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Disney in Talks with Adani, Sun TV to Sell India Assets

Disney+ Hotstar logo is seen in this illustration taken August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Disney+ Hotstar logo is seen in this illustration taken August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Disney in Talks with Adani, Sun TV to Sell India Assets

Disney+ Hotstar logo is seen in this illustration taken August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Disney+ Hotstar logo is seen in this illustration taken August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Disney has held talks with Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Sun TV Network owner Kalanithi Maran as well private equity firms to sell its streaming and television business in the country, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.
Disney is exploring various possibilities, including selling some of its Indian operations or a mix of assets from the unit, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The discussions are in the very early stages and a deal may not necessarily materialize, Bloomberg said. The report did not mention any potential deal value.
Disney, Sun TV and the Gautam Adani-controlled Adani group did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Disney was exploring options to sell or find a joint venture partner for its India digital and TV business, Reuters reported in July.
Disney has faced increasing pressure due to the emergence of Reliance Industries' streaming platform JioCinema, run by Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani.
Ambani has been marketing his streaming platform by offering free access to the Indian Premier League cricket tournament, digital rights of which were earlier with Disney.
Disney's India streaming operations, its biggest last year globally by users, posted a loss of $41.5 million on revenue of $390 million for the year to March 2022, its last disclosed results.
Disney is attempting to revive its fortunes in the country by offering free cricket on smartphones, betting that the strategy will boost advertising revenue and offset the impact of a subscriber exodus.

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Entertainment

Afrobeats’ Tiwa Savage Nurtures Africa’s Future Talent

Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage poses for a photograph at the Muson School of Music in Lagos, on April 24, 2026. (AFP)
Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage poses for a photograph at the Muson School of Music in Lagos, on April 24, 2026. (AFP)
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Afrobeats’ Tiwa Savage Nurtures Africa’s Future Talent

Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage poses for a photograph at the Muson School of Music in Lagos, on April 24, 2026. (AFP)
Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage poses for a photograph at the Muson School of Music in Lagos, on April 24, 2026. (AFP)

Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Tiwa Savage walked around a music center in Lagos, smiling, listening and giving words of encouragement to scores of young artists in an elite music training program.

The multi-talented Savage, a prominent face in Nigeria's flourishing music scene, recently brought together 100 young, aspiring artists -- selected from 2,000 applications -- for instrumental workshops, vocal coaching and masterclasses on the inner workings of the music industry.

The group is the first cohort of her newly established music foundation.

Savage is partnering with the prestigious Berklee College of Music in the United States, where she studied around two decades ago.

"When I'm no longer here, I'm praying that a recipient of this foundation will be the next Michael Jackson, the next Quincy Jones, the next Wizkid, the next great artist or producer or songwriter," said the artist, whose global hits include "Koroba" and "Kele Kele".

Born in Lagos 46 years ago as Tiwatope Omolara Savage and raised partly in Britain, she established herself in the early 2010s after returning to Nigeria.

She is one of the most influential female voices in Afrobeats, a genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.

Vocal drills, musical notes and frequent peals of laughter echoed from the classrooms where Berklee tutors worked with the students.

"I'm evolving as a beat maker and producer, and refining my piano artistry," said 24-year-old student Aliyu Olukoya, who called the experience "amazing".

The instructors from Berklee -- which is extending its academic program for the first time to the cultural behemoth that is Africa's most populous country -- adjusted and corrected the students as Savage watched closely.

"Being secure in who you are and what you have to offer, even in a competitive environment, is your superpower, and that's what we teach here," said vocal coach Nichelle J. Mungo, 51, whom Savage met at Berklee.

- 'Too good to just compete locally' -

Savage recalled seeing very few African students at the East Coast American college.

It was there that she started nurturing the idea of making it easier for young Africans to access high-level musical training.

"The problem isn't lack of talent or gift," she told AFP. "The problem is access -- access to education, music education in particular."

"As a musician in whatever capacity, you need to study the industry, especially the global industry, because we're too good to just compete locally," she said.

If Afrobeats is to match the staying power of R&B or rock'n'roll, Savage believes the entire ecosystem needs to become more professional.

"If we only focus on the artists, how are we going to sustain the industry for many, many years and decades to come?" she said, urging the professional development of producers, sound engineers, songwriters and marketers.

She also aims to raise the profile of talented artists who lack visibility due to limited resources, in a country marked by deep social inequalities.

"I see so much talent," she said, referring to already highly skilled musicians forced to practice without regular access to instruments.

