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Ex-Gang Leader to Get Date for Murder Trial Stemming from 1996 Killing of Tupac Shakur 

Artist Joaquin Saavedra MacCarthy Thin paints a mural depicting rapper Tupac Shakur during a ceremony for a street renaming in the rapper's honor in Oakland, California, US, November 3, 2023. (Reuters)
Artist Joaquin Saavedra MacCarthy Thin paints a mural depicting rapper Tupac Shakur during a ceremony for a street renaming in the rapper's honor in Oakland, California, US, November 3, 2023. (Reuters)
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Ex-Gang Leader to Get Date for Murder Trial Stemming from 1996 Killing of Tupac Shakur 

Artist Joaquin Saavedra MacCarthy Thin paints a mural depicting rapper Tupac Shakur during a ceremony for a street renaming in the rapper's honor in Oakland, California, US, November 3, 2023. (Reuters)
Artist Joaquin Saavedra MacCarthy Thin paints a mural depicting rapper Tupac Shakur during a ceremony for a street renaming in the rapper's honor in Oakland, California, US, November 3, 2023. (Reuters)

A former Southern California street gang leader charged with killing rap icon Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996 is expected Tuesday to learn the date for his murder trial, probably next year.

Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis won't face the death penalty but could be sentenced to life in prison if he’s convicted of one of hip-hop’s most talked-about killings. He pleaded not guilty last Thursday and remains jailed in Las Vegas.

Davis, 60, is originally from Compton, California. He was arrested Sept. 29 outside a Las Vegas-area home where police served a search warrant July 17.

In recent years, Davis said in interviews and a 2019 tell-all memoir that he orchestrated the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur at age 25 and wounded rap music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight.

Knight, now 58, is serving 28 years in a California prison for the death of a Compton businessman in 2015.

Davis is the only person still alive who was in the vehicle from which shots were fired. He has also said he was diagnosed with cancer.

Prosecutors say the shooting followed clashes between rival East Coast and West Coast groups for dominance in the musical genre dubbed “gangsta rap.” The grand jury was told that Shakur was involved in a brawl at a Las Vegas Strip casino with Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, shortly before the shooting.

Anderson, then 22, denied involvement in Shakur’s killing. He died two years later in a shooting in Compton.

Davis implicated himself during multiple interviews and his memoir that described his life leading a Crips gang sect in Compton.

He wrote that he was promised immunity from prosecution in 2010 when he told authorities in Los Angeles what he knew about the fatal shootings of Shakur and rival rapper Christopher Wallace six months later in Los Angeles. Wallace was known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls.

Shakur had five No. 1 albums, was nominated for six Grammy Awards and was inducted in 2017 into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He received a posthumous star this year on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

A street near where Shakur lived in Oakland, California, in the 1990s was renamed last Friday in his honor.

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Entertainment

‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Reigns at Box Office with $56.5 Million Opening 

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Raka, played by Peter Macon, in a scene from "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." (20th Century Studios via AP)
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Raka, played by Peter Macon, in a scene from "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." (20th Century Studios via AP)
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‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Reigns at Box Office with $56.5 Million Opening 

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Raka, played by Peter Macon, in a scene from "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." (20th Century Studios via AP)
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Raka, played by Peter Macon, in a scene from "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." (20th Century Studios via AP)

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” reigned over the weekend box office with a $56.5 million North American opening, according to studio estimates Sunday, giving a needed surge to an uncertain season in theaters.

The film from 20th Century Studios and Disney that built on the rebooted “Apes” trilogy of the 2010s had the third highest opening of the year, after the $81.5 million debut of “Dune: Part Two” in early March and the $58.3 million domestic opening of “Kung Fu Panda 4” a week later.

The strong performance for “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” — it played even better internationally with a global total of $129 million — comes a week after a tepid start for Ryan Gosling’s “The Fall Guy” signaled that the summer of 2024 is likely to see a major drop-off after the “Barbenheimer” magic of 2023.

“Planet of the Apes” easily made more than the rest of the top 10 combined.

