Entertainment

A pug who escaped being someone’s meal in the South Korea is the winner of this year’s “World’s Ugliest Dog” competition held in Northern California.

The 6-year-old pug with her tongue hanging out of her mouth named Jinny Lu took home the crown at this year’s annual event at the Sonoma County fair in Santa Rosa on Aug. 14.

No stranger to the contest, Jinny Lu’s determination paid off after traveling from Ukiah to enter the contest four times before taking home first place this year.

The pup was rescued and adopted by Michelle Grady through her pug rescue organization four years ago from South Korea’s dog meat market.

“She absolutely loves competition, meeting everyone, and everything the event stands for,” Grady told the Press Democrat about her pooch.

“When she’s not entertaining her family, Jinny Lu is an ambassador for rescue dogs,” organizers said in a post about the winner.

“She visits elementary schools, hospice patients, and memory care facilities, helping spread an important message: every pet deserves a chance, no matter how different they may look.”

Beyond bragging rights as the pooch with the most unconventional looks, Jinny Lu also took home $5,000 and earned a trip to New York City for an appearance on the “Today” show.

Jinny Lu will also appear on limited-edition MUG Root Beer cans as sponsors of the event for the third year in row.

The contest brought out pugs, chihuahuas, Chinese-Crested/Gremlin, mixed breeds of all shapes and sizes from across the country and around the world, including a 12-year-old Chinese Crested from Poland, all vying for this year’s coveted title.

A total of nine pups entered the contest alongside their owners. In second place was Pinky, a Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix owned by Laura Brown of Redwood City. Pinky got to take home $3,000 in prize money.

The third place title went to Otto, a 2-year-old Chihuahua mix from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The dog’s owner Melinda Berry said Otto has a bilateral cleft lip and a cleft palette, noting dogs with the same birth defect don’t make it. Otto took home $2,000 prize money

The event is hosted by the Sonoma-Marin Agriculture Association and promotes adoption and rescue of animals.

Organizers said the competition — which has been going on for more than 50 years — is less about celebrating the ugliest pooch and more about recognizing all dogs, no matter how they look, deserve a forever home.

(New York Post)

Popular Sri Lankan vocalist Umaria Sinhawansa has revealed her private struggles with severe depression, career sabotage, and relentless body-shaming while celebrating two decades in the music industry.

Speaking in an interview on the Mirror Arts YouTube channel with journalist Dinitha Jayaratne, the award-winning artist outlined both her professional achievements and the personal trauma that shaped her career in Colombo.

Reflecting on her early years in the entertainment sector, the singer disclosed that intense bullying over her complexion and body shape led to a year-long battle with severe depression and suicidal thoughts, which she overcame through family support and her commitment to music.

Addressing widespread industry pressure to alter her appearance, Sinhawansa emphasized that she takes pride in the facial features inherited from her Indonesian father and firmly rejects plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures.

Her experiences with body-shaming has prompted her to partner with the One Promise Foundation to advocate for youth mental health awareness.

Turning to her professional milestones, she described performing a live duet with the late Pundit W.D. Amaradeva as one of her greatest honours, while recalling the rigorous physical regimen of singing on a treadmill for six months to build stamina for her recent solo concert.

Her candid disclosures highlight the broader societal necessity of confronting cyberbullying, body-shaming, and mental health stigma within Sri Lanka's creative industries.

Fans can expect the release of the lead single from her debut album in the coming days, ahead of the full album launch scheduled for the final week of August.

Singer Umariya Sinhawansa has pushed back against intense social media backlash over her stage attire, dismissing baseless online claims and urging critics to focus on the country's urgent national issues instead.

A targeted campaign on digital platforms attempted to undermine the widely acclaimed vocalist by circulating misleading commentary regarding her appearance during a recent live concert.

Social media users falsely claimed that the artist performed without a top, sparking widespread sensationalism online.

