Cardi B Files for Divorce from Rapper Offset

Cardi B. (AP)
Cardi B. (AP)
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Cardi B Files for Divorce from Rapper Offset

Cardi B. (AP)
Cardi B. (AP)

After three tumultuous years of marriage, superstar rapper Cardi B filed for divorce Tuesday from her husband, rapper Offset, according to court records.

The couple, who married secretly in September 2017, had already been through a well-publicized rough patch that resulted in her announcing their break-up almost two years ago.

"We got a lot of love for each other but things just haven't been working out between us for a long time," she said in a December 2018 video on Instagram, where she has some 75.5 million followers.

"It's just like, I guess we just grew out of love, but we're not together anymore."

But by about a year later the pair had reconciled and Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, told Vogue at the time that the split was over her husband's infidelity.

Cardi B is seeking custody of 2-year-old daughter Kulture and child support from Offset, whose real name is Kiari Cephus.

A hearing is set for November 4, according to the Fulton County court in Georgia, which is Offset's home state.

Despite the turmoil in her personal life, Cardi B has rocketed to success from her humble origins in New York's Bronx.

Her 2017 hit "Bodak Yellow" brought her fame.



Spotify Down for Thousands of Users, Downdetector Shows

FILE PHOTO: Headphones are seen in front of a logo of online music streaming service Spotify, February 18, 2014 REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Headphones are seen in front of a logo of online music streaming service Spotify, February 18, 2014 REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo
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Spotify Down for Thousands of Users, Downdetector Shows

FILE PHOTO: Headphones are seen in front of a logo of online music streaming service Spotify, February 18, 2014 REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Headphones are seen in front of a logo of online music streaming service Spotify, February 18, 2014 REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo

Music streaming platform Spotify was down for thousands of users on Monday, according to Downdetector.com.

There were more than 30,000 reports of issues with the platform in the US as of 09:22 a.m. ET, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collating status reports from a number of sources, Reuters reported.

Outages were reported in Canada with more than 2,900 reports at 9:22 a.m. ET; UK had more than 8,800 app issues as of 9:22 a.m. ET.

Spotify did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The actual number of affected users may differ from what's shown because these reports are user-submitted.


Netflix Says its Position on Deal with Warner Bros Discovery Unchanged

FILE PHOTO: A Netflix logo is pictured in Los Angeles, California, US, September 15, 2022. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Netflix logo is pictured in Los Angeles, California, US, September 15, 2022. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
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Netflix Says its Position on Deal with Warner Bros Discovery Unchanged

FILE PHOTO: A Netflix logo is pictured in Los Angeles, California, US, September 15, 2022. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Netflix logo is pictured in Los Angeles, California, US, September 15, 2022. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

Netflix's decision to acquire assets from Warner Bros Discovery has not changed and the hostile bid from Paramount Skydance was "entirely expected", its co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos said in a letter to employees on Monday, Reuters reported.

The streaming giant is committed to theatrical releases of Warner Bros' movies, saying it is "an important part of their business and legacy".

"We haven't prioritized theatrical in the past because that wasn't our business at Netflix. When this deal closes, we will be in that business," the letter stated.

Netflix said its deal is "solid" and it is confident that it is great for consumers and can pass regulatory hurdles.


35 Countries to Compete in Next Year’s Eurovision After 5 Countries Announce Boycott over Israel 

Nemo of Switzerland celebrates holding the trophy after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP)
Nemo of Switzerland celebrates holding the trophy after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP)
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35 Countries to Compete in Next Year’s Eurovision After 5 Countries Announce Boycott over Israel 

Nemo of Switzerland celebrates holding the trophy after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP)
Nemo of Switzerland celebrates holding the trophy after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP)

Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest on Monday announced a final list of 35 countries that will take part in the glitzy pop-music gala next year, after five countries said they would boycott due to discord over Israel’s participation.

Contest organizers announced the list for the 2026 finale, set to be held in Vienna in May, after five participants — Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain — earlier this month announced plans to sit it out.

A total of 37 countries took part this year, when Austria's JJ won. Three countries — Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania — will return, after skipping the event for artistic or financial reasons in recent years.

The walkout by some of the contest's most stalwart and high-profile participants — Ireland shared the record of wins with Sweden — put political discord on center stage and has overshadowed the joyful, feel-good nature of the event.

Last week, the 2024 winner — singer Nemo of Switzerland. who won with the pop-operatic ode “The Code.”— announced plans to return the winner’s trophy because Israel is being allowed to compete.

Organizers this month decided to allow Israel to compete, despite protests about its conduct of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and allegations that Israel manipulated the vote in favor of its contestants.

The European Broadcasting Union, a group of public broadcasters from 56 countries that runs the glitzy annual event, had sought to dispel concerns about vote-rigging, but the reforms announced weren't enough to satisfy the holdouts.

The musical extravaganza draws more than 100 million viewers every year — one of the world's most-watched programs — but has been roiled by the war in Gaza for the past two years, stirring protests outside the venues and forcing organizers to clamp down on political flag-waving.

Experts say the boycott ahead of the event's 70th anniversary amounts to one of the biggest crises the contest has faced, at a time when many public broadcasters face funding pressures and social media has lured away some eyeballs.

Israeli officials have hailed the decision by most EBU member broadcasters who supported its right to participate and warned of a threat to freedom of expression by embroiling musicians in a political issue.