Global Pulse

分类： entertainment

  • Teen rocker Nene Royal becomes first Thai to win America’s Got Talent

    Teen rocker Nene Royal becomes first Thai to win America’s Got Talent

    A 16-year-old heavy metal artist from Thailand has cemented her name in the history books of one of the world’s most-watched talent competitions, taking home the top prize on *America’s Got Talent* as the first Thai champion in the show’s 21-season run. Nene Royal, whose legal name is Rattikarn Amloy, secured her $1 million (approximately £755,000) victory after a standout final performance Tuesday at the competition’s California venue, where she delivered a gritty, crowd-pleasing cover of The White Stripes’ iconic rock track *Seven Nation Army*.

    Her electrifying heavy metal set outshone nine other competing final acts, ranging from sleight-of-hand magicians and trained canine performance troupes to cutting-edge robot dance crews. Nene’s journey to the winner’s circle began long before her California debut: growing up in the popular beach tourism hub of Phuket, she picked up her first guitar at age 7, and for years honed her craft busking for crowds at Phuket’s busy Naka Weekend Market while nurturing a lifelong dream of becoming a professional touring musician.

    From the earliest rounds of the competition, Nene captured global attention and earned a spot as an undisputed fan favorite. Her audition performance, a powerful cover of The Cranberries’ *Zombie* that left the show’s judging panel stunned, quickly went viral online, racking up more than 20 million views across social media platforms. Ahead of the season’s final results reveal Wednesday night, Nene shared the stage with legendary American rock band Linkin Park to perform the group’s 2024 track *The Emptiness Machine*, a career milestone that solidified her status as a rising rock talent.

    When host Terry Crews announced her name as the season 21 champion, an overwhelmed Nene collapsed to the stage in tears, unable to immediately process her historic win. “I’m very happy and emotional right now,” she told the crowd after collecting herself, extending gratitude to the millions of fans who supported her throughout the competition.

    Half a world away, Nene’s massive base of Thai fans followed the results show fervently, even though the live NBC broadcast was not available to local viewers. Many turned to a unofficial YouTube livestream to watch the event unfold, only to be thrown into panic when the stream cut out abruptly mid-announcement. Relief and celebration erupted across Thai social media moments later, when word of Nene’s victory spread through online communities.

    “History made!” one Thai user posted on Facebook, while another added, “Let the world write it down that this Thai kid is incredibly talented.”

    The Thai government has joined in the widespread celebration, releasing an official statement Thursday praising Nene for representing her home country with unshakable confidence on the global stage. “What makes this win special is that Nene carried her Thai identity with confidence onto one of the world’s biggest stages,” the country’s public relations department said. “She showed that talent, hard work, and determination can come from anywhere, including a young girl from Phuket with a guitar and a big dream,” the statement added, calling Nene an inspiration to young people everywhere who dare to pursue big dreams.

    In Nene’s Phuket hometown, local community leaders, businesses and her school have also been celebrating her achievement. Local tour guide Piyarat Na Songkhla, who has watched Nene perform since she was a child, told the BBC: “She’s so adorable. I feel so elated and happy for her. It’s unbelievable that she has gone this far. So proud of her.”

    The Naka Weekend Market, where Nene spent years busking for locals and tourists, shared a heartfelt tribute to its former performer on its official Facebook page. “Everyone at Naka Market is so proud to see you shine on one of the biggest stages in the world,” the post read. “Your talent, heart, and courage have inspired so many people, and this victory is a beautiful reminder of what can happen when someone truly gives everything to their dream.”

    Kajonkiet International School, Nene’s Phuket-based secondary school, also shared a public message of congratulations alongside a video of students and staff packing the school common room to watch the final performance, screaming Nene’s name and cheering as her victory was announced. “We are so proud of you,” the school’s post read.

