United News of Bangladesh

The suspects in the foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna earlier this month sought to kill “tens of thousands” of fans before the CIA discovered intelligence that disrupted the planning and led to arrests, the agency's deputy director said. The CIA notified Austrian authorities of the scheme, which allegedly included links to the Islamic State group. The intelligence and subsequent arrests ultimately led to the cancellation of three sold-out Eras Tour shows, devastating fans who had traveled across the globe to see Swift in concert. CIA Deputy Director David Cohen addressed the failed plot during the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit, held this week in Maryland. Taylor Swift's Eras tour returns in London, with assist from Ed Sheeran, after foiled terror plot “They were plotting to kill a huge number — tens of thousands of people at this concert, including I am sure many Americans — and were quite advanced in this," Cohen said Wednesday. “The Austrians were able to make those arrests because the agency and our partners in the intelligence community provided them information about what this ISIS-connected group was planning to do.” Austrian officials said the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man, was inspired by the Islamic State group. He allegedly planned to attack outside the stadium, where upwards of 30,000 fans were expected to gather, with knives or homemade explosives. Another 65,000 fans were likely to be inside the venue. Investigators discovered chemical substances and technical devices during a raid of the suspect's home. Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner, previously said help from other intelligence agencies was needed because Austrian investigators, unlike some foreign services, can’t legally monitor text messages. The 19-year-old’s lawyer has said the allegations were “overacting at its best,” and contended Austrian authorities were “presenting this exaggeratedly” in order to get new surveillance powers. Swift broke her silence about the cancellations last week after her London shows had concluded. “Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.” Taylor Swift kicks off UK Eras shows as some fans wonder if singer is ready to say 'So long, London' She thanked authorities — “thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she wrote — and said she waited to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour concluded to prioritize safety. “Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote. Concert organizer Barracuda Music said it canceled the three-night Vienna run that would have begun Aug. 8 because the arrests made in connection to the conspiracy were too close to showtime. The main suspect and a 17-year-old were taken into custody on Aug. 6, the day before the cancellations were announced. A third suspect, 18, was arrested Aug. 8. Their names have not been released in line with Austrian privacy rules. The shows in London, the next stop after Vienna, came on the heels of a stabbing at a Swift-themed dance class that left three little girls dead in the U.K. In a statement issued after the Southport attack, Swift said she was “just completely in shock” and “at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.” News outlets reported that Swift met with some of the survivors backstage in London. The Vienna plot also drew comparisons to a 2017 attack by a suicide bomber at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people. The bomb detonated at the end of Grande’s concert as thousands of young fans were leaving, becoming the deadliest extremist attack in the United Kingdom in recent years. Cohen on Wednesday praised the CIA's work in preventing the planned violence, saying that other counterterrorism “successes” in foiling plots typically go unheralded. Taylor Swift fan dies at Rio concert as fans complain about high temperatures and lack of water “I can tell you within my agency, and I'm sure in others, there were people who thought that was a really good day for Langley,” he said, referring to the CIA headquarters. “And not just the Swifties in my workforce.” The record-smashing tour is on hiatus until the fall.  

 Tuesday marks the 48th death anniversary of Bangladesh’s national poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam, who was unanimously revered as the rebel poet’ and a pioneer for his enormous contributions to Bengali literature. However, even after 52 years of independence and 47 years after his passing, the benevolent poet is yet to be gazetted as the ‘National Poet’ of Bangladesh, pointed out by several Nazrul-Sangeet artists, scholars, and enthusiasts who demanded the declaration of Nazrul as the ‘National Poet’ of the country. Commemorating the life and works of the great poet, people from all walks of life, including his family members, and different educational, social, cultural, and political organisations paid floral tributes to the poet’s tomb beside the Dhaka University central mosque on Tuesday. Different cultural institutions, including Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and Bangla Academy, placed floral wreaths on the poet’s graveyard on Tuesday. Bangla Academy held a seminar and cultural event at the academy in the morning; however, many other cultural institutions, including BSA and Chhayanaut, have been unable to hold commemorative events on the poet’s 48th death anniversary due to the recent flood disaster and the state of reformation in the country. Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, and different television channels-radio stations are broadcasting special programmes marking the 48th death anniversary of the poet, including drama, musical shows, and discussions. The President of the newly independent republic of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, invited Kazi Nazrul Islam to settle in Dhaka on May 24, 1972, with the permission of the Government of India. In 1972, the Bangladeshi government announced him as the ‘National Poet’; however, no formal gazette was released in response to the announcement. During his stay in Bangladesh in February 1976, he was conferred Bangladeshi citizenship and an Honorary D.Litt. from the University of Dhaka in 1974, as well as the Ekushey Padak in 1976. Demanding the official gazette on Nazrul’s status as the ‘National Poet’, renowned Nazrul singer Salahuddin Ahmed said, "His status as our ‘National Poet’ is general knowledge; however, no official notification or any other document regarding declaring Kazi Nazrul Islam as the national poet has been found anywhere, which is very shameful for our nation.”  Emphasising the importance of such official recognition, prominent Nazrul singer Ferdous Ara said, “Certifications and official documentation are required to establish any claim. A formal recognition is essential to secure Nazrul’s legacy and status as our great national poet.”Born in Churulia village of Bardhawan in West Bengal, India, in 1899, Kazi Nazrul Islam had a brief 21-year literary career, during which he produced 2,600 songs, 600 poems, three books, and 43 essays, according to the Kabi Nazrul Institute. Within a few years of beginning his military service in the British Army in 1917, Nazrul embarked on his literary career. He wrote his cult classic poetry "Bidrohi" (The Rebel) in 1921 and founded "Dhumketu" (The Comet), a monthly journal, in 1922. Due to his frequent nationalist involvement in the Indian Independence Movement, Nazrul found himself in the clutches of colonial British authorities. Freedom, humanity, love, and revolution are recurring themes throughout Nazrul's remarkable literary creations, and his works later inspired the Bengali netizens during the 1971 liberation war. Nazrul also published short stories, novels, and essays, although his songs and poems have received the most praise from critics. He is renowned for his liberal use of Arabic and Persian terms in his writings and for popularising Bengali Ghazal melodies. He invented his musical genre known as "Nazrul Geeti," which consists of almost 4,000 songs he penned and composed the music for, many of which were released on vinyl and HMV records.When Nazrul was 43 years old and suffering from an unidentified illness, he started to lose his voice and his memory. His condition was later discovered to be "Pick's disease," a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disease, by a medical team in Vienna. The revered poet breathed his last on August 29, 1976 (12 Bhadra of Bangla calendar year 1383) at the then PG Hospital (now Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital), in Dhaka. He was buried with state honour beside the Dhaka University central mosque.

Oasis, the Britpop band known for timeless hits like “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” is reuniting for a tour of the British Isles next summer, ending a 15-year hiatus and, presumably, the long-held feud between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. The guitar band will play 14 dates in Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland next July and August, Oasis said on Tuesday. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday. “This is it. This is happening,″ the band said. Oasis split in 2009 after many years of infighting, with Noel Gallagher officially leaving the band just before a performance at a festival near Paris. Even before the dissolution, the brothers had long had an antagonistic relationship and reportedly did not speak to each other for years after the breakup. “People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer,” Noel Gallagher, the band’s guitarist and songwriter, wrote in a statement at the time. While the Gallagher brothers haven’t performed together since, both regularly perform Oasis songs at their solo gigs. They’ve also each fired off criticisms of the other in the press. Noel Gallagher accused his younger brother of having a hangover that forced them to cancel a 2009 concert. The frontman disputed the accusation and sued, later dropping the lawsuit. But now the brothers are preparing to reunite, with the band saying fans would experience “the spark and intensity” that occurs only when they appear on stage together. The tour will begin July 4 and 5 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Oasis will also perform at Heaton Park in Manchester, England, on July 11, 12, 19 and 20; Wembley Stadium in London on July 25 and 26 and Aug. 2 and 3; Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on Aug. 8 and 9; and Croke Park in Dublin on Aug. 16 and 17. The band alluded to past tensions in the tour announcement. “The guns have fallen silent,” Oasis said. “The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.” In 2011, Noel Gallagher told The Associated Press in an interview that he left the band after an incident where Liam Gallagher started wielding a guitar “like an axe ... and he’s swinging this guitar around and he kind of you know, he took my face off with it, you know?” In 2019, Liam Gallagher told the AP he was ready to reconcile. “The most important thing is about me and him being brothers,” he said. “He thinks I’m desperate to get the band back together for money. But I didn’t join the band to make money. I joined the band to have fun and to see the world.” “I don’t know what his problem is,” he continued. “I think he just wanted to go away and do his solo career, get all the coin and be surrounded by all the