The controversy was quickly cleared up when it was confirmed that the visible item was simply a piece of body tape commonly used in costume design to secure wardrobe pieces during live shows.

Addressing the claims on her official Facebook page, Sinhawansa said that individuals spreading fabricated rumors to gain online views ought to direct their attention toward pressing national problems.

She said that those who lacked an understanding of stage fashion should be educated that the material was merely body tape and not what onlookers had wrongly assumed.

She noted that people resorting to demeaning behavior for social media traffic would ultimately face the consequences of their actions.

She questioned whether such individuals would be better off engaging with real societal challenges, while expressing gratitude to fans and colleagues who publicly stood by her.

Warner Bros. is developing a reimaging of the ’90s family adventure movie, “Free Willy,” produced by Anthony and Joe Russo’s AGBO.

The team has tapped Mary-Margaret Kunze (“Miller’s Girl,” “Icebreaker”) and Jade Halley Bartlett (“Miller’s Girl,” “The Boroughs”) to write a screenplay for the new movie.

Released in 1993, “Free Willy,” about an orphaned boy who befriends a captive orca, became a global phenomenon, grossing $153.7 million worldwide on a $20 million budget. (Michael Jackson’s theme song “Will You Be There” also became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and went platinum.)

“Free Willy” spawned multiple theatrical sequels, an animated television series, and a direct-to-video continuation. The movie, which starred an orca named Keiko, also dispelled myths about the killer whale and inspired activism around their captivity.

AGBO’s Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco and Kassee Whiting will produce the film with executive producers including the Russo brothers and Lauren Shuler Donner, who has been behind the franchise since the original film. Courtney Baker is co-producing. Jesse Ehrman and Cate Adams are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio.

Kunze and Bartlett are creative partners under the Biscuit Belly Productions banner. In 2024, Bartlett made her directorial debut with Lionsgate’s “Miller’s Girl,” which she wrote and directed with Kunze producing. The script, which Bartlett adapted from her original play, was featured on the Black List in 2016; she made the list in 2017 with “Mad,” based on Chloe Espoisto’s novel. Most recently, she created the Netflix series “Icebreaker,” based on the novel by Hannah Grace.

Kunze most recently served as a non-writing co-executive producer on “The Boroughs” from the Duffer Brothers and Netflix. Her resume also includes serving as a non-writing executive producer on “A House on the Bayou” and “The Thing About Pam,” for Blumhouse Television, as well as a term as a creative executive at Marvel Television and co-producer on “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Cloak & Dagger,” “Daredevil” and “The Runaways.”

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is still catching new records as the Tom Holland-led movie continues its impressive start at the box office.

Sony Pictures announced Thursday that director Destin Daniel Cretton‘s film has landed the highest-grossing first week in domestic box office history.

It has surpassed $500 million in North America in its first seven days, becoming the fastest film to reach that half-billion milestone by supplanting Avengers: Endgame, which hit the threshold in eight days after opening in April 2019.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has notched records at a head-spinning pace, which includes scoring the best-ever domestic box office sums for a Monday and a Tuesday. Brand New Day became the second-fastest feature to cross the billion-dollar mark globally when Sony announced Tuesday morning that it reached the threshold in six days, bested only by Endgame.

Over the weekend, Brand New Day was in a neck-and-neck battle with Endgame for the biggest domestic opening weekend ever. On Monday morning, Sony confirmed that Spidey had indeed prevailed to claim the crown with $360 million, surpassing Endgame’s $357.1 million domestic start, although the latter’s $1.2 billion global launch still held the record for its worldwide opening weekend.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day also set records for the biggest Thursday previews and top Friday domestic sum, along with giving Sony its best-ever opening weekend. Hailing from producers Marvel Studios and Amy Pascal, it carries a $225 million production budget.

Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal and Mark Ruffalo also star in the new movie from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings filmmaker Cretton. It sees Marvel Comics’ signature hero enduring a lonely existence without his loved ones before an invisible enemy tracks him down.

