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Romania mining town Rosia Montana eyes UNESCO restart

By - Jul 24,2021 - Last updated at Jul 24,2021

ROSIA MONTANA, Romania — High up in Romania’s Carpathians, some villagers are hoping their area’s unique Roman galleries will attract UNESCO world heritage status — a decision that would further stall a controversial gold mining project.

The site nestled in the Apuseni Mountains “contains the most significant, extensive and technically diverse underground Roman gold mining complex currently known in the world”, dating from the second century, according to ICOMOS, an advisory body of the UN agency.

But some Rosia Montana villagers worry that this heritage will be destroyed if the gold mining project of Canada’s Gabriel Resources — which would mean the levelling of four peaks — goes ahead.

“After years of extraction, there would only be a desert left here,” Sorin Jurca, himself a former miner, tells AFP.

UNESCO is expected to decide on Sunday whether to accord the Roman mines cultural heritage status, according to Romania’s culture ministry.

It is not clear what, if anything, the Romanian government will do if the area wins the status, but it would mean a further stumbling block for the mining project.

“The current mining proposal means that the integrity of the property is highly vulnerable,” one UNESCO document on Rosia Montana reads.

But not all locals are in favour of a positive UNESCO decision.

For mayor Eugen Furdui, it “won’t bring any benefits, only disadvantages”.

“Many people put their faith in a modern mining project so that they won’t have to go abroad for work,” Furdui tells AFP, hinting at the hundreds of workers the Canadian company said it would hire.

The seeds of discord were sown in the 90s when Gabriel Resources came to Rosia Montana with the intention of extracting 300 tonnes of gold and 1,600 tonnes of silver.

Its subsidiary, Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC), in which the Romanian state holds 20 per cent, received a mining concession in 1999.

But the project — including plans to use 12,000 tonnes of cyanide per year to separate gold from crushed rock — drew the ire of environmentalists and others.

With tens of thousands of people protesting against the project, Romania’s former left-wing government withdrew its support in 2013, and the project has so far failed to get the necessary environmental approval.

In 2016, Romania declared Rosia Montana a site of historical interest, granting it protection from mining activity — though conservationists say the protection under local law is not enough.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Resources has taken Romania before the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, seeking $4.4 billion (3.7 billion euros) in damages.

A verdict is expected at the end of 2022, but the company, contacted by AFP, does not rule out launching another legal case if Bucharest’s UNESCO bid, launched in 2017, is successful.

Among the locals fiercely opposed to the project is retired topographer Eugen Cornea.

“Only the Taliban destroy their vestiges,” the 70-year-old tells AFP.

“This valley would disappear”, swallowed by the ensuing reservoir of mining waste, he says as he sits on a mountain ledge, drawing a large arc with one hand over the area below.

“Two villages, three churches, one of which was built in 1720 — everything would disappear.”

The years of bitter dispute and stagnation have left deep marks on Rosia Montana.

In preparation for the mining work, RMGC bought many homes from villagers who then left so that those houses — splendid tall buildings with carved wooden doors — stand empty and now risk collapsing.

Supported by dozens of volunteers, archaeologist couple Claudia and Virgil Apostol have been restoring some of these old residences to their former splendour over the past ten years.

“These buildings can still be saved, but the more time passes the more difficult it will be,” Claudia Apostol says on the porch of an already restored parish house.

Tica Darie, who came to Rosia Montana in 2013 “full of dreams”, is also hoping to offer locals a future without mining.

“I found myself on a battlefield at that time,” says the 28-year-old, whose small business, “Made in Rosia Montana”, has recruited around 30 local women to knit socks, scarves and pullovers out of merino wool.

“I came here determined to do something and to succeed no matter what. And I think I did just that,” says Darie, adding that people are “tired” of debating the mining project and want to move on.

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Olympic characters face stiff competition in mascot-mad Japan

By - Jul 24,2021 - Last updated at Jul 24,2021

Funassyi, an unofficial mascot representing the city of Funabashi, Chiba prefecture, performs after an interview with AFP in Tokyo, on July 14 (AFP photo by Philip Fong)

TOKYO — Tokyo 2020’s cutesy Olympic mascots are plastered across the host city, but they have competition in mascot-mad Japan, where cuddly characters promote everything from prisons to health screenings.

In the land of Hello Kitty and Pokemon, adorable creatures give a friendly face to private businesses and public institutions alike, and the most successful have full-on celebrity status.

One cult favourite is punk-rock “pear fairy” Funassyi, who shot to fame a decade ago as an unofficial representative of Funabashi, a city east of Tokyo known for its juicy pears.