“The Fall Guy” fell to No. 2 with a $13.7 million weekend and a two-week total of $49.7 million for Universal Pictures.

Zendaya’s “Challengers” was third with $4.7 million and has earned $38 million in three weeks for Amazon MGM studios.

The opening for “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” helmed by “Maze Runner” director Wes Ball, was the second best in the series, after the $72 million opening weekend of 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

It’s the 10th movie in the “Planet of the Apes” franchise that began in 1968 with the Charlton Heston original with a twist ending.

“This franchise has never been allowed to lose its momentum,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “There are very few franchises that have this kind of longevity.”

And it really is the property itself. The new film shares no central actors or characters with its predecessors.

“There’s just this love for the way it melds sci-fi with social commentary and straight-up popcorn entertainment,” Dergarabedian said.

“Kingdom” came with strong reviews and positive buzz (80% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and a “B” CinemaScore). It was especially praised for its visual effects and the way its CGI has caught up with its primates-on-horseback aesthetic even since the last film, 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes.”

Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press called it “thrilling” and “visually stunning.”

The shot in the arm is welcome for the movie business, but there is little certainty in the forthcoming summer.

The year so far, lacking an early Marvel movie like 2023’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” is running 21% of last year’s mid-May total.

While there are potential blockbusters that feel like safe bets including “Despicable Me 4” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” in July, others like “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” later this month and “Twisters” later in the summer feel like they could break either way.

Pixar once brought almost guaranteed hits, but June’s “Inside Out 2” may not thrive like the 2015 original.

“There used to be sure bets we cannot necessarily bank on anymore,” Dergarabedian said. “It is going to be a bit of a hit-or-miss slate.”

Entertainment

Actor Steve Buscemi Is OK After Being Punched in the Face in New York City 

Actor Steve Buscemi attends the premiere of "The Dead Don't Die" at the Museum of Modern Art, June 10, 2019, in New York. (AP)
Actor Steve Buscemi attends the premiere of "The Dead Don't Die" at the Museum of Modern Art, June 10, 2019, in New York. (AP)
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Actor Steve Buscemi Is OK After Being Punched in the Face in New York City 

Actor Steve Buscemi attends the premiere of "The Dead Don't Die" at the Museum of Modern Art, June 10, 2019, in New York. (AP)
Actor Steve Buscemi attends the premiere of "The Dead Don't Die" at the Museum of Modern Art, June 10, 2019, in New York. (AP)

Actor Steve Buscemi is OK after he was punched in the face by a man on a New York City street, his publicist said Sunday.

The 66-year-old star of “Fargo” and “Boardwalk Empire” was assaulted late Wednesday morning in Manhattan and taken to a nearby hospital with bruising, swelling and bleeding to his left eye.

“Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” according to a statement Sunday from his publicist. “He is ok and appreciates everyone’s well wishes.”

The assault was first reported by the New York Post.

The New York Police Department put out a nameless statement on the assault Wednesday. Buscemi’s representative confirmed Sunday that the unidentified assault victim in the police statement was the actor.

The police department said there were no arrests and the investigation was continuing.

Buscemi’s “Boardwalk Empire” co-star Michael Stuhlbarg was hit in the back of the neck with a rock while walking in Manhattan’s Central Park on March 31. Stuhlbarg chased his attacker, who was taken into custody outside the park.

Entertainment

A Combustible Cannes is Set to Unfurl with 'Furiosa,' 'Megalopolis' and a #MeToo Reckoning

Members of the public walk in front of the Palais des Festival prior to the 74th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, July 5, 2021. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson)
Members of the public walk in front of the Palais des Festival prior to the 74th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, July 5, 2021. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson)
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A Combustible Cannes is Set to Unfurl with 'Furiosa,' 'Megalopolis' and a #MeToo Reckoning

Members of the public walk in front of the Palais des Festival prior to the 74th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, July 5, 2021. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson)
Members of the public walk in front of the Palais des Festival prior to the 74th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, July 5, 2021. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson)