  • Netherlands to return to Eurovision after 2026 boycott

    Netherlands to return to Eurovision after 2026 boycott

    One of Europe’s most iconic annual cultural events is welcoming back a long-time participant after a year of controversy over geopolitical divisions. The Netherlands is set to make its return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, marking an end to the country’s 2026 boycott after the national public broadcasting umbrella organization NPO stepped in to replace the previously participating network Avrotros, which had chosen to withdraw permanently over the contest’s stance on Israel’s participation amid the ongoing Gaza war.

    Avrotros first pulled out of the 2026 competition and extended its non-participation to 2027, arguing that the contest could no longer uphold its long-held commitment to political neutrality amid deep international divisions over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. That withdrawal aligned the Netherlands with four other European nations—Iceland, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia—that also boycotted the 2026 Eurovision event over the same controversy.

    In response to growing global pressure and widespread criticism over the inclusion of a participant involved in an active armed conflict, contest organizer the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) introduced a series of landmark rule changes to address concerns. The most significant of these changes bars any country engaged in armed conflict from hosting the competition, even if its representative wins the grand final. This rule allows Israel to continue competing, but would require the EBU to move the hosting rights to a second-place finisher should Israel secure a win. The EBU also announced planned overhauls to the contest’s voting system, noting that persistent politically motivated voting has become a deep, widely recognized problem that threatens the integrity of the competition.

    These reforms were not enough to convince Avrotros to reverse its boycott, with the network stating that the changes did not go far enough to restore the contest’s historic independent and neutral character. However, NPO, the governing body for all Dutch public broadcasting, has stepped forward to take over the country’s participation, announcing this week that fellow public broadcaster NOS will handle all contest coverage, while a fully independent panel of experts will oversee the selection of the 2027 Dutch entrant.

    NPO Media Director Jurre Bosman emphasized the importance of the Netherlands remaining part of the pan-European event, noting: “It is important that, as a public broadcaster, we remain part of this unifying European event at this moment in particular.” In its official statement, NPO acknowledged that Eurovision continues to provoke deeply mixed feelings across the Netherlands, but added that the EBU has taken significant, tangible steps to revise its contest rules to address concerns. The organization also confirmed it has formally asked the EBU to re-center the contest’s historic unifying mission as a core priority for future events.

    EBU officials welcomed the Netherlands’ decision to return. “We are delighted to welcome the Netherlands back to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027,” Eurovision Director Martin Green said in a statement. “We value the constructive conversations we have had with NPO and look forward to working together to reinforce the Contest as a place that truly reflects the spirit of ‘United By Music.’”

    The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to take place on May 14 in the Bulgarian coastal city of Burgas, following Bulgarian singer Dara’s victory in the 2026 contest with her hit track *Bangaranga*. The 2027 event will also mark a historic milestone for the competition, as Canada is set to make its debut participation after the country’s invitation was announced last month. The Netherlands last competed in Eurovision in 2025, where the country was represented by artist Claude.

  • Uproar in France over award-winning author accused of using AI

    Uproar in France over award-winning author accused of using AI

    The French literary community has been thrown into intense debate following explosive allegations that an award-winning rising literary star used artificial intelligence to ghostwrite his critically acclaimed debut novel. The controversy centers on 38-year-old Canadian-Haitian author Thélyson Orélien, whose novel *C’était ça ou mourir* (translated as It was either that or die) recently took home the Prix du Roman Fnac, the first major literary award of France’s autumn awards season. Orélien has also secured a spot as a finalist for two of the French language’s most prestigious honors, the Goncourt Prize and the Renaudot Prize, whose winners are set to be announced in the coming weeks.

    The accusations first emerged this week from a little-known activist group called Balance ton Claude – a name that references Anthropic’s popular AI chatbot Claude. The group claimed on social media platform X that Orélien’s novel is “almost totally” generated by AI, adding that their testing of multiple random passages from the manuscript delivered a uniform result: 100% AI authorship. The group, whose full membership remains undisclosed, says it used an AI detection tool called Pangram, which it describes as “by far the most accurate” detector on the market, with an almost nonexistent error rate.

