ENTERTAINMENT

Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP |  DJ Arafat, an Ivorian singer with a huge following in francophone Africa, has died after a road accident in Abidjan, evoking a wave of tributes to the award-winning star of the “coupe-decale” dance genre. “Death of artist DJ Arafat… today at 8am as a result …

New York, United States | AFP |  A contrarian businessman with a penchant for fashion and a boyish smile, rapper A$AP Rocky has risen out of poverty in Harlem to become one of contemporary hip hop’s VIPs in the past decade. Now the 30-year-old artist faces trial on Tuesday, as …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Will Smith does battle with a younger clone of himself in new sci-fi action thriller “Gemini Man,” which filmmakers say represents Hollywood’s biggest leap forward yet into futuristic computer generated imagery. Several movies have employed “de-aging” techniques to airbrush away wrinkles on grizzled stars, …

Kampala, Uganda | Julius Businge | Nasibu Abdul Juma, popularly known by his stage name Diamond Platnumz, a Tanzanian singer is set to perform as a guest international artist at the weekly comedy show at Uganda Manufacturers Association – located about 5 kilometers out of the capital city, Kampala. Platnumz arrived in …

San Diego, United States | AFP |  The “Game of Thrones” cast leapt to the defense of its much-maligned final season in front of a boisterous crowd at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, blaming the backlash on negative media coverage. The HBO fantasy epic’s conclusion enraged fans around the world, and …

Stockholm, Sweden | AFP |  Swedish prosecutors will need to decide on Friday on whether to charge rapper ASAP Rocky, whose detention in Stockholm on suspicion of assault during a street brawl has created a furore among his fans and fellow artists. Since his detention in early July, fans and …

Aix-en-Provence, France | AFP |  It features an Israeli prime minister, Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, a hit squad and a Shin Beth spy chief. But this is not another story on the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict but an opera unusually with a libretto in Hebrew, the official language of Israel. “The …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | The divisive final season of “Game of Thrones” smashed the record for most Primetime Emmy nominations by a drama series in a single year, earning a whopping 32 nods Tuesday. HBO’s fantasy epic enraged fans with its bumpy conclusion but still trounced the competition …

Avignon, France | AFP |  The reality of her homeland’s lurch to the far right has seen artists branded as leftists and criminals, laments Brazilian director Christiane Jatahy, who only wishes her theatre piece on migration were actually a fiction. The documentary-style work by the 51-year-old Rio-born Jatahy is loosely based …

Washington, United States | AFP | R. Kelly has been arrested on child pornography and other charges, the New York Times reported, in the latest criminal investigation into the R&B superstar dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct. The 52-year-old, whose legal name is Robert Kelly, was taken into custody by …