The Cannes Film Festival rarely passes without cacophony but this year’s edition may be more raucous and uneasy than any edition in recent memory.
When the red carpet is rolled out from the Palais des Festivals on Tuesday, the 77th Cannes will unfurl against a backdrop of war, protest, potential strikes and quickening #MeToo upheaval in France, which for years largely resisted the movement.
Festival workers are threatening to strike. The Israel-Hamas war, acutely felt in France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Arab communities, is sure to spark protests. Russia’s war in Ukraine remains on the minds of many. Add in the kinds of anxieties that can be expected to percolate at Cannes — the ever-uncertain future of cinema, the rise of artificial intelligence — and this year's festival shouldn't lack for drama.
Being prepared for anything has long been a useful attitude in Cannes. Befitting such tumultuous times, the film lineup is full of intrigue, curiosity and question marks.
The Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, just days before his latest film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” is to debut in competition in Cannes, was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Iranian Revolutionary Court. The film remains on Cannes’ schedule.
Arguably the most feverishly awaited entry is Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed opus “Megalopolis.” Coppola, is himself no stranger to high-drama at Cannes. An unfinished cut of “Apocalypse Now” won him (in a tie) his second Palme d’Or more than four decades ago.
Even the upcoming US presidential election won’t be far off. Premiering in competition is Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” starring Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump. There will also be new films from Kevin Costner, Paolo Sorrentino, Sean Baker, Yorgos Lanthimos and Andrea Arnold. And for a potentially powder keg Cannes there’s also the firebomb of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” The film, a rolling apocalyptic dystopia, returns director George Miller to the festival he first became hooked on as a juror.
“I got addicted it to simply because it’s like film camp,” says Miller, who became enraptured to the global gathering of cinema at Cannes and the pristine film presentations. “It’s kind of optimal cinema, really. The moment that they said, ‘OK, we’re happy to show this film here,’ I jumped at it.”
Cannes' official opener on Tuesday is “The Second Act,” a French comedy by Quentin Dupieux, starring Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel and Vincent Lindon. During the opening ceremony, Meryl Streep will be awarded an honorary Palme d’Or. At the closing ceremony, George Lucas will get one, too.
But the spotlight at the start may fall on Judith Godrèche. The French director and actor earlier this year said the filmmakers Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager, allegations that rocked French cinema. Jacquot and Doillon have denied the allegations.
Though much of the French film industry has previously been reluctant to embrace the #MeToo movement, Godrèche has stoked a wider response. She's spoken passionately about the need for changes at the Cesars, France’s equivalent of the Oscars, and before a French Senate commission.
In that same period, Godrèche also made the short film “Moi Aussi” during a Paris gathering of hundreds who wrote her with their own stories of sexual abuse. On Wednesday, it opens Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section.
“I hope that I’m heard in the sense that I’m not interested in being some sort of representation of someone who just wants to go after everyone in this industry,” Godrèche said ahead of the festival. “I’m just fighting for some sort of change. It is called a revolution.”
It’s the latest chapter in how #MeToo has reverberated at the world’s largest film gathering, following an 82-woman protest on the steps of the Palais in 2018 and a gender parity pledge in 2019. Cannes has often come under criticism for not inviting more female filmmakers into competition, but the festival is putting its full support behind Godrèche while girding for the possibility of more #MeToo revelations during the festival.
“For me, having these faces, these people — everyone in this movie — gives them this place to be celebrated,” said Godrèche. “There’s this thing about this place that has so much history. In a way, it mystifies movies forever. Once your film was in Cannes, it was in Cannes.”
Some of the filmmakers coming to the festival this year are already firmly lodged in Cannes lore. Paul Schrader was at the festival almost 50 years ago for Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” which he wrote. After a famously divisive response, it won the Palme in 1976.
“It was a different place. It was much more collegial and lower key,” said Schrader during a break from packing his bags. “I remember quite well sitting on the terrasse at the Carlton with Marty and Sergio Leone and (Rainer Werner) Fassbender came by with his boyfriend and joined us. We were all talking and the sun was going down. I was thinking, ‘This is the greatest thing in the world.’”
For the first time since his 1988 drama “Patty Hearst,” Schrader is back in what he calls “the main show” — in competition for the Palme d’Or — with “Oh, Canada.” The film, adapted from a Russell Banks novel, stars Richard Gere (reteaming with Schrader decades after “American Gigolo”) as a dying filmmaker who recounts his life story for a documentary. Jacob Elordi plays him in '70s flashbacks.
After the Cannes lineup was announced, Schrader shared on Facebook an old photo of himself, Coppola and Lucas — all primary figures to what was then called New Hollywood — and the caption “Together again.”
“I’ll be there the same time as Francis. There’s a question of whether either of us get invited back for closing,” Schrader says, referring to when award-winners are asked to stay for the closing ceremony. “I would hope that either Francis or I could come back closing night for George’s thing.”
Who ultimately goes home with the Palme — the handicapping has already begun — will be decided by a jury led by Greta Gerwig, fresh off the mammoth success of “Barbie.” But this year’s slate will have a lot to live up to. Last year, three eventual best picture nominees premiered in Cannes: Justine Triet’s Palme-winner “Anatomy of a Fall,” Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