    Orélien, who was born in the northern Haitian city of Gonaïves and relocated to Montreal in 2010, has forcefully rejected all claims of misconduct. In an interview with French newspaper Libération, the author pushed back against the allegations, saying, “I have always loved creation and literature. I can’t see why I would feel compelled to use a machine.” He noted that he wrote the first draft of his novel back in 2019 – years before publicly available generative AI text tools became widespread. To prove his authorship, Orélien added that he and his publishing house are currently compiling a full dossier of original drafts and working materials to confirm the work is authentic. “My traditions are Haitian and Caribbean. The images, the repetitions and the rhythms are the living word, they are my own,” he said, emphasizing that the text’s unique cultural voice is inherently his own.

    Orélien’s French publishing house Grasset has also publicly stood behind the author, dismissing the claims as “atrociously injurious to a writer with an exceptional life-story” and affirming that his “work of creation is original and powerful.” Orélien’s debut novel follows the journey of a Haitian teacher who escapes brutal gang violence in his home country, navigating a dangerous path to resettlement in Canada, where he eventually regains “the right to breathe without fear.” The book has already become a breakout commercial hit: Orélien’s Canadian publisher calls it the imprint’s best-selling title in 60 years, with translation rights already sold for roughly 20 languages worldwide.

    This controversy is not without precedent. It echoes a similar dispute from earlier this year, when Trinidadian writer Jamir Nazir had his Commonwealth Short Story Prize temporarily withdrawn in July over unproven AI authorship claims. Organizers eventually reversed the decision and re-awarded the prize to Nazir after concluding his work was entirely authentic.

    Critics of AI detection tools including Pangram argue that these technologies are fundamentally unreliable. Multiple independent studies have shown that detectors frequently mislabel human-written text as AI-generated, while also failing to spot AI-written text that has been lightly edited or paraphrased. Detectors work not by confirming AI authorship, but by flagging linguistic patterns that are commonly associated with AI output – patterns that can naturally appear in human writing, particularly from writers who use non-standard dialects. Detectors are almost always trained on standardized English or French, critics note, meaning they are prone to misclassify writing that draws on Caribbean Creole-influenced linguistic rhythms and structures, such as Orélien’s work.

    Defenders of the detection method, however, including the Balance ton Claude group, claim that Pangram’s error rate is extraordinarily low: just one incorrect flag of an AI-generated text for every 24,400 analyses. Unlike older plagiarism checkers that compare new text to existing published works, modern AI detectors analyze statistical and probabilistic patterns in text to identify linguistic signatures that indicate AI generation.

    As generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into creative fields, this high-profile dispute will only amplify ongoing conversations about what counts as authentic original writing, and what level of AI involvement – if any – is acceptable in literary work. It is increasingly common for writers to use AI as an editing tool for human-written work, or to generate a rough AI draft that is then heavily revised into an original piece, creating a gray area that the literary world has not yet fully regulated. For now, the ball is in Orélien’s court as he prepares to present evidence of his authorship, while the French literary world waits to see how the controversy will affect his standing in the upcoming Goncourt and Renaudot Prize selections.

  • Angry Anderson, rock star who soundtracked Kylie’s wedding in Neighbours, dies aged 79

    Angry Anderson, rock star who soundtracked Kylie’s wedding in Neighbours, dies aged 79

    Beloved Australian rock icon Angry Anderson, best known to global audiences for his hit single that soundtracked one of the most iconic television weddings in pop culture history, has passed away at the age of 79. Born Gary Anderson in 1947 in Melbourne, he carved out a decades-long, influential career in rock music that left an enduring mark both in his home country and across the world.

    Anderson first stepped into the spotlight in 1976 as the founding frontman of Rose Tattoo, a hard rock outfit that quickly earned a reputation as one of Australia’s most revered and respected bands. The group made its official recording debut in 1978 with their self-titled first album, and went on to release four more full-length records before an initial split in 1987, when Anderson shifted his focus to a solo career.

