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Top Russian Soprano Anna Netrebko, Dismissed for Supporting War, Files Lawsuit Against Met Opera

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Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko is taking legal action against the Metropolitan Opera in New York City after they dropped her from future performances following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The renowned soprano is seeking $360,000 in damages, alleging defamation, breach of contract, and other violations. The Met has responded, stating that the lawsuit is without merit.

Despite having previously expressed support for President Vladimir Putin and making donations to a theater in the rebel-held city of Donetsk, Netrebko faced pressure to condemn the invasion of Ukraine. While she eventually did criticize the conflict, she stopped short of denouncing Putin, leading to her dismissal from future performances with the Met.

Netrebko’s lawsuit claims that the Met’s actions caused her emotional distress and negatively impacted her professional relationships, leading to lost contracts with Russian theater companies. The Met, however, insists that the lawsuit is baseless.

Earlier, Netrebko had filed a separate complaint through the American Guild of Musical Artists, which ruled in her favor and awarded her over $200,000 in compensation for the canceled performances.

Despite the fallout with the Met, Netrebko has continued performing in other venues around the world, including in Italy, and has upcoming performances scheduled in Buenos Aires, Berlin, Vienna, Milan, and Paris. However, her planned concert in Prague faced scrutiny, with a city official urging the event’s cancellation due to her appearance on Ukraine’s sanctions list. Nonetheless, the producer organizing the concert defended Netrebko, stating that she had condemned the war, and the event was nearly sold out.

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‘French icon’ actress Jane Birkin dies aged 76

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Jane Birkin, a renowned singer, actress, and fashion icon, has passed away at the age of 76. Born in London, Birkin gained fame singing in French and eventually relocated to France in the 1970s. She was widely known for her personal and artistic relationship with songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, particularly for their iconic duet “Je T’aime…moi non plus.” The song, recorded in 1968, faced controversy and bans in various countries due to its explicit lyrics but also garnered international attention.

Birkin and Gainsbourg were together for 12 years, during which they had a daughter named Charlotte Gainsbourg, who also became an acclaimed actress and singer. Despite their tumultuous relationship, they remained friends after their split, and Gainsbourg continued to write songs for Birkin. Birkin wrote about the challenges of their relationship, including violence and Gainsbourg’s alcoholism, in her 2020 diaries.

Beyond her music and acting career, Birkin had a significant influence on the fashion world. She inspired the creation of the Birkin handbag by Hermès in 1984. The bag became highly sought after and carried a hefty price tag, with waiting lists that extended for months or even years.

Throughout her life, Birkin was an advocate for various causes and campaigned for animal welfare, among others. She even requested Hermès to remove her name from the handbag line in 2015 due to animal welfare concerns. Birkin’s acting credits included notable films such as “Blow Up” (1966), “Death on the Nile” (1978), and “Evil Under the Sun” (1982). She also released albums, including “Arabesque” in 2002 and a live recording collection titled “Jane at the Palace” in 2009.

Menna Rawlings, the British ambassador to France, described Birkin as “the most French of British artists” in a tribute on Twitter. Birkin battled leukemia in the late 1990s and had reportedly suffered a stroke in September 2021, which led to the cancellation of a planned appearance at an American film festival.

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Beyonce’s Stockholm performance may have contributed to Sweden’s unexpected inflation

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According to economists, the concert may have led to a price increase, but other reasons are also at work.

Sweden’s inflation in May surpassed estimates, likely due to a jump in accommodation rates caused by Beyonce’s concert at the Friends Arena in Stockholm.

Statistics Sweden figures released on Wednesday show an 8.2% year-on-year increase in a pricing gauge that excludes energy prices and interest rate impacts.

This gain exceeded both the median Bloomberg poll estimate of 7.8 percent and the Riksbank’s 8.1 percent forecast.

The sudden surge in hotel and recreation expenses may have been influenced by Beyonce’s global tour premiere in Stockholm, which drew over 80,000 people over two days.