Entertainment

Oscars Academy, at Pivotal Point, Launches $500 Mn Fundraising Drive

Some 20 million people tuned in to the 2024 edition of the Oscars to see 'Oppenheimer' fend off rivals such as 'Barbie' - whose star Margot Robbie is seen here - and win the coveted best-picture award © Valerie MACON / AFP/File
Some 20 million people tuned in to the 2024 edition of the Oscars to see 'Oppenheimer' fend off rivals such as 'Barbie' - whose star Margot Robbie is seen here - and win the coveted best-picture award © Valerie MACON / AFP/File
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Oscars Academy, at Pivotal Point, Launches $500 Mn Fundraising Drive

Some 20 million people tuned in to the 2024 edition of the Oscars to see 'Oppenheimer' fend off rivals such as 'Barbie' - whose star Margot Robbie is seen here - and win the coveted best-picture award © Valerie MACON / AFP/File
Some 20 million people tuned in to the 2024 edition of the Oscars to see 'Oppenheimer' fend off rivals such as 'Barbie' - whose star Margot Robbie is seen here - and win the coveted best-picture award © Valerie MACON / AFP/File

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday launched a $500 million fundraising drive, pegged to the upcoming centenary of the Oscars.

Named Academy100 -- ahead of the 100th Oscars ceremony, set for 2028 -- the drive is intended to diversify finances for the group, which plays a key role in fostering new filmmakers and preserving movies, as well as handing out the annual Academy Awards, AFP reported.

It comes at a time when viewership of the Oscars has drastically shrunk, and as the Academy's lucrative, long-standing broadcast deal with ABC for the ceremony telecast is nearing its end.

"The Academy will soon enter its second century, and we want to ensure that we continue to be the preeminent leader of our international film community," said Academy CEO Bill Kramer, in a statement. "Like all healthy organizations, the Academy needs a sustainable and diverse base of support," he added.

Sponsors have already committed more than $100 million to the campaign, the Academy said. The Academy's members -- there are around 10,000 -- are invited to join based on their filmmaking achievements.

They range from directors and producers to A-list actors and visual effects artists. Membership has become increasingly international and diverse in recent years. Academy100 is intended to "deepen our worldwide reach and impact," said Kramer.

The group also launched the popular Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles in 2021. But despite a slight recent uptick in viewership, audiences for the all-important Oscars ceremony remain well below historical levels.

Some 21 million tuned in this year to see "Oppenheimer" fend off rivals such as "Barbie" to win the best-picture award. Just a decade ago, audiences regularly topped 40 million.