    It was that same year that Anderson’s most famous work, *Suddenly*, co-written and released by the singer in summer 1987, became a global phenomenon. Kylie Minogue, who starred as Charlene Mitchell on the hit Australian soap opera *Neighbours*, insisted the track be used for Charlene’s 1988 wedding to Jason Donovan’s character Scott Robinson. Anderson would later say that *Suddenly* was the finest song he ever wrote, and the exposure from the wedding scene — which drew 20 million viewers in the United Kingdom alone — catapulted the track to the top 3 of the singles charts in both the UK and Australia, only blocked from the number one spot in Australia by Minogue’s own debut solo hit *The Loco-Motion*.

    After releasing two solo albums, Anderson reunited with Rose Tattoo in 1993 to open for legendary rock band Guns N’ Roses on their Australian tour. The band reformed permanently for headline touring in 1998, and capped their legacy with induction into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2006. Beyond his rock career, Anderson stretched into theater, playing the role of Herod in an Australian stage production of *Jesus Christ Superstar*, and earned widespread recognition for his community work: he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993 for his advocacy for young people and extensive charitable service.

    Just one month before his death, Anderson suffered a cardiac arrest while Rose Tattoo was on a farewell tour across Europe. He received immediate medical care overseas before returning to Australia to recover, and the band canceled nine scheduled tour dates in the wake of the medical incident.

    Tributes have poured in from across the entertainment industry following news of his passing. Jason Donovan shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, writing: “Legend! What a great guy. Another great Australian. Thank you Angry for all the wonderful music and memories. Condolences to all friends and family.”

    In a joint statement released by Anderson’s family and Rose Tattoo, the singer was remembered as a “devoted father, and much-loved bandmate.” The statement added: “His loss will be deeply felt by all those who knew and loved him both here in Australia and overseas. We thank everyone for their prayers and messages of love and continued support.”

  • Dolly Parton’s manager accuses her nephew of ‘threats and intimidation’

    Dolly Parton’s manager accuses her nephew of ‘threats and intimidation’

    Just weeks after iconic country music star Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80 in August, a high-stakes public conflict has erupted over control of her sprawling professional and personal legacy, pitting her long-time management team against her own nephew, Bryan Seaver. The dispute became official this week when court documents were unsealed, revealing that She’s Alive — the entity that manages Parton’s business empire and estate assets, led by her long-time manager Danny Nozell — has filed for a temporary civil restraining order against Seaver.

    Seaver, the son of Parton’s sister Cassie, is no stranger to the star’s inner circle: his security firm has provided close protection for Parton for more than two decades, and he rose to the role of head of security for all of Parton’s properties. He was also handpicked by Parton years ago to announce her death to the public, a task he carried out in a somber August video posted to Parton’s official Instagram that was seen by millions of fans worldwide.

    According to court filings submitted in Nashville on Tuesday, She’s Alive accuses Seaver of launching what it calls “an obscene, deliberate and escalating campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion” against estate staff and leadership. The management entity claims Seaver has demanded a large payout from the Parton estate, and has openly threatened to dismantle the legendary star’s professional brand if his demands are not met.

    Court papers quote a series of text and email exchanges attributed to Seaver, including one message where he allegedly claimed he would become “the hand of retribution for my entire family.” In another, he is reported to have written: “I’m going to set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us. It’s going to be great. Or [expletive] pay me.” The filings also allege that Seaver leaned on his background as a military contractor to intimidate employees, claiming he stated in an email to one of Parton’s attorneys that he is a “killer” who had sold $27 million worth of arms and ammunition to Haitian police on the day of Parton’s death, adding: “All I do is warfare… Everyone needs to be worried about what I might do.”

    She’s Alive’s filings note that the alleged campaign of intimidation has already had tangible consequences: multiple employees and legal representatives working for Parton’s trusts and estate have resigned over safety concerns, and the company has been forced to hire additional private security for staff at their workplaces and personal residences.