“We believe that this unexpected increase will normalise in June as hotel and ticket prices return to normal levels,” said Michael Grahn, chief economist at Danske Bank.

Despite this, Danske expects the Riksbank to raise interest rates further since the Swedish currency’s weakening and persistent inflation remain worries.

Swedbank economist Glenn Nielsen agreed that Beyonce’s performances may have led to higher lodging expenses in May.

He went on to say that the unusually strong price increase was mostly due to high demand and increased cost pressures, which pushed hotels to hike their pricing.

This news on inflation comes at a time when global pricing pressures are lessening.

According to recent data, US inflation has dropped to its lowest level since March 2021.

Similarly, European consumer prices grew less than predicted in May.

Despite these tendencies, Swedish prices continue to grow faster than the central bank’s aim, which is exacerbated by the Swedish currency’s weakness.

This is similar to the situation in nearby Norway, where the cost of imported items has risen owing to currency weakening.

The recent performance of the Swedish krona, which is trading around all-time lows versus the euro, puts more pressure on the Riksbank to maintain a higher benchmark rate than the European Central Bank.

The ECB is anticipated to boost its deposit rate to 3.5% on Thursday, matching the Riksbank, which also forecasts a rate hike this month or in September.

With the most recent pricing data in hand, most analysts expect the Riksbank to announce a quarter-point rate rise on June 29, notwithstanding any brief Beyonce impact.

“May’s inflation figures were higher than expected, given the overall upturn,” Nordea’s Torbjorn Isaksson remarked. “This reinforces our prediction of a Riksbank rate hike in June.”

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Katie Waissel says her mental health was ‘ridiculed’ by X Factor staff

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Former X Factor contestant Katie Waissel has claimed that the show’s staff mocked her mental health during her time on the series.

She revealed that she was ridiculed and referred to as a “drama queen” in internal emails. Waissel read out other emails she obtained through a GDPR request, which showed the lack of support she received. She called on MPs to revive an inquiry into reality TV shows and questioned why ITV’s safeguarding policies were only being addressed now.

Fellow contestant Rebecca Ferguson also shared her experiences, alleging mental manipulation and abuse. ITV and Ofcom responded, emphasizing their commitment to contestant welfare. Fremantle Television, the show’s producer, stated that participants were provided with legal advisors and aftercare support. Both Waissel and Ferguson expressed the need for acknowledgment and apology for their experiences on the show.

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Demon Headmaster actor Terrence Hardiman dies aged 86

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Terrence Hardiman, the actor who played the titular character in the CBBC series The Demon Headmaster, has passed away at the age of 86. His agent confirmed the news and paid tribute to him as a much-loved stage and screen actor. Hardiman’s portrayal of the sinister character terrified a generation of children during the show’s original run from 1996 to 1998.

He made a brief appearance in the reboot of the series in 2019. The Demon Headmaster was based on a series of children’s books by Gillian Cross, and Hardiman’s performance as the hypnotic character, who would say “Look into my eyes,” while removing his dark glasses, left a lasting impression on viewers.

Terrence Hardiman was born in 1937 in east London and studied English at the University of Cambridge, where he developed a passion for acting. He performed with the university’s amateur dramatic club, alongside future stars such as Derek Jacobi.

Hardiman had a successful career in both film and stage, including a touring production of Doctor Faustus with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in 1968, where he played Mephistophilis. He gained his first major television role in Granada’s Crown Court from 1972 onwards and went on to appear in other popular TV shows such as The Crown, Doctor Who, and Prime Suspect.

Hardiman often played characters of authority, and his other credits include Bergerac, Colditz, Minder, and Secret Army. In Richard Attenborough’s 1982 film, Gandhi, he portrayed former UK Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald. Hardiman is survived by his wife Rowena and two children.

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Subtract: Ed Sheeran album praised by critics hours after copyright ruling

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Ed Sheeran has received positive reviews for his latest album, titled Subtract, which was released shortly after he won a court case in the US regarding plagiarism. The album takes on a more introspective and somber tone, and is a departure from his previous albums.