yes men you can fire and hire whenever he wants. You can’t do that with me.” With the announcement, the Britpop progenitors ended a few days of fan speculation. A short video on the band’s social media accounts Sunday night had revealed the date “27.08.24,” and time “8 a.m.,” written in the same font as the well-known Oasis logo. The brothers shared the same to their individual accounts. Of course, fans have long theorized a reunion might be on the horizon: In the wake of the 2017 bombing that killed 22 at an Ariana Grande concert in Oasis’ hometown of Manchester, Liam Gallagher performed at a benefit concert that fueled speculation of a reunion. He criticized his brother’s absence, but a spokesperson said Noel Gallagher couldn’t attend because of a longstanding family trip. Benefit organizers said Noel Gallagher approved the use of Oasis’ music and donated royalties from “Don’t Look Back In Anger” to the British Red Cross’ One Love Manchester fund. Later that year, Liam Gallagher tweeted at his brother, leading some to believe they made up: “I wanna say Happy Xmas to team NG it’s been a great year thanks for everything looking forward to seeing you tomorrow AS YOU WERE LG x” Prior to Tuesday’s announcement, Oasis was already teed up to release a new collection, “Definitely Maybe - Deluxe 30th Anniversary Editions,” celebrating the anniversary of their debut album. Rumors of a potential reunion were amplified this past weekend when Liam Gallagher responded on social media to unconfirmed reports of the band playing London’s Wembley Stadium and Manchester’s Heaton Park. When one social media user criticized Heaton Park, the Manchester native wrote, “See you down the front,” calling the user a vulgarity. In another stand-alone post on X, he teased, “I never did like that word FORMER.” “You tell me man,” Liam Gallagher replied. He also responded to several negative tweets about the potential reunion with “Your attitude sucks” and “SHUTUP.” Noel Gallagher, on the other hand, remained silent other than posting the teasers.

At a time when Bangladesh is celebrating its first-ever Test win over Pakistan and overall 20th win in the format, record-breaking all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is standing in a judiciary crossroad - and netizens including his teammates and other celebrities are showcasing support towards him. The former top position holder in the ICC Men’s All-Rounder list and former National Parliament member from Awami League, who was criticized and trolled for not speaking out in support of the student-led mass uprising, has recently been accused of killing garment worker Md Rubel. A case was filed at the Adabar Police Station on August 22 against Shakib Al Hasan, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Obaidul Quader and 156 named and 400-500 unidentified people. This is seemingly jeopardizing Shakib Al Hasan’s future with Bangladesh Cricket, although Shakib’s inclusion in the murder case seemed confusing to netizens from all walks of life. Eminent music director Prince Mahmud who has been vocal about many social issues, came up with a handful of questions regarding the issue on his Facebook: “Shakib Al Hasan is accused of murder? Was the case intentionally made simpler by doing this? What is the intention? The true offenders remain disconnected. Are these cases being set up to cover up the actual offenders who are denouncing this regime both domestically and internationally? How was someone charged with murder when he was not in the country at the time of the movement?” Development professional and communications expert Tony Michael wrote: “One of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, Shakib Al Hasan, has been found guilty of murder. I believe that after Dr Muhammad Yunus, Shakib Al Hasan is the most renowned and respected Bangladeshi person that the world knows. Every Shakib hater in Bangladesh thinks, in my opinion, that the case against Shakib Al Hasan is fabricated, even if they don't actively discuss it on social media during their tea-time gossip.” Several of Shakib’s present and former teammates also wrote on their social handles, in support of him. Cricketer Mahedi Hasan wrote: “For 17 years, Bangladesh has been represented in the international arena by a cricket player I know, named Shakib Al Hasan. He has brought attention to our nation on a global scale today. Only Allah knows what’s happening and he is the greatest planner, hopefully, he planned the best for Shakib bhai as well.” Echoing the same, cricketer Sabbir Rahman wrote: “Shakib Al Hasan - the person through whom the world of cricket recognizes and respects Bangladesh. My respect and love will remain for you always.” Cricketer Anamul Haque Bijoy wrote: “Shakib bhai your contribution to cricket in Bangladesh is undeniable. You have taken Bangladesh cricket to an incredible height on the world map. We are all with you. InShaAllah this darkness will pass. I say this loud and clear that you are innocent, and may Allah bless you.” Shakib’s former teammate Rubel Hossain wrote: “Undoubtedly one of Bangladesh's unluckiest politicians, having spent nearly most of his 6-7 months term abroad. As a member of parliament, you have lost more than gained. I am with you, all the Bangladeshi cricketers are with you. Cricket suits you Shakib, not politics.” Sara Hossain, unpaid executive director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), has recently said that an influx of cases has been seen for two weeks. “Some of these cases have 30, 40 and more than 50 accused. Many may have anger and resentment, but filing such cases will not work, and will not last - will not even pass the first step. These cases are questioning the movement, and these must be stopped.”