    Seaver has forcefully denied all allegations of wrongdoing, pushing back against the narrative laid out by the estate. In a statement sent to celebrity outlet TMZ, Seaver argues that the text messages and emails cited in the court filings have been deliberately taken out of context to paint him as a villain. “Nothing in this lawsuit were threats and most of the comments I stand by,” he said, adding that many of the exchanged messages were nothing more than emotional “rage talk” between grieving family and trusted allies in the days immediately following Parton’s death.

    Addressing the comments about his military and arms contracting work, Seaver confirmed that he is indeed a career military contractor who conducts legitimate arms deals for foreign governments, but emphasized that his comments were made “talking frankly in a private way with Danny who I thought was my friend,” not as a threat.

    Last week, shortly before the restraining order filing, Seaver was abruptly fired from his role as head of security for Parton’s properties by She’s Alive. At the time, Seaver and his firm called the dismissal “unexpected” and “unexplained,” and issued a statement pushing back against the estate’s leadership: “We refuse to be intimidated by those whose actions we believe are being taken in bad faith and with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much.”

    Nozell, who took over as Parton’s full-time manager in 2004 after joining her team as a tour consultant, has long been credited with reviving Parton’s international career, repositioning her from a beloved “heritage act” to a global superstar in the 2010s. Following Parton’s death, Nozell released a statement saying Parton had worked up until her final day on upcoming projects, and had spent years working with her handpicked team to build a long-term roadmap for her legacy that would extend for decades after her passing. “She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy,” he said last month.

    Now, that carefully planned roadmap has been upended by a very public tug-of-war over the future of the icon’s legacy, as the two sides prepare for a drawn-out legal fight. The BBC has reached out to both Seaver and She’s Alive for additional comment on the ongoing dispute, and has not yet received additional responses from either party.

  • Ella Langley’s Choosin’ Texas becomes longest-running number one in US chart history

    Ella Langley’s Choosin’ Texas becomes longest-running number one in US chart history

    Country music newcomer Ella Langley has made global chart history, with her breakout hit *Choosin’ Texas* unseating Mariah Carey’s decades-old holiday staple *All I Want for Christmas Is You* to claim the title of the longest-running number one single in U.S. Billboard chart history.

    Released in October 2025, the gritty, bittersweet track tells the story of a woman in Tennessee grappling with the quiet realization that her partner’s heart remains tied to his home state of Texas — and to another woman. It first climbed to the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in February 2026, and has now held the number one position for a historic 23 weeks. The track also crossed the Atlantic to top the UK Singles Chart in early September 2026, knocking off Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s *Rein Me In* — a track that itself had already matched the 23-week UK record for the longest-running chart-topper.

    The unexpected origin story of *Choosin’ Texas* dates back to a 2024 songwriting retreat, where the track grew out of a casual conversation between Langley and co-writer, acclaimed country star Miranda Lambert. Lambert shared a wild anecdote about being pulled over by police years earlier, with a pet kangaroo in the passenger seat of her car and a dog in the back. To Lambert’s surprise, the stunned officer let her off without a ticket. Langley’s offhand response — that the officer must have known Lambert was Texas, given the chaotic scene in the vehicle — sparked the opening lyric that launched the entire song: “She’s from Texas, I can tell.” Over just 30 minutes, Langley, Lambert, and fellow co-writers Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor built out the full narrative that became the hit track.

    After its first live preview in February 2025, Langley says she immediately knew *Choosin’ Texas* would be the lead single for her sophomore studio album *Dandelion*. Even so, the 27-year-old artist, who is originally from Alabama, never anticipated the scale of its success. “We loved that song, but I don’t think I could ever have imagined what’s happening with it right now,” Langley told Billboard in a recent interview. “Every day I wake up and it’s doing something that I didn’t even know was a goal I could have had. It’s crazy, it’s nuts.”

    That unprecedented chart run translated to a historic sweep at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards in May, where Langley took home all seven awards she was nominated for. The haul included top honors for Female Artist of the Year, Artist-Songwriter of the Year, and both Single and Song of the Year for *Choosin’ Texas*.