Of undefined gender and known for hyperactive TV stunts and good-natured misbehaviour, Funassyi has racked up nearly 1.4 million Twitter followers and is so popular that a simple walk down the street risks attracting a mob of fans.

“It’s just normal for adults to adore mascots” in Japan, squeaked the bright yellow character in an interview with AFP.

“It’s like we’re friends,” added the pear-shaped personality, who wears a plush blue romper and red bow tie, and famously worships Aerosmith and Ozzy Osbourne.

Experts have often suggested Japan’s love of mascots is linked to animist religious traditions and beliefs in which inanimate objects can acquire a soul.

“Japanese people often anthropomorphise things,” agrees Funassyi, whose founder remains a mystery.

And mascots can make big money.

Take Kumamon, a pot-bellied, red-cheeked bear who promotes southern Kumamoto region. The wildly popular mascot made 170 billion yen ($1.5 billion) last year for local businesses selling branded goods.

Funassyi won’t divulge merchandise sales figures, but crowds of fans flock daily to the Funassyi Land shop in Funabashi to stock up on branded products.

‘Healing’ feeling

The Olympic mascot tradition stretches back to Munich in 1972, when a dachshund called Waldi became the first official Games mascot.

Since then, each host country has invented its own character symbolising Olympic values and aspects of cultural heritage, with Tokyo’s version the futuristic-looking Miraitowa, a blue-chequered character with comic book wide eyes and pointed ears.

Mascots are so big in Japan that Choko Ohira, 62, runs a school in Tokyo training people to perform as the cuddly characters.

“[Mascots] have the power to draw people in,” said Ohira, who has run the school for 17 years.

“Children come with smiles on their faces. They hold hands and hug [the characters],” added Ohira, who spent years performing as a famous mouse on a children’s show on public broadcaster NHK.

And the improbable performers give people a chance to let loose in a sometimes rigid society.

“With mascots, you can do things you wouldn’t [with other people] in Japan,” Ohira said.

Her students, dressed casually, first practise the exaggerated waves and steps commonly used by mascots, before climbing into full-size panda, cat and chipmunk outfits to test their new skills.

Student Nobuko Fujiki, 61, said she sees a “different side” of herself when dressed as a mascot.

“In costume, I can be more friendly and more active,” she said.

It’s not the easiest of jobs: Only a handful of mascots make big money, and mascot costumes can be heavy, hard to see out of, and unbearably hot in Japan’s blazing summers.

But the former nursery teacher said the joy she feels makes up for any discomfort.

“I get so excited when I see a mascot. So I wanted to be on the other side, giving that feeling to other people,” she said.

Funassyi says fans often see the mascot as someone they can safely confide in.

“They ask me for advice about life and work... how to be friendly with a boss they hate, or what to do with a husband who doesn’t properly put laundry away in the basket,” the cult character said.

“They want someone who acknowledges their efforts. I think they’re looking for that in mascots.”

Asako Iwatate, a 33-year-old office worker, said mascots have an almost “healing” effect for her.

“When I’m working, it’s frantic and stressful,” she told AFP.

“But when I see funny mascots, I feel like ‘Oh, forget about all that’.”

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French shocker 'Titane' wins Palme d'Or as Spike Lee slips up

Jul 19,2021 - Last updated at Jul 19,2021

French director Julia Ducournau poses with her trophy flanked by French actor Vincent Lindon (left) and French actress Agathe Rousselle during a photocall after she won the Palme d'Or for the film "Titane" during the closing ceremony of the 74th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on Saturday (AFP photo by John Macdougall)

By Eric Randolph
Agence France-Presse

CANNES, France — Shock-fest "Titane" took home the top Palme d'Or prize at Cannes on Saturday, revealed early at the closing ceremony in an embarrassing slip-up by jury president Spike Lee.

French director Julie Ducournau is only the second woman to scoop the prize, for a movie that was one of the wildest, sexiest and most violent ever shown at the Cannes film festival.

"It's the first film ever where a Cadillac impregnated a woman. That blew my mind!" Lee said. "That's genius and craziness together."

"Titane" tells the story of a woman who has sex with cars and kills without a care, with brutal scenes that had many cinema-goers shielding their eyes during the opening night.

Lee, the first black man to lead the jury, read out the winner at the very start of the prize ceremony, rather than introducing the first award of the night for best actor.

After an awkward pause and regrouping, the best actor award went to US actor Caleb Landry Jones for his chilling performance in "Nitram" about Australia's worst mass shooting.

