge jails rapper DMX one year for tax fraud
New York, United States | AFP | A US federal judge on Wednesday sentenced troubled American rapper DMX, best known for his taunting song “Party Up (Up in Here),” to one year behind bars for tax fraud. The 47-year-old rapper and actor, real name Earl Simmons, pleaded guilty last November …
Read More »‘Pacific Rim’ dethrones ‘Black Panther’ in box office
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Smash-’em up blockbuster “Pacific Rim: Uprising” sent shockwaves through the North American box office this weekend, claiming the top spot with takings of $28 million, industry estimates showed Sunday. The action-packed sequel knocked “Black Panther” from number one after five straight weeks, according to …
Read More »Black Panther billions
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As expected, Panther” easily passed $1 billion worldwide when China opened to strong numbers. Overseas, the Marvel title now ranks above nearly all recent comic-book movie adaptations. It was expected to cross $600 million in North America. This year, not only is “Black Panther” …
Read More »YouTube follows Amazon into movie theaters
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | YouTube has announced it is making a movie in-house to be released in theaters, in a development seen as a step towards the model of new-media innovator Amazon. “Vulture Club,” which is in post-production, stars Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (“Dead Man Walking,” “Thelma …
Read More »‘Black Panther’ clings to lead, nears an all-time record
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Digging in its claws, “Black Panther” has clung to its box-office lead for a fifth straight weekend, taking in an estimated $27 million in North American theaters while fending off two new films, website Exhibitor Relations said Sunday. The Disney/Marvel superhero film has …
Read More »Drake breaks new streaming record – in video games
New York, United States | AFP | Hip-hop superstar Drake has broken a new record in streaming — this time in video games. The most streamed artist on Spotify, whose latest hit “God’s Plan” has spent the last seven weeks at number one on the US singles chart, made waves …
Read More »Rihanna hits Snapchat over beating ad, sending shares tumbling
New York, United States | AFP | Rihanna on Thursday denounced Snapchat after an advertisement made light of her beating by fellow pop star Chris Brown, sending the company’s share prices tumbling. The social media platform — which counts 187 million users, especially young people drawn to its quickly vanishing …
Read More »Jamaican singer sues Miley Cyrus over lyric
New York, UNITED STATES | AFP | A Jamaican artist has filed a $300 million lawsuit against pop star Miley Cyrus over her 2013 hit “We Can’t Stop,” saying a key lyric was snatched from him. On the track about exploring sexual and other personal freedom, Cyrus sings, “And we can’t …
Read More »Court threatens to dismiss Museveni’s case against two musicians
Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | Buganda Road Court Tuesday threatened to dismiss a case of offensive communication against two local Musicians; accused of disturbing the peace of President Museveni, since no witness is willing to testify to this effect. David Mugema and Jonathan Muwanguzi are alleged to have sung and produced a song titled “Mzee …
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