During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman noted that audience interest in stars Holland and Zendaya does not appear to be a passing trend.

“They’re not popular because they’re popular,” the exec emphasized. “They’re popular because they’re talented, and they deserve their popularity. They’re lovely, decent, grounded, good-valued people, and they work really hard. So they’ve earned every ounce of their success.”

Sony projects that Brand New Day will continue attracting audiences in the coming weeks as the summer starts winding down. Its second weekend will encounter fresh competition from such wide releases as One Night Only, Super Troopers 3 and Ice Cream Man.

A television series based on the blockbuster “Fast & Furious” movie franchise is being developed for the Peacock streaming service, NBCUniversal said on Monday.

Vin Diesel, who plays Dominic Toretto in the films, announced that the series was coming to the small screen at a presentation to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall. 

At the event, Diesel said four TV shows were in the works. An NBCUniversal press release distributed later in the day listed only one “Fast & ⁠Furious” show in development.

The actor said he was initially hesitant to commit to sequels for “Fast & Furious,” fearing that continuing the story about a group of street racers might prevent the original film from ever being considered a classic.

That concern has since been put to rest: this Wednesday, the Cannes Film Festival will mark the high‑speed franchise’s 25th anniversary with a midnight screening, honoring it as a classic.

Diesel will attend the Cannes screening alongside several of his co-stars from the films.

Since the first “Fast & Furious” movie in 2001, the 11 films in the series have brought in ⁠more than $7 billion at global box offices.

The celebration of the franchise extends well beyond the screen. A new “Fast & Furious” roller coaster is set to open at Universal Studios Hollywood this summer, with another attraction planned for Universal’s Orlando theme parks.

“For the last decade, we realized the fans want more,” Diesel ⁠said, noting that longtime viewers are eager to see the continuation of the franchise’s legacy characters and storylines.

Diesel praised Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios and chief content officer, who oversees film and television programming.

“I had ⁠to wait until it was right,” he said. “It became right when Donna Langley started to oversee it all. That’s when I knew the integrity of the characters, the international appeal, ⁠and what makes us all feel like family would be protected in the TV space,” the 58‑year‑old actor said.

The final “Fast & Furious” film is scheduled to debut on March 17, 2028.

Source: Reuters

Ariana Grande is to withdraw from public appearances and will no longer star in an upcoming musical production in London when she ends her Eternal Sunshine tour next month.

A representative for the US singer, 33, told People magazine that she "will be taking a step back from visibility" when the tour ends, after her appearances led to "endless, ongoing public scrutiny".

The company behind a revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, due to play at the Barbican in 2027, confirmed that she would no longer be part of the production and had its "complete understanding and support".

Grande's physical appearance and health have been a topic of speculation in recent years.

This speculation has increased since the release of her latest album, Petal, which was released on Friday, and her appearance in promotional material for the launch.

In the music video, Grande plays a performer who is repeatedly told in auditions that she is "not good enough", is "desperate" and that she "should get some work done" then that she has "too much work done." The character eventually takes a chainsaw to the critics.

Grande's representative stressed to People that the star was looking forward to finishing her tour "on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny".

They added: "She performs a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved. She performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night."

Fans expressed a combination of support for the star and concern about her wellbeing, with the message #weloveyouariana trending on social media.

Her tour continues in Chicago on Monday, with three dates at the city's United Center. It will then move to London's O2 arena for 10 dates from 15 August, with the tour concluding there on 1 September.

*'Can't have been an easy decision'*

The Thank U, Next and 7 Rings singer was billed to appear alongside her Wicked co-star, British actor Jonathan Bailey, in the new production of Sondheim's critically acclaimed 1984 musical.

A representative for Empire Street Productions confirmed to the BBC that the musical would go ahead without Grande.

"Following this evening's announcement from Ariana Grande's team, we can confirm that she has decided to step back from Sunday in the Park with George," they said.