Several young artists have already caught the attention of the Berklee professors who came to Nigeria to teach.

After their concert at the National Theater in Lagos, 18 students received scholarships to Berklee, with a total value of $2.1 million.

At the popular music hub in Lagos, the Muson Center, singer Irene Ugwuorah said that being one of the 100 artists selected for the new foundation was a "great opportunity".

"At every moment, at every turn, there's always something to learn. I'm already gaining a lot and I hope to use every single minute to gather as much knowledge as I can to help me grow as an artist," Ugwuorah said.

Savage's foundation provides the training for free and she hopes that will also make it accessible to people from other African countries.

"I definitely, definitely want to make this pan-African. It has to be pan-African. Talent doesn't stop in Nigeria. It's everywhere," she said.

Entertainment

Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and Vince Gill Recordings Enter National Registry

US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)
US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)
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Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and Vince Gill Recordings Enter National Registry

US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)
US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)

Albums and songs from Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and The Go-Go’s are joining America’s audio canon.

The new inductees into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress include Swift’s blockbuster 2014 pop album “1989,” Beyoncé’s era-defining 2008 anthem “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Khan’s genre-blending hit “I Feel for You,” Vince Gill’s emotional ballad “Go Rest High on That Mountain” and The Go-Go’s groundbreaking debut album “Beauty and the Beat.”

They were among the 25 recordings entering the archive in the class of 2026, acting Librarian of Congress Robert Newlen announced Thursday. The selections were chosen for their “cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage”, The Associated Press said.

“Music and recorded sound are essential, wonderful parts of our daily lives and our national heritage,” Newlen said in a statement. “The National Recording Registry works to preserve our national playlist for generations to come.”

Other recordings entering the registry include Ray Charles’ groundbreaking country crossover album “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music,” Reba McEntire’s “Rumor Has It,” Rosanne Cash’s “The Wheel” and Weezer’s self-titled debut known as “The Blue Album.”

Classic singles from Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Byrds, José Feliciano and Paul Anka also earned inclusion.

Among the more unconventional selections are the soundtrack to the influential 1993 video game "Doom" and the radio broadcast of “The Fight of the Century,” the legendary 1971 heavyweight boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

The oldest recording in this year’s class is Spike Jones and His City Slickers’ 1944 single “Cocktails for Two.” The newest is Swift’s “1989.”

This year also marks the first recordings by Swift and Beyoncé selected for the registry. The Library of Congress said more than 3,000 public nominations were submitted for consideration this year.

Entertainment

Madonna, Shakira, BTS to Headline First World Cup Final Half-time Show

Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
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Madonna, Shakira, BTS to Headline First World Cup Final Half-time Show

Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP

Madonna, Shakira and K-pop megastars BTS will headline a Super Bowl-style half-time show at the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, FIFA said Thursday.

Coldplay's Chris Martin is curating the show, which is a first for a football World Cup final but has raised concerns about how long half-time will be.

The biggest-ever World Cup, with 48 teams, kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, said AFP.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced in March last year that there would be "the first-ever half-time show at a FIFA World Cup final".

He did not say at the time who would be performing or how long the show would last.

"This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world," he said on Instagram.

The move mirrors the show held during the final of the 2024 Copa America in Miami, when Colombian star Shakira performed at half-time at the Hard Rock Stadium.

There was also a half-time show at last year's FIFA Club World Cup final, also at MetLife Stadium, which stretched the break in excess of the regulation 15 minutes.

Infantino added that FIFA also planned to "take over" New York's Times Square on the final weekend of the World Cup.

The half-time extravaganza will support FIFA's Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100 million for children worldwide during the World Cup.

Shakira last week teased the new official song for the World Cup, releasing a brief video of the track filmed at Brazil's iconic Maracana Stadium.

The singer -- who also created the 2010 World Cup anthem "Waka Waka" -- announced the song, titled "Dai Dai" in a post on her Instagram account.

In the 67-second video, Shakira appears on the pitch at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, where she performed in a free concert at the city's Copacabana Beach before two million people.

Holding the "Trionda", the official match ball of the 2026 World Cup, Shakira performed excerpts of the song in English, joined by dancers dressed in the colors of teams including the United States and Colombia.

The song was produced with Nigerian artist Burna Boy and is set for official release on Thursday. The clip, also shared by the FIFA World Cup account, ends with the message: "We're ready!"

Shakira has a long association with the World Cup, performing at the 2006 and 2014 World Cup finals in addition to producing "Waka Waka" for the 2010 tournament.