The current flood situation in Cumilla, Feni, Noakhali, Chattogram, Khagrachhari, and Moulvibazar, have raised significant concerns among netizens across the nation, including celebrities from the country’s entertainment industry. Several prominent cultural personalities have shared useful information, thoughts and prayers for those hit hardest, while some of them joined rescue missions in person or have started sending resources through their teams. Popular filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki wrote on his Facebook: “Let’s think that we are at war; what would we do? We all would have jumped together. Then let's do it again. Brothers and sisters of the Navy, Army and Air Force, let's step up. Rescue boat, cargo aircraft--whatever is there, let’s speed up the rescue mission.” Nearly 1.8 million people affected by flood in 6 districts “From what I’ve heard, people need rescue boats at this moment. Rescuing millions of people is a Herculean task, but let’s do it,” Farooki added, while concluding with “No one can break us.” As social media is also being flooded with multiple narratives from netizens, music director Prince Mahmud requested not to share fake news or old photos. “Feni itself has more volunteers against requirements. Only, rescue/safety equipment, motorized boats and food are required. Don’t go all together now to rescue, especially those who don’t know how to swim because it will be counterproductive. A lot of volunteers will be needed for various renovation work and health services after the water recedes, so be prepared.” Renowned filmmaker Amitabh Reza Chowdhury wrote, “Bangladesh has never seen a flood like this. Stand up instead of telling others to stand up. Don’t panic, organize. Help the government bodies.” Young singer-social worker Tasrif Khan, known for his previous attempts to actively rescue flood victims in Sylhet, has once again geared up and is currently travelling to Feni from Lakshmipur with influencer Mashrur Enan, popularly known as “Keto Bhai,” with two speedboats to rescue the flood victims. Both of them posted on Facebook that they are willing to work in several shifts from noon to night, in liaison with the army and navy. Rising Gomti River water leaves thousands in distress in Cumilla “Mohanagar” series-famed director Ashfaque Nipun wrote, “Whatever we have, we all should utilize them to rescue children and thousands more from the flood-hit Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali, and Khagrachhari. May Allah help all these people.” Television actor-model Irfan Sajjad posted on his Facebook, asking, “Are there any skilled rescue teams who can rescue the flood victims by helicopter? I want to provide all sorts of support including renting helicopter.” Several other celebrities from the entertainment industry, including actors Shabnoor, Aupee Karim, Pori Moni, Safa Kabir, Sabila Nur, Mahiya Mahi, Q Nawshaba Ahmed, Mehazabien Chowdhury, Azmeri Haque Badhon, Tanven Sweety, Rafiath Rashid Mithila, Zahara Mitu, Chanchal Chowdhury, Ziaul Faruq Apurba, Yash Rohan, Khairul Basar; social media influencer Salman Muqtadir; writer Sadat Hossain; lyricist Latiful Islam Shibli; cartoonist Morshed Mishu; directors Raihan Rafi, Shihab Shaheen, Redoan Rony; bands and musicians and many others have posted and shared valuable information on their social media. Besides, several groups including the Visual Artistes' Society, Get Up and Stand Up (Bangladesh Musical Artists' Society) and others have shared bKash and Nagad numbers where netizens can donate money for the flood victims.