Sheeran had intended for Subtract to be more acoustic and stripped-down to reflect its title, but during the songwriting process, he opted for newer songs that directly referenced the personal challenges he faced in 2022. Critics have noted the album’s darker tone and its reflection of Sheeran’s difficult year, which included the death of a friend and his wife’s cancer diagnosis while pregnant.

Subtract marks the end of Sheeran’s series of albums named after mathematical symbols, which also includes Plus, Multiply, Divide, and Equals.

According to a music critic, Ed Sheeran’s new album Subtract mostly features his signature acoustic folk-pop style and appears to be a reflection of his emotional turmoil. Despite its occasional lack of poeticism, Sheeran’s sincerity in his lyrics is evident.

The album features collaborations with The National’s Aaron Dessner, who also worked on Taylor Swift’s lockdown albums, resulting in a more subdued and introspective sound. Neil McCormick of the Telegraph praised Subtract, giving it five stars, noting that Dessner’s subtle guidance allowed Sheeran’s emotional immediacy to take center stage, resulting in a deeply personal and atmospheric album of therapeutic self-healing.

The album ended up being less strategic than originally planned, making it all the more interesting.

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Netflix to invest $2.5bn in new South Korea films and TV shows

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Netflix has announced that it will invest $2.5bn in South Korea over the next four years. The announcement was made by the company’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, after meeting with South Korea’s President, Yoon Suk-yeol, in Washington.

The money will be used to create movies and television shows in Asia’s fourth-largest economy, where Netflix has seen success with South Korean productions, including the hugely popular show Squid Game.

Sarandos cited his confidence in the Korean creative industry’s ability to continue telling great stories and expressed his inspiration by the President’s strong support for the Korean entertainment industry. When asked about other potential investments in the region, a Netflix spokesperson declined to comment.

In 2021, the South Korean series Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched show of all time, with 111 million viewers streaming the show in the first 28 days of its release. The show follows the story of people in debt competing for a cash prize in a series of children’s games with deadly consequences. Additionally, the South Korean reality show Physical 100 became Netflix’s most-watched non-English language show globally earlier this year.

As Netflix faces competition from streaming rivals such as Amazon, HBO, and Disney, it has lowered prices in several countries to attract more subscribers. The company has also announced that it will begin cracking down on password sharing in the coming months, which will require subscribers who share accounts with people outside their household to pay an extra fee.

Netflix has been seeking ways to boost growth, which has slowed significantly due to rising costs and market saturation in some of its biggest markets, according to analysts.

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Newcastle’s Farrell Centre explores if we can grow houses from fungus

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The Farrell Centre, a new architecture center in Newcastle that was partly funded by architect Sir Terry Farrell, is set to open with an exhibition showcasing innovative ways to reduce cities’ environmental impact. One of the exhibits features a structure made from mycelium, the root network of fungus, which has been grown on a knitted canopy made from sawdust and paper waste.

This approach creates walls that are strong, light, self-repairing, and fully compostable. The exhibition also includes visions from four architecture studios on how to make buildings more sustainable. The center cost £4.6 million to set up.

According to the director of the Farrell Centre, Owen Hopkins, the use of mycelium in building construction is quite different from the traditional approach that relies on concrete, steel, and glass. Buildings and construction contribute to around 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions, making it a significant contributor to climate change.

The Farrell Centre, which is part of Newcastle University, has created an exhibit showcasing a “living room” made from mycelium. Although mycelium is not yet a material that can be used in conventional building construction, it is not far off, says Mr Hopkins. The material has the ability to self-repair, making it a promising material for future construction. However, this new approach challenges the traditional idea of architecture as something that is finished and fixed.

The More With Less exhibition at the Farrell Centre includes innovative ideas for using insulation and common low-cost materials to make buildings more environmentally friendly. Despite being part of the problem, architecture and planning have the potential to be powerful solutions to climate change.

