Speaking from a private plane on his way to The Hague, former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said he is “responsible” for the drug crackdown that landed him an ICC arrest warrant and he will protect the police and military from consequences.
Rihanna has reportedly cancelled a string of gigs in London.
Sources had claimed that the pop superstar was due to headline the iconic Glastonbury Festival, which has since announced its line-up and is yet to include the Work singer. As well as the slot at Glastonbury, it had also been reported that Rihanna would be heading to London for a special residency, with six dates at the iconic London Stadium.
At the time, The Telegraph reported that Rihanna had been planning to do six gigs in July at West Ham’s stadium – but now, it is being reported that she has pulled out of the idea because her music isn’t ready.
The gigs were expected to take place between July 4th and July 12th, with rumours aloo circulating that she could also head to Glastonbury Festival whilst in the UK. Rihanna was due to headline the festival in 2023, before pulling out after falling pregnant.
Rihanna has reportedly made a decision over her London gigs (AFP via Getty Images)
“Rihanna hasn’t toured in over eight years and the plan to get her back on stage has been ongoing for at least three. She had been eager to get back to it because the demand is certainly there, but she got cold feet”, a source has claimed to The Sun.
“It doesn’t feel like the right time and she dropped the bombshell last week that she doesn’t want to go ahead with the concerts in July as had been planned. The announcement of the shows had already been delayed, but as Rihanna fans are used to doing, they will just have to keep on waiting”.
If Rihanna did make a huge comeback this summer, it would mark a huge nine years since her last album, with Anti released in 2016. Speaking recently about her decision to release new music, she said: “I think music is my freedom. I just came to that realisation. I just cracked the code on what I really want to do for my next body of work”.
She added to Harper’s Bazaar: “I am actually feeling really good about this. I know I kept saying this over the years. There’s no genre now. That’s why I waited. Every time, I was just like, ‘ No, it’s not me. It’s not right. It’s not matching my growth. It’s not matching my evolution. I can’t do this. I can’t stand by this. I can’t perform this for a year on tour. ‘
” After a while, I looked at it, and I was like, this much time away from music needs to count for the next thing everyone hears. It has to count. It has to matter. I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre. After waiting eight years, you might as well just wait some more. “
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The head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States has announced the elimination of more than two dozen air and water protections.
In a statement on social media, administrator Lee Zeldin said that the EPA would slash protections regulating areas such as tailpipe pollution, waterway protections and power plant emissions.
“EPA is initiating 31 historic actions to Power the Great American Comeback in the greatest day of deregulation in American history”! Zeldin wrote.
The move comes as President Donald Trump and his allies continue their push to dismantle or radically restructure the federal agencies they see as obstacles to their agenda.
Among the regulations Zeldin identified were standards concerning mercury and other air-based toxins released from coal-fired power plants.
He also said he would reform regulations surrounding coal ash, a dangerous byproduct of the burning process that often contains carcinogens and heavy metals that can pollute waterways.
Climate-change initiatives were also in the crosshairs of Wednesday’s announcement.
“We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion to drive down cost of living for American families, unleash American energy, bring auto jobs back to the US and more”, Zeldin said in an accompanying statement.
As part of his announcement, Zeldin expressed support for rewriting a 2009 EPA finding that declares that pollutants that worsen climate change — like greenhouse gases — are a danger to public health and welfare.
Under his leadership, the EPA is also set to abolish a series of offices set up to address disproportionate levels of pollution — and commensurate health issues — in low-income areas across the country.
“President Trump wants us to help usher in a golden age in America that is for all Americans, regardless of race, gender, background”, Zeldin said of the move.
Conservatives in the US have long sought to curtail environmental protections that they say constrain businesses. In that vein, Trump has issued an executive order calling on federal agencies to repeal 10 regulations for every new one they impose.
He has also signalled a shift away from clean energy initiatives, often repeating the slogan “drill, baby, drill” on the campaign trail. He has asserted that “clean coal” and unregulated oil and natural gas exploration could boost the US economy.
Within the federal government, Trump has also pushed an agenda of widespread layoffs, in the name of reducing alleged fraud and wasteful spending.
The EPA, for example, is slated to cut about 65 percent of its workforce.
Environmental protection groups have responded with anger to Wednesday’s deregulation push, noting that many of the rules singled out have played a central role in tackling air and water pollution.
“President Trump and his allies have no regard for the wellbeing of people living in America and care only about protecting the profits of polluters”, said Chitra Kumar, the managing director of the climate and energy programme at the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy organisation.
Bridgerton star Simone Ashley opened up about the importance of diversity as she discussed her new romantic-comedy, Picture This.