"We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support. We wish her nothing but the best."

A replacement for Grande in the West End revival of the Pulitzer Prize–winning musical has not yet been named.

The BBC has approached Grande's representatives.

(BBC)

Taylor Swift has topped Spotify’s first ever list of the most streamed artists of all time, published Thursday morning.

She’s followed by Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny. That comes as no surprise: In 2025 the artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was named the streaming giant’s most played artist of the year for a fourth time, dethroning Swift.

It’s a been bit of a cat-and-mouse game for the two: She claimed the top spot the previous two years; he did the same from 2020 to 2023.

Drake is Spotify’s third most streamed artist of all time, followed by The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Eminem, Kanye West, Travis Scott, BTS, Post Malone, Bruno Mars, J Balvin, Rihanna, Coldplay, Kendrick Lamar, Future and Juice WRLD, in that order.

Spotify did not provide insight into its data collection methodology when asked about it by The Associated Press.

In addition to naming its most streamed artists globally, Spotify compiled its most streamed albums, songs, podcasts and audiobooks to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Streaming accounts for most of the money generated by the music industry — 82% in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

Spotify, a Sweden-based company founded in April 2006, is the largest platform of all. It accounts for over 31% of the total market share, with a reported 751 million users and 290 million subscribers in more than 184 markets.

Spotify’s most streamed albums of all time

1. Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti”
2. The Weeknd’s “Starboy”
3. Ed Sheeran’s “÷ (Deluxe)”
4. Olivia Rodrigo’s “SOUR”
5. The Weeknd’s “After Hours”
6. SZA’s “SOS”
7. Post Malone’s “Hollywood’s Bleeding”
8. Taylor Swift’s “Lover”
9. Arctic Monkeys’ “AM”
10. Billie Eilish’s “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
11. Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia”
12. Post Malone’s “Beerbongs & Bentleys”
13. XXXTENTACION’s “?”
14. Karol G’s “Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season)”
15. Bad Bunny’s “YHLQMDLG”
16. Bruno Mars’ “Doo-Wops & Hooligans”
17. Drake’s “Views”
18. Taylor Swift’s “Midnights”
19. Drake’s “Scorpion”
20. The Weeknd’s “Beauty Behind The Madness”

Spotify’s most streamed songs of all time

1. The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights”
2. Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You”
3. The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather”
4. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk’s “Starboy”
5. Harry Styles’ “As It Was”
6. Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved”
7. Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower — Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
8. Drake ft. Wizkid and Kyla’s “One Dance”
9. Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect”
10. The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay”
11. Imagine Dragons’ “Believer”
12. Arctic Monkeys’ “I Wanna Be Yours”
13. Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves”
14. Billie Eilish and Khalid’s “Lovely”
15. Coldplay’s “Yellow”
16. Lord Huron’s “The Night We Met”
17. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey’s “Closer”
18. Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather”
19. Vance Joy’s “Riptide”
20. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile”

Source: AP

It’s possible that the people who funded the film Abhisaari, now in select theatres, wanted to get a message across.

The writer/director delivered without falling into the preachy trap. He made a film about imperfect people living their imperfect lives (as the heroine says) the best they could.

For an Adults-Only film about sex work, it was remarkably free of nudity and the titillation associated with that label.

Abhisaari was a window to another world for me, just like the foreign films shown every week by the Film Society at the University of Peradeniya in the 1970s.

The objectives of the StandUp Movement Lanka who produced the film may have been achieved: if they were preaching, it was mostly to the converted at the Premiere.

But it also did what I expect good art to do: make me think afresh about the world and those who live in it. And the actors excelled in giving depth to the characters for the most part.

The standard narrative about poverty driving women into prostitution was implied and not shoved in our faces.

What is foregrounded is the self-confidence and assertiveness of the heroine.