Making a film about the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, in which 35 people died, triggered harsh criticism of director Justin Kurzel in Australia.

But critics were won over at the Cannes premiere, with Variety calling it a "devastating study of atrocity" that shows "quiet respect for the victims' dignity".

It was a huge night, too, for the previously unknown Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve, who was rocketed to stardom by her role in "Worst Person in the World".

Her role as a twenty-something searching for her identity and pinballing through relationships was a sensation, and caught the 33-year-old totally unprepared.

"No one has seen me in anything," she told AFP after the premiere. "The other day I woke up and I puked. And today I woke up and I cried."

'Letting the monsters in'

When it finally became time to announce the Palme d'Or for real, Lee said: "I apologise for messing up."

But then he almost fluffed the presentation again, starting to announce the winner rather than presenter Sharon Stone, by which point Ducournau was giggling in the audience.

She still broke into tears when the official announcement was made, and told the crowd: "This evening has been perfect because it's been imperfect.

"Thank you for letting the monsters in."

The only other woman to win the top prize is Jane Campion for "The Piano" in 1993.

Other winners on the night included Leos Carax as best director for "Annette", the flamboyant rock opera starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, and written by eccentric Los Angeles pop duo Sparks.

The second-prize Grand Prix was shared between Iran's two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi ("A Hero") and Finland's Juho Kuosmanen ("Compartment No.6"), while best screenplay went to Japan's Hamaguchi Ryusuke and Takamasa Oe for "Drive My Car".

The race had been wide open this year, with critics pointing to many possible successors to "Parasite", the South Korean hit which took home the last Palme in 2019 before making history by triumphing at the Oscars.

Last year's festival was cancelled because of the pandemic.

The jury members watched a lot of sex this year, from lesbian nuns in Paul Verhoeven's salacious "Benedetta" to a porn star returning to small-town Texas in "Red Rocket", which scored well with critics.

Spit tests

There were doubts early in the festival about the Covid logistics, with some festival-goers grossed out by the spit tests required every 48 hours, and criticism on social media over unmasked attendees in the cinemas at early premieres.

Restrictions were tightened, partying scaled back, and even though the stars couldn't quite keep themselves from hugs and kisses on the red carpet, the festival appeared to pass without a major outbreak.

But there was still plenty of star power.

Tilda Swinton was ubiquitous on the red carpet, appearing in five films of the official selection.

She starred in "Memoria" by Thailand's former Palme winner Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

But Swinton was clear that her proudest moment was receiving the Palm Dog award on behalf of her three spaniels, who appeared with her in "The Souvenir Part 2".

"Honestly, this is the prize to get," she said at Friday's canine ceremony, as she tied the red collar prize around her neck.

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After conquering Earth, Bezos eyes new frontier in space

By - Jul 18,2021 - Last updated at Jul 18,2021

WASHINGTON — Jeff Bezos sets his sights on a new frontier in space in the coming days after building a gargantuan business empire which has in many ways conquered the Earth.

His journey into space aboard a reusable rocket built by his firm Blue Origin comes just two weeks after he stepped aside as chief executive of Amazon, which grew from a garage startup into one of the world’s most formidable businesses.

Bezos, 57, remains executive chair at the technology and e-commerce colossus he founded 27 years ago. But he is clearly looking to even loftier ambitions.

With a fortune worth more than $200 billion, Bezos has been at or near the top of the world’s richest people, even after his divorce settlement.

He owns some 10 per cent of Amazon, a behemoth with a presence in dozens of countries and some 1.3 million employees.

But Bezos often points to his humble beginnings: born to a teenage mother in Albuquerque, New Mexico and adopted at the age of four by his Cuban immigrant stepfather.

Bezos was attracted by computer science when the IT industry was in its infancy and studied engineering at Princeton University.

After graduating, he put his skills to work on Wall Street, where by 1990 he had risen to be a senior vice president at investment firm D.E. Shaw.

But about four years later he surprised peers by leaving his high-paid position to open an online bookseller called Amazon.com, backed by money from his parents.

‘Keep inventing’

In his parting letter to staff, Bezos said the company succeeded by following his mantra: “Keep inventing, and don’t despair when at first the idea looks crazy.”

In public appearances, Bezos often recounts the early days at Amazon, when he packed orders himself and drove boxes to the post office.

Today, Amazon has a market value of more than $1.8 trillion. It posted 2020 annual revenues of $386 billion from operations in e-commerce, cloud computing, groceries, artificial intelligence, streaming media and more.