After a relationship that spanned two decades, two engagements, two weddings and headlines too numerous to count, Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from Ben Affleck. The filing Tuesday in Los Angeles brought to an apparent end a celebrity coupling — or at least the second installment of it — that dazzled from the very heights of the pop culture firmament and emblazoned countless tabloid covers. The pair became known, even before such power-couple portmanteaus were ubiquitous, as “Bennifer.” Court records showed Lopez filed the petition Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The news was first reported by the TMZ website. TMZ reported further that Lopez listed the date of separation as April 26, 2024. It added that she did not mention any prenuptial agreement. After meeting, falling in love and getting engaged in the early 2000s — and starring together in 2003’s infamous “Gigli” and 2004’s “Jersey Girl” — the couple parted ways, blaming in part the pressure of the public eye. But to the delight of many and perhaps the skepticism of others, they reunited two decades later and married — twice — in 2022. “Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient,” wrote Lopez, announcing their first, quickie Las Vegas wedding that July, and signing off as Jennifer Lynn Affleck. “Stick around long enough and maybe you’ll find the best moment of your life in a drive through in Las Vegas at 12:30 in the morning in the tunnel of love drive through with your kids and the one you’ll spend forever with,” she wrote in her newsletter. The couple had flown to Las Vegas, lined up with their license with four other couples and were wed just after midnight at A Little White Wedding Chapel, where Lopez said a Bluetooth speaker played their brief march down the aisle. She called it the best night of the couple’s lives. A month later, they had a much grander wedding at Affleck’s house in Georgia, in front of friends and family. Both of them had been previously married. Affleck, 52, married Jennifer Garner, with whom he shares three children, in 2005. They divorced in 2018. Lopez, 55, had been married three times before. She was briefly married to Ojani Noa from 1997-1998 and to Cris Judd from 2001-2003. She and singer Marc Anthony were married for a decade, having wed in 2004, and share 14-year-old twins. She started dating former baseball player Alex Rodriguez in 2017, but the couple called off their engagement in 2021. All along, it had been Lopez who was more vocal in describing her and Affleck’s journey. When asked earlier this year whether she was harder on herself because her relationships had been so high-profile, Lopez agreed. “Oh yeah. 100%. It’s made me doubt myself and really feel bad about myself at times. Made me feel like I wanted to quit at times. But at the end of the day, I feel like you kind of have to do this thing where you learn how to navigate it,” she told The Associated Press. “You take the things that could be constructive about that and use it, and the rest you kind of just throw away as kind of like haterations or, you know, other things like that and just be like, ‘Whatever. I know who I am, I know what I want to do.’ ” Affleck himself expressed admiration for her self-possession, telling the AP last year that he agreed with the idea that Hollywood was unsure how to capitalize on her wide-ranging talent. “I think she’s in her prime,” Affleck said then. “She’s doing extraordinary work in large measure because she’s taking that step to take responsibility for what she’s doing rather than say, ‘This is what I’m being offered.’ ” Lopez is starring in the upcoming “Unstoppable,” under Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity banner. In May, she starred in the Netflix movie “Atlas.” At the end of the month, she suddenly canceled her 2024 North American tour, saying she was “heartsick and devastated” to be letting fans down but the move was necessary. “Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends,” organizers said in a statement. The tour was to be her first in five years, in support of her first solo album in a decade, “This Is Me.... Now” and its companion film. a fictionalized look at her long love life, and a documentary. “When I was a girl they’d ask me what I’d be. A woman in love is what I grew up wantin’ to be,” Lopez sang on the title track. The album, she said, was inspired by her rekindled relationship with Affleck. But the film was more “about your journey as a person, it’s about one person’s journey and what it takes to get from heartbreak back to love. Or a hopeless romantic’s journey in their search for love.” In the movie, she played a character called The Artist who, similarly, had decided as a child what she wanted to be when she grew up: “in love.” But the road was rocky. In an early scene, The Artist is on the back of a motorcycle, riding across a beach, with a hunky man, face shielded. Then the motorcycle crashes. “Not all love stories have a happy ending,” she says.

Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor who embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world, died at age 88, French media reported. With his handsome looks and tender manner, the prolific actor was able to combine toughness with an appealing, vulnerable quality that made him one of France’s memorable leading men. Delon was also a producer. He also appeared in plays, and in later years, in television movies. French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute on X to “a French monument." “Alain Delon has played legendary roles and made the world dream,” he wrote. “Melancholic, popular, secretive, he was more than a star.” Delon's children announced the death on Sunday in a statement to the French national news agency Agence France-Presse, a common practice in France. Tributes to Delon immediately started pouring in on social platforms, and all leading French media switched to full-fledged coverage of his rich career. Earlier this year, his son Anthony had said his father had been diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer. Over the past year, Delon's fragile health condition had been at the heart of a family dispute over his care that gave rise to bitter exchanges through the media among his three children. At the prime of his career, in the 1960s and 1970s, Delon was sought out by some of the world’s top directors, from Luchino Visconti to Joseph Losey. In his later years, Delon grew disillusioned with the movie industry, saying that money had killed the dream. “Money, commerce and television have wrecked the dream machine,” he wrote in a 2003 edition of the newsweekly, Le Nouvel Observateur. “My cinema is dead. And me, too.” But he continued to work frequently, appearing in several TV movies in his 70s. Delon’s presence was unforgettable, whether playing morally depraved heroes or romantic leading men. He first drew acclaim in 1960 with “Plein Soleil,” directed by Réne Clément, in which he played a murderer trying to take on the identity of his victims. Brazilian entertaining legend Silvio Santos dies at 93 He made several Italian movies, working, most notably with Visconti in the 1961 film “Rocco and His Brothers,” in which Delon portrays a self-sacrificing brother intent on helping his sibling. The movie won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. The 1963 Visconti film “Le Guepard” (The Leopard) starring Delon won the Palme d’Or, the highest honor at the Cannes Film Festival. His other films included Clément’s “Is Paris Burning,” with a screenplay by Gore Vidal and Francis Ford Coppola among others; “La Piscine” (The Sinners), directed by Jacques Deray; and, in a departure, Losey’s “The Assassination of Trotsky” in 1972. In 1968, Delon began producing movies — 26 of them by 1990 — part of a frenzied and self-assured momentum that he maintained throughout his life.   His confidence was palpable in his statement to Femme in 1996, ‘I like to be loved the way I love myself!’ This echoed his charismatic screen persona. Delon continued to captivate audiences for years — on the way courting criticism for comments deemed outdated. In 2010, he appeared in “Un mari de trop” (“One Husband Too Many”) and returned to the stage in 2011 with “An Ordinary Day,” alongside his daughter Anouchka. He briefly presided over the Miss France jury but stepped down in 2013 after a disagreement over some controversial statements, which included critiques on women, LGBTQIA+ rights, and migrants. Despite these controversies, he received a Palme d’Honneur at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, a decision that sparked further debate. The Cannes Film Festival on Sunday expressed its “sadness.” Delon “embodied French cinema far beyond its borders,” it said, in a statement. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation, dedicated to animal protection, paid tribute to “an exceptional man, an unforgettable artist and a great friend of animals,” in a statement released on social media. Delon was “a close friend” of French film legend Brigitte Bardot “who is deeply saddened by his passing,” the statement said. “We lose a precious friend and a man with a big heart.” French film producer Alain Terzian said Delon was “the last of the giants.” Shannen Doherty, ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ star, dies at 53 “It’s a page being turned in the history of French cinema,” he told France Inter radio. Terzian, who produced several films directed by Delon, recalled that “every time he arrived somewhere ... there was a kind of almost mystical, quasi-religious respect. He was fascinating.” Born on Nov. 8, 1935, in Sceaux, just south of Paris, Delon was placed with a foster family after his parents’ separation when he was 4. He then attended a Roman Catholic boarding school. At 17, Delon joined the navy and was sent to Indochina. Back in France in 1956, he held various odd jobs from waiter to a carrier in the Paris meat market before turning to acting. Delon had a son, Anthony, in 1964 with his then-wife Nathalie Canovas, who played alongside him in Jean-Pierre Melville’s “The Samurai” in 1967. He had two more children, Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, with a later companion, Rosalie van Breemen, with whom he produced a song and video clip in 1987. He was also widely believed to have been the father of Ari Boulogne, the son of German model and singer Nico, although he never publicly acknowledged paternity. “I am very good at three things: my job, foolishness and children,” he said in a 1995 L’Express interview. Delon juggled diverse activities throughout his life, from setting up a stable of trotting horses to developing cologne for men and women, followed by watches, glasses and other accessories. He also collected paintings and sculptures. Delon announced an end to his acting career in 1999, only to continue, appearing in Bertrand Blier’s “Les Acteurs” (The Actors) the same year. Later he appeared in several television police shows. His good looks sustained him. In August 2002, Delon told a weekly magazine, L’Humanite Hebdo, that he wouldn’t still be in the business if that weren’t so. “You’ll never see me old and ugly,” he said when he was already nearing 70, “because I’ll leave before, or I’ll die.” However, it was in 2019 that Delon encapsulated his feelings about his life’s meaning during a gala event honoring him at the Cannes Film Festival. “One thing I’m sure about is that if there’s something I’m proud of, really, the only thing, it’s my career.”  