    Langley’s record caps a decades-long shift in how chart longevity is measured, a change directly tied to the rise of streaming as the dominant form of music consumption. For 23 years, the record for longest-running number one was held by Carey and Boyz II Men’s *One Sweet Day*, which spent 16 weeks at the top spot. That mark was tied by Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi’s 2017 global hit *Despacito* (with a remix featuring Justin Bieber), before Lil Nas X’s genre-bending *Old Town Road* broke the record in 2019 with 19 weeks at number one. Carey’s *All I Want for Christmas Is You* later claimed the top spot, boosted by its annual return to streaming rotations every holiday season, which pushed it to a cumulative 22 weeks at number one before Langley’s track overtook it.

    While *Choosin’ Texas*’ success is a career-defining win for the rising country star, its unbroken 23-week run at the top has reignited long-simmering criticism of major streaming platforms. Critics argue that algorithmic curation and user behavior on streaming services encourage repeated listens of already popular, familiar hits, creating a chart bottleneck that blocks new and emerging artists from breaking through to mainstream audiences. A 2022 investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority underscored this imbalance, finding that more than 60% of all music streams globally go to recordings from just the top 0.4% of signed artists. As historic chart records continue to fall to already breakout hits, the debate over whether streaming is nurturing new talent or locking in industry stagnation is growing louder.

  • Autopsy shows Hayden Panettiere died from a drug overdose

    Autopsy shows Hayden Panettiere died from a drug overdose

    Former Hollywood child star and television actor Hayden Panettiere, known for her leading roles on hit U.S. series *Heroes* and *Nashville*, died from combined drug toxicity involving fentanyl, Xanax and multiple other controlled substances, official autopsy results from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office in South Carolina have confirmed.

    The coroner’s investigation has ruled the 36-year-old’s death an accidental overdose, with no physical trauma identified as a contributing factor to her passing. Panettiere was found unresponsive at a private residence in South Carolina last month, and first responders immediately deployed advanced cardiac life support protocols upon arrival, though all resuscitation attempts ultimately failed, per the coroner’s official statement.

    Toxicology screens also detected two additional prescription medications in Panettiere’s system: methocarbamol, a common muscle relaxant, and quetiapine, an antipsychotic prescribed to manage a range of mood and mental health disorders. Panettiere had been open for years about her long-standing struggles with substance use disorder, and just months before her death, she released a memoir that detailed her experiences with addiction and postpartum depression at length.

    According to the initial police report filed on the day of Panettiere’s death, her ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson — who has previously publicly admitted to physically abusing Panettiere — and Hickerson’s brother Zack were present at the residence when emergency medical services arrived. Local law enforcement has been joined by agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in their ongoing investigation into the source of the drugs involved in Panettiere’s overdose.

    Panettiere’s death has thrown a renewed spotlight on the well-documented crisis of substance abuse among former child entertainers, an issue often linked to the extreme industry pressure and early public scrutiny that young performers face throughout their careers. It also comes amid the ongoing nationwide opioid epidemic in the U.S., where illicitly manufactured fentanyl has killed more than 300,000 Americans across the last five years, according to federal public health data.

  • ‘Our dream to join Dosanjh on stage came true’

    ‘Our dream to join Dosanjh on stage came true’

    For any die-hard music fan, sharing the stage with their favorite artist is a fantasy reserved for daydreams. For Wolverhampton-based dance school owners Ravneet and Pritpal Mann, that fantasy became a joyful reality last Friday at Diljit Dosanjh’s sold-out Birmingham show at Utilita Arena.

    The husband-and-wife team, who have shared a love of Bhangra dance and Dosanjh’s music for 15 years, have attended multiple stops on the star’s tours across the UK – from a 2022 Leeds show to last week’s historic Wembley Stadium performance. Dressed in custom Dosanjh t-shirts and standing front-row at the Birmingham gig, the pair never imagined the surprise that awaited them.