Entertainment

Taylor Swift Fever Grips Paris at Start of Europe Tour

A Taylor Swift fan takes a picture of a handmade sign next to the poster of Taylor Swift's “Eras Tour” first concert in Europe, at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, suburbs of Paris, France, 09 May 2024. (EPA)
A Taylor Swift fan takes a picture of a handmade sign next to the poster of Taylor Swift's “Eras Tour” first concert in Europe, at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, suburbs of Paris, France, 09 May 2024. (EPA)
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Taylor Swift Fever Grips Paris at Start of Europe Tour

A Taylor Swift fan takes a picture of a handmade sign next to the poster of Taylor Swift's “Eras Tour” first concert in Europe, at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, suburbs of Paris, France, 09 May 2024. (EPA)
A Taylor Swift fan takes a picture of a handmade sign next to the poster of Taylor Swift's “Eras Tour” first concert in Europe, at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, suburbs of Paris, France, 09 May 2024. (EPA)

Taylor Swift-fever struck Paris on Thursday as the highest-grossing tour in history finally arrived in Europe, with fans treated to the first-ever performance of songs from her latest album.

The Eras Tour began its European leg with four dates at the La Defense Arena in Paris and attendance on the first night alone was 45,387, according to her press team.

"I wish I could have toured Europe more. This is a dream crowd," the 34-year-old megastar told the ecstatic audience.

There were deafening shrieks as images of typewriter sheets indicated that songs off the new album, "The Tortured Poets Department", were starting late in the show.

Emerging in a lyrics-covered dress, she ran through several of the darker new tracks starting with "But Daddy I Love Him" and including "Fortnight", a particularly furious rendition of "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" and an elaborate "I Can Do it with a Broken Heart" with a golden-era Hollywood dance routine.

"You were the first crowd to see songs from 'The Tortured Poets Department'," she said, before adding: "Or, as I like to call it, 'Female Rage: the Musical'".

That was a dream come true for many in the audience.

"I've been so excited for so long, I can't believe it's actually happening," said 11-year-old Emma, who had flown in with her mother from New York.

The venue said a fifth of the crowd were from the United States -- many attracted by Europe's rules against charging huge mark-ups on resale tickets that can save Americans thousands of dollars compared with shows at home.

Georg'Ann Daly decided to celebrate her 23rd birthday with the Paris show. It meant flying from Nashville to Chicago to London and catching the Eurostar to Paris.

"I've always been obsessed with Taylor Swift," she told AFP.

A handful of superfans camped out from Tuesday in Paris to ensure they got a prime spot.

"I didn't plan to, but I came to check it out and I saw the first tents and I panicked a little," said Chris, 30.

Noah, 20, is seeing all four Paris concerts -- he used 22 email addresses to get through the lottery system and secure the tickets.

- Record-breaker -

After France, Swift heads on for dates in Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland and Austria.

The Eras Tour has already worked its way across North and South America and Asia since starting in March 2023.

By the end of the year, it had already become the first to sell more than $1 billion in tickets and is on track to more than double that by the time it concludes in Vancouver this December.

Swift's popularity shows no sign of dimming -- the new album shifted 1.4 million copies on its first day and broke every streaming record going, reaching a billion streams on Spotify within five days.

Her tell-all dissections of her love stories have been the fuel powering her global domination, and fans have been poring over "The Tortured Poets Department" for cryptic clues about ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn, her short-but-dramatic fling with Matty Healy (lead singer of The 1975), and her current partner, American football star Travis Kelce.

"Taylor talks about toxic relationships, impossible love, politics, mental health, and so much more," said Chris as she waited by her tent for the big moment. "I think we can all find a song that resonates with our experiences."

Entertainment

Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber Are Expecting a Baby

FILE - Justin Bieber, left, and Hailey Bieber attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on Sept. 13, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Justin Bieber, left, and Hailey Bieber attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on Sept. 13, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
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Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber Are Expecting a Baby