Silvio Santos, a Brazilian television executive and presenter known for his beaming smile and catchphrase “Who wants money?” has died after a decades-long career in the spotlight. He was 93. Santos owned the television network SBT and created several variety shows. The most famous of them carried his name, which he hosted since 1963, and in recent years had aired on Sunday nights. It is one of Brazil’s longest running television programs. Santos brought several other successful programs to his network, such as “Show of the Million” and the reality show "Artists’ House.” “Today heaven is happy with the arrival of our beloved Silvio Santos. He lived 93 years to bring happiness and love to all Brazilians. … That wide smile and familiar voice will forever be remembered with much gratitude,” the SBT network said in a statement Saturday on social media. The cause of death was not disclosed. He had been reportedly admitted to a hospital in recent weeks. His passing will change weekends in millions of Brazilian homes that have tuned in to the “Silvio Santos Program” and were welcomed by its opening jingle: “Here comes Silvio Santos!” He folded airplanes of cash and tossed them over the crowd during his show, some episodes of which extended for as long as 10 hours. He constantly interacted with audience members and — with a custom microphone attached to his collar -- was free to wave his hands in the air. Even into his 90s, he continued dying his hair brown, adding to the agelessness he exuded. His well-groomed hair became another of his trademarks. In 2013, Forbes magazine compared him to Oprah Winfrey and movie directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Santos was known universally by his stage name, though he was born Senor Abravanel in the raucous Lapa neighborhood of downtown Rio de Janeiro. As an adolescent, he sold pens and plastic sleeves for electoral identification cards and did tricks with coins and playing cards. So engaging were his sales pitches that they led to an offer to audition to be a radio host. He bounced from station to station in Rio and after a stint in the military finally found media success in Sao Paulo. His first television job came in the early 1960s with the Globo network, at the time called TV Paulista, where the “Silvio Santos Program” was later born. About a decade later, he acquired his first television concession and set out to build an empire. He founded SBT, which by 2021 was the third most-watched network among the country’s 214 million people. Not all of his quips landed well. He was repeatedly accused of misogyny for comments about women’s appearances or that caused discomfort. On at least two occasions, he declined to embrace female starlets on his show, saying he didn’t want to get “excited.” In 2016, he asked a 5-year-old girl on air whether she preferred sex, drugs or money. But, as owner of his own network, he never faced any punishment. Santos also had ventures in cosmetics, hotels and even a bank. Forbes estimated Santos’ net worth from 30 companies to be 2 billion reais (about $380 million) in 2020. His broad appeal — not to mention his control over airwaves — at times drew the attention of political parties that proposed putting him up as a candidate for office. He tested the waters in 1989, with the launch of a presidential campaign, but the electoral authority barred his candidacy due to his ownership of a television network. Still, he remained close to politicians, and kept a program on air for 15 years titled “The President’s Week." It exhibited positive things the leader had accomplished set to a soundtrack of trumpets and drums. It lauded the achievements of the last general who commanded Brazil during the dictatorship, João Figueiredo, up to Fernando Henrique Cardoso toward the turn of the century. Later, Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff participated in a documentary about Santos shown in 2021, in honor of SBT’s 40th anniversary. One of his sons-in-law, Fabio Faria, became the minister of communications under President Jair Bolsonaro's administration. In January 2022, Faria posted on Instagram a black-and-white video showing Santos’ career that was narrated by the presenter himself. "I’m just a street peddler in a suit and tie selling my products, selling the ads, the programs,” the presenter said in the video. “I also believe that it’s the voice, that there is something inexplicable about it. Because it’s the voice that touches the viewer, touches you who are on the other side.” Santos is survived by his wife, Iris Abravanel, and six daughters.

Taylor Swift’s history-making Eras Tour made a triumphant return, accompanied by Ed Sheeran, in London Thursday night. He joined the headliner on stage at Wembley Stadium for the acoustic section, playing on two of their collaborations, “Everything Has Changed” and “Endgame,” before a burst of Sheeran’s hit “Thinking Out Loud.” Swift teased the audience before his appearance, which lead to loud screaming from an audience that had already been energetically singing, dancing and doing heart hands throughout the show. Sheeran’s appearance was one of the highlights of the finely-honed stage spectacular and musical celebration of Swift’s career to date. It’s been tough few weeks for the singer and tour. Heartbreak remains after the death of three young fans in Southport, northern England, who were killed by an attacker at their Swift themed dance class. And fear followed the foiled plan to attack her concert venue in Austria, where police arrested three Islamic State-inspired extremists. The August shows in Vienna were canceled, making Thursday’s Wembley concert the return of the Eras Tour to the stage. Neither were addressed on stage by Swift, who kicked things off with an “Oh hi London,” and admitted her “mind went blank” when she first greeted the crowd, which she likened to a “love system overload.” She thanked the 92,000-strong audience for making the effort to attend, which had involved increased security measures. Swift has four remaining dates at Wembley Stadium, which will make it a record breaking solo residency at the venue and round out the European leg of The Eras Tour. It picks up again in Toronto in November. The enthusiasm of Swift’s fans and a set list that includes more than 40 songs from all phases of her career have helped make the Eras Tour the biggest revenue earner of all time. According to Pollstar, which collects data on the live music industry, it took more than $1 billion in ticket sales last year. The tour is expected to push that record to more than $2 billion before it ends later this year in Indianapolis.  