    Ravneet, who has co-run the Jodi Dancers school with Pritpal for eight years, said she spent the entire week leading up to the show manifesting the moment. “I kept saying all week, ‘we will get on stage, we will do this’, and it actually happened,” she explained. The interaction unfolded organically: Dosanjh first gestured a heart toward Ravneet, which she said alone was enough to make her night. When Pritpal signaled the couple’s love of Bhangra dance, the star nodded and gave a quiet gesture that he would bring them up – and two songs later, he called the pair onto the stage.

    “I literally grabbed Pritpal’s arm and ran,” Ravneet recalled, laughing that she was so overcome with excitement she temporarily forgot her husband was beside her. Pritpal described the entire moment as a blissful blur, a rush of pure adrenaline and excitement that still feels surreal days later. “This is what cloud nine must feel like,” he said of the experience, which was captured on camera by waiting family members off-stage.

    The couple said dancing alongside Dosanjh on stage was the best moment of their lives, and praised the superstar for his down-to-earth, warm demeanor. “He was so nice, genuinely nice,” Ravneet said. “All we’ve ever wanted in our life is to be able to dance with him… and it happened in an organic way… and to do it together.” Before the pair left the stage, Dosanjh gifted them a custom box with branded hoodies and autographed their event t-shirts – keepsakes the couple say they will treasure forever.

    The surprise on-stage invite comes at a historic moment for Dosanjh’s UK tour: just last week, the Punjabi singing sensation became the first artist from his region to ever headline London’s iconic Wembley Stadium, marking a landmark milestone for Punjabi music on the global stage. The couple, who met through their shared passion for dance, currently run weekly Bhangra classes across Wolverhampton, Telford and Oldbury, and say this moment will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

  • Red Sea Film Festival cancelled as Israeli-US war on Iran hits Saudi Arabia

    Red Sea Film Festival cancelled as Israeli-US war on Iran hits Saudi Arabia

    One of the Arab world’s most high-profile international cinema gatherings has been pulled from its upcoming 2025 calendar, with organizers announcing the sixth iteration of the Red Sea Film Festival will not take place as planned, and will instead relaunch in the final quarter of 2027. The event, which was set to run from December 3 to 12 in the Saudi Arabian coastal city of Jeddah, becomes the second major international cultural and sporting event canceled in the kingdom this year, as escalating regional conflicts tied to the ongoing Israel-U.S. military campaign against Iran and Saudi Arabia’s intensifying standoff with Yemen’s Houthi movement create widespread disruption for Saudi Arabia’s high-profile global outreach initiatives.

    In an official statement, festival organizers framed the cancellation as a decision rooted in practical logistical planning rather than directly naming the ongoing regional conflicts. The statement noted that the choice followed a full review of multiple factors affecting the timing of the next edition, including the complex operational demands of hosting a large-scale international gathering of this caliber. Organizers added that the event would only return when both the timing and broader conditions are aligned to support a successful festival, promising a renewed vision when it relaunches in 2027 that will continue to celebrate cinematic work from Saudi filmmakers, regional creators, and storytellers across the globe.

    The cancellation marks a significant setback for Saudi Arabia’s years-long economic and cultural diversification campaign, which has centered on expanding the kingdom’s footprint in global entertainment, tourism, and creative industries to cut its historic dependence on oil exports. Launched in 2019, shortly after Saudi Arabia ended its 35-year nationwide ban on commercial cinemas, the Red Sea Film Festival and its accompanying Red Sea Souk industry market quickly grew into a flagship event for the kingdom’s creative economy push. The annual gathering has drawn top executives from major global media companies including Netflix, Amazon, and Disney, alongside leading regional players such as MBC, establishing Jeddah as a key hub for regional and international film collaboration.

    Regional security tensions have already disrupted another major Saudi international event this year: Formula One called off the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which was scheduled to take place in April at the iconic Jeddah Corniche Circuit, in response to ongoing fallout from the Israel-U.S. military campaign in Iran. The security environment across the Red Sea region has deteriorated sharply in recent months, as the Houthi movement, which controls large swathes of northern Yemen, has stepped up attacks on Saudi urban centers, critical oil infrastructure, and commercial shipping transiting the Red Sea—one of the world’s busiest and most economically vital maritime trade routes.