FILE - Justin Bieber, left, and Hailey Bieber attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on Sept. 13, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Justin Bieber, left, and Hailey Bieber attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on Sept. 13, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Cue up his 2010 megahit “Baby.” Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber (nee Baldwin) are expecting their first child together.
A representative for Hailey Bieber confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that the model is just over six months pregnant.
The couple announced the news on their respective Instagram pages with corresponding posts. Both begin with a short, romantic video clip of the couple kissing. Hailey Bieber is draped in white lace; baby bump prominent in the sheer, form-fitting fabric. It is followed up with a photo shoot of Justin Bieber photographing his wife. In each caption, they've tagged one another.
In a press release, fashion house Yves Saint Laurent says the video and photoshoot are from the Biebers' vow renewal ceremony in Hawaii.
In 2018, the Biebers confirmed their long-rumored marriage on Instagram, when the musician posted a picture of the pair holding hands and captioned it, “My wife is awesome.” Hailey changed her username from “Baldwin” to “Bieber” at the same time. They were engaged in the Bahamas earlier that year, after about a month of dating.
In addition to modeling, Hailey Bieber is the founder of a skincare line, Rhode. Justin Bieber, who rose to fame as a teenager, is a Grammy winner with eight No. 1 songs under his belt, including “Sorry,” “Love Yourself,” “What Do You Mean?” and “Despacito,” featuring Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. His last album, “Justice,” was released in 2021.

Entertainment

Country Star Cindy Walker to be Posthumously Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame

FILE - Travis Tritt, left, Randy Travis, center left, Mary Travis, center right, and Ricky Traywick, right, appear on stage at the "1 Night. 1 Place. 1 Time.: A Heroes and Friends Tribute to Randy Travis" on Feb. 8, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Travis Tritt, left, Randy Travis, center left, Mary Travis, center right, and Ricky Traywick, right, appear on stage at the "1 Night. 1 Place. 1 Time.: A Heroes and Friends Tribute to Randy Travis" on Feb. 8, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP, File)
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Country Star Cindy Walker to be Posthumously Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame

FILE - Travis Tritt, left, Randy Travis, center left, Mary Travis, center right, and Ricky Traywick, right, appear on stage at the "1 Night. 1 Place. 1 Time.: A Heroes and Friends Tribute to Randy Travis" on Feb. 8, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Travis Tritt, left, Randy Travis, center left, Mary Travis, center right, and Ricky Traywick, right, appear on stage at the "1 Night. 1 Place. 1 Time.: A Heroes and Friends Tribute to Randy Travis" on Feb. 8, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP, File)

Country star Cindy Walker will be posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, it was announced Thursday.
Walker, who wrote countless hits across her six-decade career, was celebrated for her immediate, unpretentious songwriting style. She wrote songs performed by some of the biggest names in country music history and beyond, including Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, B.B. King, Cher, and Glen Campbell.
Some hits include “Blue Canadian Rockies,” as made famous by Gene Autry, Bing Crosby's “Lone Star Trail,” and Roy Orbison's “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)."
She died in 2006 at age 87 in Mexia, Texas. That same year, Willie Nelson released a tribute album of covers called “You Don’t Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker.” Perhaps her best known composition, “You Don't Know Me,” has been recorded by Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Van Morrison, Eddy Arnold, Kenny Rogers, Emmylou Harris and many more.
“This would’ve made her so proud, and the thing that gets me is, when we hear Cindy’s songs she’s still with us," Molly Walker, Cindy Walker's niece, said in a statement about the induction. "I can’t tell you how much this would have meant to her and her family."
Walker will be honored in a tribute at Nashville’s historic Columbia Studio A, separate from the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony this June, The Associated Press reported.
This year's Songwriters Hall of Fame class was previously announced as Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford. They are a group of artists who have scaled the heights of country, classic rock, pop, hip-hop and alt-rock.
Nashville hitmaker Lindsey helped write “Girl Crush” for Little Big Town and “Jesus, Take the Wheel” for Carrie Underwood. Pitchford, helped Kenny Loggins with the megahit “Footloose” and also co-wrote “Fame” and “Holding Out For a Hero."
On the ballot but unlucky this year were Public Enemy, Bryan Adams, George Clinton, Tracy Chapman, Blondie, Heart, The Doobie Brothers and David Gates.