Continuously setting new benchmarks in web entertainment, Amazon Prime Video dazzles with its films, series, and shows. Known for its genre-rich content, this OTT (over-the-top) platform specializes in blending cultural diversity with innovation. Whether it's thrilling action, reality shows, or insightful documentaries, the streamer keeps viewers hooked. Audiences keep returning for the diverse offerings and the excitement of discovering something new with every release. Let’s dive into the September lineup of Prime Video Originals to discover why they shouldn’t be missed. Must-Watch Amazon Prime Original Content Being Released This September Call Me Bae | Comedy Drama Series | September 6, 2024 With Karan Johar, Somen Mishra, and Apoorva Mehta at the helm as executive producers, this new Hindi series radiates star-studded prestige. Led by Ananya Panday, the cast also features Gurfateh Pirzada, Vir Das, Varun Sood, Muskkaan Jaferi, Vihaan Samat, Mini Mathur, Niharika Lyra Dutt, and Lisa Mishra. This eight-episode saga has been created by Ishita Moitra and brought to life by director Collin D’Cunha. Co-written by Ishita Moitra, Samina Motlekar, and Rohit Nair, ‘Call Me Bae’ follows Bae, a former heiress thrust into the gritty hustle of Mumbai after a scandal. It explores Bae's journey from riches to resilience as she discovers that her true wealth lies in her savvy and style. Read more: September 2024 Netflix English Originals: Must-watch Films, Series, and Shows Como Cazar A Un Monstruo | Crime Docuseries | September 6, 2024 Lluis Gros, sentenced to 23 years for sexual abuse, wishes to restore his image after his conviction. For this purpose, he asked YouTuber and filmmaker Carles Tamayo to document his life. Initially agreeing, Carles hopes for an apology but soon uncovers Gros's continued freedom and unrepentant nature. As Carles delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a web of crimes, leading him to orchestrate Gros’s ultimate downfall. Directed by Carles Tamayo and produced by Bambu Producciones' Ramon Campos, this Spanish documentary chronicles a criminal's ego-driven demise and one man's relentless pursuit of justice. Popstars: Season 6 | Music Competition | September 12, 2024 Returning for its sixth season, the iconic French reality TV show Popstars once again takes center stage in the musical competition scene. Originating from an international series of the same name, this series debuted in 2001 on M6, a French television channel. Read more: Amazon Prime Originals August 2024 Lineup: Most-hyped Movies, Web Series, Shows Popsters have revolutionized France's approach to musical contests. This season, the panel of judges, comprising Louane, Eddy de Pretto, and Marseille's own Alonzo, will embark on their mission to discover the next big stars. The judges will mentor them and allow them to record their debut tracks. Thursday Night Football | Sports | September 12, 2024 The NFL (National Football League) is set to kick off an electrifying new season, featuring exclusive coverage of Thursday Night Football, the debut of Black Friday Football, and the league's first-ever Wild Card Playoff game. With an expanded lineup of games and AI-powered features that enhance fan engagement, the 2024 TNF season promises excitement from the start. The action begins on September 12th with a thrilling Bills vs. Dolphins clash in Miami, leading to a blockbuster season that includes matchups with the 49ers, Jets, Bengals, Rams, and more. Read more: Top Hindi Films to Watch: August 2024 Bollywood Releases My Old Ass | Comedy Drama | September 13, 2024 Starring Percy Hynes White, Maisy Stella, Maddie Ziegler, Alain Goulem, Aubrey Plaza, and Kerrice Brooks, the comedy movie boasts Megan Park as the director. My Old Ass centers on Elliott Labrant, who receives a life-altering message from her future self: avoid falling in love at all costs. Confident she can stick to this advice, her resolve begins to waver when she crosses paths with the very boy her older self had warned her about. The production credit goes to Tom Ackerley, Margot Robbie, Josey McNamara, and Steven Rales. Read more: Most Hyped South Indian Movies Releasing in August 2024