عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Entertainment

All BLACKPINK Members Renew Contracts with Label YG

K-Pop band Blackpink's members, Lalisa "Lisa" Manoban, Roseanne "Rose" Park, Kim Ji-soo and Jennie Kim, pose with their medals following a special investiture ceremony to present them with Honorary MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire), at Buckingham Palace in London on November 22, 2023. (AFP)
K-Pop band Blackpink's members, Lalisa "Lisa" Manoban, Roseanne "Rose" Park, Kim Ji-soo and Jennie Kim, pose with their medals following a special investiture ceremony to present them with Honorary MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire), at Buckingham Palace in London on November 22, 2023. (AFP)
TT
TT

All BLACKPINK Members Renew Contracts with Label YG

K-Pop band Blackpink's members, Lalisa "Lisa" Manoban, Roseanne "Rose" Park, Kim Ji-soo and Jennie Kim, pose with their medals following a special investiture ceremony to present them with Honorary MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire), at Buckingham Palace in London on November 22, 2023. (AFP)
K-Pop band Blackpink's members, Lalisa "Lisa" Manoban, Roseanne "Rose" Park, Kim Ji-soo and Jennie Kim, pose with their medals following a special investiture ceremony to present them with Honorary MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire), at Buckingham Palace in London on November 22, 2023. (AFP)

All members of the megastar girl group BLACKPINK renewed their contracts with YG Entertainment on Wednesday, the company said, ending speculation around their future and driving up shares in the leading K-pop label by over 20 percent.

Rumors surrounding BLACKPINK -- one of K-pop's most successful girl groups -- and their potential future plans have abounded since the quartet's original contracts expired in August, with local reports even claiming in September that member Lisa rejected YG's renewal offer.

But YG announced on Wednesday that all members -- Jenny, Lisa, Jisoo and Rose -- had renewed their contracts with the company for "group activities".

"After careful discussion with BLACKPINK, we signed an exclusive contract for group activities based on deep trust," the label said in a statement sent to AFP.

"With YG's full support, BLACKPINK plans to repay the love of fans around the world with activities commensurate with their global status, including the release of a new album and a large-scale world tour," it added.

BLACKPINK, who first emerged out of South Korea's wildly popular K-pop scene in 2016, has also been recognized for the group's efforts on climate advocacy.

Last month, the members were given one of Britain's most prestigious honors by King Charles III, for their work for the COP26 climate summit in 2021.

Their official YouTube channel has a staggering 92.3 million subscribers, making them one of the most subscribed artists in the world on the platform.

BLACKPINK's other achievements include being the first-ever K-pop girl group to reach the top of the US Billboard 200 chart, and the first Asian artists to headline prestigious music events such as Coachella.

YG, on the other hand, was at the center of the notorious "Burning Sun" entertainment and sex scandal -- which revolved around a Gangnam nightclub of the same name -- that rattled South Korea in 2018.

The label was hard hit when Seungri -- a former member of popular boyband BIGBANG and co-director of Burning Sun -- retired from show business in 2019 amid mounting criminal investigations.

He was later sentenced to 18 months in prison for offering women to potential investors for sexual services, among other charges.

YG Entertainment's shares were up 24.58 percent to 59,800 won in afternoon trading in Seoul.

Most Viewed

 
 
Entertainment

Eric Dane, who Played 'McSteamy' on 'Grey's Anatomy', Dies at 53

FILE - Actor Eric Dane, left, Katherine Heigl, center, and James Pickens Jr. from the show "Grey's Anatomy" arrive at the premiere of "Dreamgirls," in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 11, 2006. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
FILE - Actor Eric Dane, left, Katherine Heigl, center, and James Pickens Jr. from the show "Grey's Anatomy" arrive at the premiere of "Dreamgirls," in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 11, 2006. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
TT
TT

Eric Dane, who Played 'McSteamy' on 'Grey's Anatomy', Dies at 53

FILE - Actor Eric Dane, left, Katherine Heigl, center, and James Pickens Jr. from the show "Grey's Anatomy" arrive at the premiere of "Dreamgirls," in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 11, 2006. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
FILE - Actor Eric Dane, left, Katherine Heigl, center, and James Pickens Jr. from the show "Grey's Anatomy" arrive at the premiere of "Dreamgirls," in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 11, 2006. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

Actor Eric ‌Dane, who played the handsome Dr. Mark Sloan on the hit television series "Grey's Anatomy," died on Thursday aged 53, his family said, less than a year after revealing that he suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

For 15 years, Dane played a plastic surgeon nicknamed "McSteamy" by female characters in the show. He also starred in the series "Euphoria," and said after the diagnosis he would still return to the set for ‌its third ‌season.

"Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon ‌following ⁠a courageous battle with ⁠ALS," his family said in a statement, according to People magazine and other media.

"He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world."

ALS is a progressive ⁠disease in which a person’s brain ‌loses connection with the muscles. ‌It is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease after the ‌Hall of Fame baseball player who died from ‌it in 1941 at age 37.

"Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same ‌fight," Dane's family added, according to Reuters.

Dane and his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart, the mother of their two ⁠children, ⁠separated in 2018 after 14 years of marriage.

But last March, just before Dane announced his diagnosis, Gayheart sought to dismiss her petition for divorce, People said, citing court documents.

Eric William Dane, the older of two brothers, was born on November 9, 1972, in San Francisco, to an architect father and homemaker mother, his biography on IMDB.com shows.

His first television role was in "The Wonder Years" in 1993, while 2005 brought his big break with "Grey's Anatomy." His big screen credits include "Marley & Me" and "X-Men: The Last Stand."

Entertainment

Taylor Swift Bags Best-selling Artist of 2025 Award

FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
TT
TT

Taylor Swift Bags Best-selling Artist of 2025 Award

FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo

US pop star Taylor Swift was crowned the biggest-selling global artist of 2025, industry body IFPI announced Wednesday, the fourth consecutive year and sixth time she has claimed its annual prize.

The 36-year-old's success was turbo-charged by the October release of her latest album, "The Life of a Showgirl", which set several streaming records, as well as the release of a docuseries about her record-breaking The Eras tour.

"2025 was another landmark year (for Swift), driven by exceptional worldwide engagement across streaming, physical and digital formats with the release of her 12th album ... and the documentary of her tour," IFPI said.

The body, which represents the recorded music industry worldwide, noted Swift had now won its top annual artist prize as many times as all other artists combined over the past 10 years, AFP.

IFPI hands out the Global Artist of the Year Award after calculating an artist's or group's worldwide sales across streaming, downloads and physical music formats during the calendar year and covers their entire body of work.

Swift beat out Korean group Stray Kids, which came in second -- its highest-ever ranking and the third consecutive year in the global top five.

Fresh from his Super Bowl halftime show, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny placed fifth in the rankings, his sixth consecutive year in the chart.

American rapper Tyler, The Creator marked his first appearance on the chart, in 12th place, with IFPI noting he had "continued to generate strong vinyl sales across his catalogue".

Meanwhile Japanese rock band Mrs. Green Apple entered the rankings for the first time one place below him, following what IFPI called "the success of their anniversary album '10'".

Entertainment

Berlin Film Festival Rejects Accusation of Censorship on Gaza

Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)
Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Berlin Film Festival Rejects Accusation of Censorship on Gaza

Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)
Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)

The director of the Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday rejected accusations from more than 80 film industry figures that the festival had helped censor artists who oppose Israel's actions in Gaza.

In an open letter published on Tuesday, Oscar-winning actors Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton were among dozens who criticized the Berlinale's "silence" on the issue and said they were "dismayed" at its "involvement in censoring artists who oppose Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza".

In an interview with Screen Daily, the Berlinale's director, Tricia Tuttle, said the festival backs "free speech within the bounds of German law".

She said she recognized that the letter came from "the depth of anger and frustration about the suffering of people in Gaza".

However, she rejected accusations of censorship, saying that the letter contained "misinformation" and "inaccurate claims about the Berlinale" made without evidence or anonymously.

The row over Gaza has dogged this year's edition of the festival since jury president Wim Wenders answered a question on the conflict by saying: "We cannot really enter the field of politics."

The comments prompted award-winning novelist Arundhati Roy, who had been due to present a restored version of a film she wrote, to withdraw from the festival.

Tuttle said the festival represents "lots of people who have different views, including lots of people who live in Germany who want a more complex understanding of Israel's positionality than maybe the rest of the world has right now".

German politicians have been largely supportive of Israel as Germany seeks to atone for the legacy of the Holocaust.

However, German public opinion has been more critical of Israeli actions in Gaza.

Commenting on the row to the Welt TV channel, German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer defended Wenders and Tuttle from criticism, saying they were running the festival "in a very balanced way, very sensitively".

"Artists should not be told what to do when it comes to politics. The Berlinale is not an NGO with a camera and directors," Weimer said.

Gaza has frequently been a topic of controversy at the Berlinale in recent years.

In 2024, the festival's documentary award went to "No Other Land", which follows the dispossession of Palestinian communities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

German government officials criticized "one-sided" remarks about Gaza by the directors of that film and others at that year's awards ceremony.