    When the Red Sea Film Festival eventually returns in 2027, it will face stiffer regional competition for industry attention: the Dubai International Film Festival, a long-standing regional rival, is set to relaunch its own edition this December on the 8th, filling the gap left by the Red Sea event’s cancellation and consolidating the United Arab Emirates’ own position as a leading creative hub in the Middle East.

  • ‘I’m so, so sorry’: Ed Sheeran addresses Gaza on stage after losing every opening act

    ‘I’m so, so sorry’: Ed Sheeran addresses Gaza on stage after losing every opening act

    A weeks-long controversy over pro-Palestine advocacy on Ed Sheeran’s North American tour has culminated in the British pop star breaking his public silence, labeling Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as unjustifiable and issuing an apology to fans following widespread international backlash. The dispute traces back to early this month, when American rapper Macklemore — a scheduled opening act for Sheeran’s ongoing Loop Tour — took the stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium wearing a traditional keffiyeh. Performing before a crowd of over 80,000, Macklemore openly voiced his support for Palestinian people and played his pro-Palestine anthem *Hind’s Hall*, sparking immediate pushback from pro-Israel advocacy groups. These groups quickly launched a public petition demanding Macklemore be removed from all upcoming tour dates, escalating pressure on tour organizers and venue stakeholders. The confrontation came to a head ahead of Sheeran’s planned back-to-back shows at Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium, scheduled for September 25 and 26. The stadium’s owner, billionaire Robert Kraft — a self-described outspoken supporter of Israel who reaffirmed his commitment to the Jewish state in a 2019 comment — issued an ultimatum: remove Macklemore from the lineup, or the entire shows would be canceled. Kraft also lobbied other tour venue owners to join the pressure campaign, forcing tour stakeholders to make a forced choice. Last week, Macklemore announced via social media that he had been dropped from the tour due to Kraft’s ultimatum. The rapper’s disclosure triggered a wave of solidarity across the tour’s supporting acts: one by one, all remaining opening acts announced they would withdraw from the tour in protest of Macklemore’s removal and in support of Palestinian rights. Among the artists who pulled out was Grammy-winning producer and musician Finneas, brother of pop star Billie Eilish, who wrote on Instagram, “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” adding that he stood with the Palestinian people. Other withdrawing acts included Irish performers Aaron Rowe and Beoga, and Danish pop group Lukas Graham. The mass withdrawal led to major disruptions for Sheeran’s first show following the controversy, a performance at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field: the concert start time was delayed by two and a half hours, and Sheeran ultimately performed the entire set without any supporting acts. When Sheeran finally took the stage, he addressed the controversy for the first time publicly, telling the gathered crowd, “I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions and I am making mistakes and I’m so, so sorry.” Moving past his earlier statement that he would not use his platform to comment on the conflict, Sheeran explicitly called Israel’s war on Gaza “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.” Hours before the Philadelphia show began, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the venue to voice their criticism of the decision to remove Macklemore, demonstrating ahead of the performance. Just days before his on-stage comments, Sheeran had responded to criticism on social media, arguing that the decision to remove Macklemore had not been his, but rather a choice forced on the tour by promoters and venue owners. He added that he had previously chosen to stay silent on what he called Israel’s genocide in Gaza to avoid mixing his platform with political speech. In the wake of his removal from the tour, Macklemore has drawn broad support from fans and public figures across the globe. Last week, he pledged to donate the entire $1 million he earned from his opening sets on Sheeran’s tour to six organizations working to support Palestinian people. Within days of his announcement, popular children’s content creator Ms. Rachel said she would match Macklemore’s $1 million pledge, donating the sum to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. “I will match Macklemore’s donation, and I invite every wealthy white celebrity to match it and speak out against the genocide in Gaza,” she said in her public announcement.