Entertainment

Blackstone Wins Bidding War for UK Music Rights Firm

Hipgnosis manages the rights to more than 150 of the world's biggest song catalogs, including Justin Bieber, Shakira and Neil Young. Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Hipgnosis manages the rights to more than 150 of the world's biggest song catalogs, including Justin Bieber, Shakira and Neil Young. Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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Blackstone Wins Bidding War for UK Music Rights Firm

Hipgnosis manages the rights to more than 150 of the world's biggest song catalogs, including Justin Bieber, Shakira and Neil Young. Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Hipgnosis manages the rights to more than 150 of the world's biggest song catalogs, including Justin Bieber, Shakira and Neil Young. Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

US private equity firm Blackstone emerged victorious Thursday in a takeover battle for struggling UK music rights owner Hipgnosis Songs Fund, after American group Concord refrained from improving its bid.
Concord, a rival to Hipgnosis, said in a statement that it would not hike its $1.5-billion bid after Blackstone agreed a $1.6-billion offer.
Hipgnosis manages the rights to more than 150 of the world's biggest song catalogs, including Justin Bieber, Shakira and Neil Young.
Concord "confirms that its offer of $1.25 per Hipgnosis share is final and will not be increased", it said in a brief statement clearing the path for Blackstone.
The US private equity house last week ramped up its bid to $1.30 per share.
"It looks like the battle for Hipgnosis Songs Fund won't be having another encore," said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
Hipgnosis was co-founded in 2018 by guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers and Merck Mercuriadis, former manager of Beyonce and Elton John.
The London-listed fund has been plagued by concerns over asset valuations and recently slashed the value of its songs catalog by more than a quarter to $1.93 billion.
That came after Hipgnosis revealed in December that its first-half net losses tripled on tumbling sales.

Entertainment

Taylor Swift European Dates Kick Off in Paris

Some 42,000 people are set to see Taylor Swift in Paris. MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP
Some 42,000 people are set to see Taylor Swift in Paris. MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP
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Taylor Swift European Dates Kick Off in Paris

Some 42,000 people are set to see Taylor Swift in Paris. MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP
Some 42,000 people are set to see Taylor Swift in Paris. MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

The highest-grossing tour in history finally arrived in Europe on Thursday as Taylor Swift kicked off her European dates with four nights in Paris.
Thousands of fans were already visiting the La Defense Arena 24 hours before the show just to get their hands on the merchandise as soon as possible, AFP said.
A handful of superfans camped out from Tuesday to ensure they got a prime spot in the standing section.
"I didn't plan to, but I came to check it out and I saw the first tents and I panicked a little," said Chris, 30.
Noah, 20, is seeing all four Paris concerts -- he used 22 email addresses to get through the lottery system and secure the tickets.
Many accents in the crowd were American -- the venue says a fifth of the audience has come from the United States.
Georg'Ann Daly decided to celebrate her 23rd birthday with the show in Paris. It meant flying from Nashville to Chicago to London and catching the Eurostar to Paris.
"I've always been obsessed with Taylor Swift," she told AFP.
"I went to her show in Nashville and thought I'm never doing that again because it was crazy. It's a lot of over-stimulation and I have social anxiety.
"But it's my birthday and it's Paris and it's the first night of the tour, and I thought why not? It's so worth it!"
Record-breaker
Some 42,000 people will see Swift in Paris before she heads on for dates in Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Britain, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland and Austria.
The Eras Tour has worked its way across North and South America and Asia since starting in March 2023.
By the end of the year, it had already become the first to sell more than $1 billion in tickets and is on track to more than double that by the time it concludes in Vancouver this December.
Swifties in Paris are especially excited to hear songs off her new album, "The Tortured Poets Society", being performed for the first time.
Many critics have derided the 31-track album as bloated and lacking in sure-fire hits.
But you won't hear that from the devoted crowd in Paris.
"I love the new album -- it's chill, it's fun to listen to even though it's got a sadder vibe," said Kelly Shrout, 40, who flew with 11 friends from Kentucky in the United States for the show.
"I hope she plays 'Fortnight'," she added.
Her popularity shows no sign of dimming -- the new album shifted 1.4 million copies on its first day and broke every streaming record going, reaching a billion streams on Spotify within five days.
Swift's tell-all dissections of her love stories have been the fuel powering her global domination, and fans have been pouring over "The Tortured Poets Department" for cryptic clues about Joe Alwyn, her short-but-dramatic fling with Matty Healy (lead singer of The 1975), and her current partner, American football star Travis Kelce.
"Taylor talks about toxic relationships, impossible love, politics, mental health, and so much more -- I think we can all find a song that resonates with our experiences," said Chris as she waited by her tent for the big moment.