That this struggle gets played out in a poor part of town and in the context of the oldest, yet still problematic, profession adds spice to the presentation.

It gave me, at least, a window to an unfamiliar world. And what was on the other side was entertaining.

The director/writer is especially good in portraying women as nuanced and complex characters. He avoids the all-too-common portrayal of women, especially those belonging to older generations, as prudish and judgmental.

The old lady across the hallway does not approve but still steps in to take care of the child.

He is less successful with the men who come across as unidimensional hypocrites.

In my view, the attempt to drag in the corrupt politician trope was the weakest element. Excising that episode would do no harm to the story and make for a tighter narrative.

The wedding bookends were masterful. I will not say more for fear of spoilers. See the film to find out.

(Prof. Rohan Samarajiva)

The Oscars will leave Hollywood after celebrating their centenary, organizers said Thursday, as they announced a long-term deal to hold the gala in downtown Los Angeles.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said the ceremony, the most important night of the year for the global film industry, would leave the Dolby Theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after 2028.

The 2029 edition will instead be held at The Peacock Theater, part of the vast LA LIVE complex, next to the Crypto.com Arena, home to the Los Angeles Lakers.

“For the 101st Oscars and beyond, the Academy looks forward to closely collaborating with (owners) AEG to make LA LIVE the perfect backdrop for our global celebration of cinema, both for our live in-theater audience and for film fans around the world,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor said.

Source:adaderana.lk

K-pop juggernaut BTS announced Wednesday that it will not submit its music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, set for February, in a move widely interpreted as a protest against the Recording Academy's new Asian pop category.

"We have decided not to submit our music to the Grammys this year," the group said in a statement shared through the Instagram Stories of all seven members. "We hope music can be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language." The septet also thanked its official fandom ARMY and supporters worldwide.

The decision comes despite a banner year for the group. Its fifth studio album "ARIRANG," released in March, topped the Billboard 200 with 641,000 units, the biggest week for a group album in more than a decade, while lead single "SWIM" debuted atop the Hot 100.

The announcement follows the academy's introduction in June of Best Asian Pop Music Performance, one of five categories added for the upcoming ceremony. Critics have called the category a form of segregation that sidelines Asian acts from major awards.

BTS earned three consecutive nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance from 2021 to 2023, but has never won a Grammy.

(Korea Times)

Nicholas Brendon was best known for playing Xander Harris in the hit ‘90s TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The news of his death was confirmed in a post on his verified Instagram, which was also shared with The Hollywood Reporter.

“Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor, and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years, Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans.

“He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was,” the statement read.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for seven seasons, from 1997 until 2003.

A year after the show ended its run, Nicholas Brendon voluntarily checked himself into a rehabilitation facility due to an alcohol problem, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Brendon’s problems continued in 2010, as reported by People at the time, when he again checked into rehab after having a run-in with police.

In 2014 and 2015, Brendon was arrested several more times in Florida, South Carolina and New York, and entered programs for depression, alcohol, and substance abuse at least twice, the magazine reported.

Brendon was again arrested in 2017 after allegedly attacking his girlfriend in a California hotel room.

His medical issues were publicised in 2021, when he reportedly experienced paralysis in his body due to a spinal issue, which led to multiple surgeries.

The following year, the actor experienced what his family described at the time as a “cardiac incident (tachycardia/arrhythmia).”

Actress Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow on the Buffy series, paid tribute to her late costar on Instagram late Friday with a photo of the pair from the show.

Calling Brendon her “Sweet Nicky,” Hannigan thanked him for “years of laughter, love and Dodgers,” the Los Angeles-based MLB team.

Other credits for the late actor include the 2000 film Psycho Beach Party and the 2013 movie Coherence, in which he appeared with his identical twin brother Kelly Donovan.

The news of Brendon’s death comes a little over a year after the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg, another star of the original Buffy series.

CNN has reached out to Brendon’s representative for further information.

Source:adaderana.lk