The Sex Education icon, who was born to Tamil parents, stars as photographer Pia – who is juggling a failing business while dealing with the arrival of her ex and her parents ‘ concern for her love life. The feel-good movie was released on Amazon Prime Video on 6 March and also stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin.
On Tuesday, following the release of the movie, Simone sat down for a chat on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast and discussed her pride at finally having diverse representation on screens as she never got to see it growing up. Simone, who said she wanted to be Cameron Diaz when she was young, revealed: “I loved all the characters she played, but the girls that looked like me were always the side chick or just the one that didn’t win and that didn’t reflect my real life because I’ve won in real life in many ways”.
She added: “I would say the younger me is kind of like, ‘ Oh my gosh, we did a rom com and it’s an Indian girl leading it! ‘” Although she wishes she could have seen diverse characters when she was younger, she hopes Picture This helps with it. She said: “To put it simply… When it comes to this movie, I just want brown women to have it and to just win”!
Simone stars in Picture This with Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Courtesy of Prime)
“I hope that I can help other women and other girls that look like me go, ‘ It’s possible’. And I grew up watching all the 90s rom coms like My Best Friend’s Wedding, all the Julia Roberts ones, all the Anne Hathaway ones, all the Cameron Diaz ones”. She went on to compare herself to the many iconic rom com characters of the 90s.
Simone continued: “I’ve also had chaos in real life in many ways, like Bridget Jones. The reason why I wanted to do this movie]Picture This] was because I wanted to show the world just the human side of someone and then celebrate the culture at the same time. I think things would have just felt a bit more normal and accessible]for younger me]”.
In the new movie, Pia meets a series of suitors, portrayed by the likes of comedian Asim Chaudhry, Starstruck’s Nikesh Patel and Ted Lasso’s Phil Dunster, while avoiding her first love Charlie (played by Fiennes Tiffin). While reviewers have called the film standard rom-com fare, they all agreed that Ashley is a major star in the making thanks to her stellar lead performance.
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Beyoncé has been branded “greedy” by some of her fans who have complained about the price of tickets for her Cowboy Carter Tour.
The 43-year-old Texas Hold ‘ Em musician, who recently took home Album of the Year, Country Album of the Year and Best Country Duo Performance at the Grammy Awards, will be performing across North America and Europe, including six nights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London from June 5 to June 16. Prices range from £71.60 to £950 (including fees) with a per-order handling fee of £2.75.
But weeks after tickets were released, it appears that they are struggling to sell, with Pop Stuff claiming that “the tour has barely sold out 3/30 shows”. According to the channel, which regularly shares music updates, 27 shows still have “a lot of unsold tickets”.
The singer accepts the Best Country Album award at the Grammys on February 2 (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Fans were quick to comment, with many of them saying that tickets are too expensive, and more people would buy them if they were cheaper. A person wrote: “We BROKE”. Another added: “The tickets are too expensive. That’s the story”. One more said: “lower the price we’ll come. we genuinely are just broke”. A fourth tweeted: “you can go to a 2-3 day festival for the same price, and experience/see more”.
Someone else added: “I think it was bad timing because she is greedy. Her fans run out of money because her tickets are expensive, and she was just on tour recently”. But other fans defended Beyoncé, saying she is not the one setting the price of tickets, while blaming websites selling them.
One wrote: “Beyoncé doesn’t set the prices of the tickets. ‘ She ‘ is not greedy, these ticket company are”. A fan added: “That is not what’s happened at all…. Ticket prices have gone through the roof thanks to Ticketmaster and ppl simply can’t afford it, here in the UK there’s buckin honey tickets being sold for just under £1, 000 it’s wild”!
Beyoncé performs onstage during the Renaissance World Tour in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in July 2023 (WireImage for Parkwood)
A third said: “This is stupid. Everyone is starting to catch onto Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing algorithm. When tickets went live during the pre-sale the tickets were $1, 100 (£848) on average. Now they’re at $700 (£540). Fans realized that they need to wait until day-of of the get the best price. That’s all”.
Last month, when fans got a first look at the prices, they quickly rushed to social media to complain. One French fan wrote: “€1100 Beyonce’s VIPs just to be in the middle of the stage and not even meet her is ABUSE”. Another angered fan said: “BEYONCE WHAT ARE THESE PRICES… OH LONDON BEYHIVE ITS SO OVER… F**K YOU TICKETMASTER”.
One added: “Gonna save this beyonce money and go see gaga instead lowkeyyy”. Another furious fan posted: “Beyonce not selling standing tickets for less than £220. She is a scammer just like Ticketmaster!!! YES I did say that”. One joked: “The fomo leaving my body once I heard the Beyoncé ticket prices”.