Entertainment

Movie Review: ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Finds a New Hero and Will Blow Your Mind

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows a scene from "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." (20th Century Studios via AP)
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows a scene from "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." (20th Century Studios via AP)
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Movie Review: ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Finds a New Hero and Will Blow Your Mind

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows a scene from "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." (20th Century Studios via AP)
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows a scene from "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." (20th Century Studios via AP)

Fans of the “Planet of the Apes” franchise may still be mourning the 2017 death of Caesar, the first smart chimp and the charismatic ape leader. Not to worry: He haunts the next episode, the thrilling, visually stunning “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.”

We actually start with Caesar's funeral, his body decorated with flowers and then set alight like a Viking, before fast-forwarding “many generations later.” All apes talk now and most humans don’t, reduced to caveman loin cloths and running wide-eyed and scared, evolution in reverse.

Our new hero is the young ape Noa (Owen Teague) who is like all young adult chimps — seeking his father's approval (even chimp dads just don't understand) and testing his bravery. He is part of a clan that raises pet eagles, smokes fish and lives peacefully.

That all changes when his village is attacked not by humans but by fellow apes — masked soldiers from a nasty kingdom led by the crown-wearing Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand, playing it to the hilt). He has taken Caesar's name but twisted his words to become a tyrannical strongman — sorry, strongape.

Unlike the last movie which dealt with man's inhumanity to animals — concentration camps included — ape-on-ape violence is in the cards for this one, including capturing an entire clan as prisoners. Proximus Caesar's goons use makeshift cattle prods on fellow apes and force them to work while declaring “For Caesar!”

Screenwriter Josh Friedman has cleverly created a movie that examines how ancient stories can be hijacked and manipulated, like how Caesar's non-violent message gets twisted by bad actors. There's also a lot of “Avatar” primitive naivete, and that makes sense since the reboot was shaped by several of that blue alien movie’s makers.

The movie poses some uncomfortable questions about collaborationists. William H. Macy plays a human who has become a sort of teacher-prisoner to Proximus Caesar — reading Kurt Vonnegut to him — and won't fight back. “It is already their world,” he rationalizes.

Along for the heroic ride is a human young woman (Freya Allan, a budding star) who is hiding an agenda but offers Noa help along the way. Peter Macon plays a kindly, book-loving orangutan who adds a jolt of gleeful electricity to the movie and is missed when he goes.

The effects are just jaw-dropping, from the ability to see individual hairs on the back of a monkey to the way leaves fall and the crack of tree limbs echoing in the forest. The sight of apes on horseback, which seemed glitchy just seven years ago, are now seamless. There are also inside jokes, like the use of the name Nova again this time.

Director Wes Ball nicely handles all the thrilling sequences — though the two-and-a-half hour runtime is somewhat taxing — and some really cool ones, like the sight of apes on horseback on a beach, a nod to the original 1968 movie. And like when the apes look through some old illustrated kids' books and see themselves depicted in zoo cages. That makes for some awkward human-ape interaction. “What is next for apes? Should we go back to silence?” our hero asks.

The movie races to a complex face-off between good and bad apes and good and bad humans outside a hulking silo that holds promise to each group. Can apes and humans live in peace, as Caesar hoped? “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” doesn't answer that but it does open up plenty more to ponder. Starting with the potentially crippling proposition of a key death, this franchise has somehow found new vibrancy.