The exhibition also focuses on the impact of buildings on life in north-east England and how they can be improved. Sir Terry Farrell, who helped regenerate Newcastle’s quayside in the 1990s and designed landmarks such as the Centre For Life and the MI6 building in London, was instrumental in setting up the center. He also conducted the Farrell Review of Architecture and the Built Environment for the UK government in 2014.

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Alec Baldwin: Manslaughter charges dropped over shooting

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Actor Alec Baldwin’s criminal charges related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust” in October 2021 have been dropped. Baldwin had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, but the charges have been dropped due to new information that requires further investigation.

The decision to drop the charges does not absolve Baldwin of criminal responsibility, and charges may be refiled in the future. The investigation into the incident will continue to be active and ongoing. The decision comes just before the trial was set to begin.

A lawyer for Mr Baldwin praised the move by prosecutors.

“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” his lawyer, Luke Nikas, told the BBC in a statement.

During a practice session for firing a gun on the set of the movie “Rust” near Santa Fe, Alec Baldwin fired a shot that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Baldwin denied pulling the trigger, but an FBI report concluded that the gun could not have fired without the trigger being pulled.

Baldwin was due to appear in court for a preliminary hearing in May, but the charges against him have been dropped due to new information that requires further investigation. However, the charges against the film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter, remain unchanged. Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer expects her to be exonerated at the end of the legal process.

The LA Times reported that prosecutors had discovered that the gun used in the shooting had been modified with a new trigger that could have increased the chances of a misfire. However, the prosecutors’ statement released on Thursday did not mention the gun but stated that new information requires further investigation and forensic analysis. Alec Baldwin was accused of recklessly disregarding the safety of his colleagues, and his lawyer had previously criticized the initial decision to charge him as a “terrible miscarriage of justice”.

According to Variety magazine, Mr Baldwin is currently filming Rust on location in Montana.

Hutchins’ widower, Matthew, will be an executive producer. Baldwin last October reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by her family.

Rust Movie productions, which Baldwin is part of, said in February the scene that was being rehearsed when Hutchins was shot has now been rewritten.

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Jeremy Renner describes snowplough accident: ‘My mistake and I paid for it’

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Jeremy Renner, star of the Avengers, claimed that his January accident in which he was crushed by a snowplough was “my mistake, and I paid for it.” On New Year’s Day, Renner attempted to stop the car from running over his nephew and broke more than 30 bones in the process.

On Thursday, the American network ABC aired his first in-depth interview since that time.

“You shouldn’t be outside the vehicle when you’re operating it, you know what I mean? It’s like driving a car with one foot out of the car,” he said.

“But it is what it was. And it’s my mistake, and I paid for it.” Renner, 52, is best known for playing Marvel’s Hawkeye and has been nominated for two Oscars.

He told ABC’s Diane Sawyer that he and his nephew Alex, 27, had been removing one of the family’s trucks from the snow with the help of the 6.5-tonne vehicle.

Renner claimed that without applying the parking brake, he stepped out of the cab to see if Alex was in the way of the snowplough when it began to slide on the ice. But, he slipped and fell out.

“I just happened to be the dummy standing on the dang track a little bit, seeing if my nephew was there.”

Renner attempted to re-enter the vehicle out of concern that it might “sandwich” Alex against the truck. But, he stepped across the moving wheel tracks of the plough, which propelled him ahead and caused the vehicle to run over him.

Asked if he remembered the pain, he replied: “Oh yeah, I was awake through every moment.

“It’s hard to imagine what that feels like… It felt like someone took the wind out of you.

“Pain is everything – it’s like if your soul could feel pain.”

Recalling his thoughts at the time, he continued: “I said, ‘Oh, that [leg], that one’s really messed up… that leg’s [going to] be a problem.

“[I’m thinking], what’s my body [going to] look like? Am I just gonna be like a spine and a brain like a science experiment?”

However, after three months of intensive treatment, Renner was seen in the ABC programme being able to walk with the aid of a frame.

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