“Bezos has been a transformational leader... in book selling, the retail market, cloud computing and home delivery,” said Darrell West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Centre for Technology Innovation.

“He was a pioneer who introduced many of the conveniences that people take for granted, such as going to an online store, ordering something, and having it delivered to your home the next day. The whole e-commerce sector owes many of its innovations to this individual.”

Bezos “had an instinct for the right thing” in finding the next market, said Roger Kay, analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates.

Kay said Bezos deftly transitioned from books to other merchandise to an online marketplace, and successfully built the cloud infrastructure for the company which became the highly profitable Amazon Web Services.

Amazon outlasted its rivals by forgoing profits in its early years “and reinvesting everything into expanding”, Kay said.

“If you look at the trajectory now, it was all logical,” Kay added. “You can say Bezos has been one of the best business architects of his time.”

Bezos has been fascinated by space since watching the 1969 Apollo moon landing as a child and sees space as important to the future of the planet.

He has spoken about the possibility of humans living in space colonies, drawing ideas from science fiction writers as well as scientists.

“We humans have to go to space if we are going to continue to have a thriving civilisation,” Bezos told a 2019 CBS News interview.

“We have become big as a population, as a species, and this planet is relatively small. We see it in things like climate change and pollution and heavy industry. We are in the process of destroying this planet... we have to preserve this planet.”

Lasting legacy

Bezos is stepping away from day-to-day Amazon management to spend more time on projects including Blue Origin.

He owns the Washington Post newspaper and has devoted time and funds to efforts to fight climate change.

While Amazon has boasted of its $15 minimum wage and other benefits, critics say its relentless focus on efficiency and worker surveillance has treated employees like machines.

The Teamsters union recently launched a campaign to organise Amazon employees, claiming its workers “face dehumanising, unsafe and low-pay jobs, with high turnover and no voice at work”.

Bezos appeared to respond to worker concerns earlier this year when he called for a “better vision” for employees after a bruising battle over a unionisation vote in Alabama, which ultimately failed.

He laid out a new goal for the company to be “Earth’s best employer and Earth’s safest place to work”, in his final letter as chief executive.

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Three doses better than two? Debate over third COVID-19 vaccine shot

Jul 17,2021 - Last updated at Jul 18,2021

AFP photo

By Paul Ricard
Agence France-Presse

PARIS — As the Delta variant spreads rapidly throughout the world, the prospect of a third “booster” shot is gaining interest even in nations where a large proportion of people are vaccinated.

Experts say it is too soon to know for sure if countries will need to organise a third vaccine round later in the year. Some suggest that priority should be given to hundreds of millions in the global south who have not even gotten their first jab yet.

Why three?

Earlier this month, manufacturers Pfizer/BioNTech said they would ask US and European authorities for permission to provide a third dose of their vaccine.

They said this was aimed at ensuring stronger immunity in individuals than that bestowed by two doses.

The developers said that two doses of their vaccine protected against severe COVID-19 for at least six months.

But faced with emerging variants, they said they anticipated some decline in efficacy over time.

The White House’s chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci, speaking on CNBC on Tuesday, said Pfizer/BioNTech’s third-dose application was “an appropriate preparation [for] the eventuality that you might need a booster”.

“But when you translate that into, ‘We will need a booster, everyone’s going to get a booster,’ that is not appropriate,” Fauci said.

He added that there were still too many people who are not fully vaccinated with two doses, let alone three.

What do authorities say?

There is currently no sign that medical agencies will recommend a third dose for everyone who has already received two.

The European Medicines Agency and the European Centre for Disease Control says it is still too early to tell if a third dose is needed.

“There is not yet enough data from vaccination campaigns and on going studies to understand how long protection from the vaccines will last, also considering the spread of variants,” they said in a joint statement.

Didier Houssin, director of the World Health Organisation’s emergency committee, said he didn’t believe there was enough evidence to justify recommending a third dose at this point.

He also warned that talk of a third dose could “aggravate concerns over access to vaccines” at a time where most countries have only a tiny percentage of people fully inoculated.

Hungary’s President Viktor Orban on Friday said that some citizens would be able to access a third injection from the start of August.

Hungary has largely gone it alone in terms of vaccines, widely using Chinese and Russian shots instead of the Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson makes approved for use in the EU.

Useful for vulnerable people?

Although mass third dose campaigns don’t appear to be on the horizon, several countries have already started giving third doses to certain people.

These include individuals who have a weakened immune system, including those who have undergone organ transplants, or suffer from cancer or renal problems.

Among these, the bodies natural immune response to pathogens is suppressed, which means the immune response provoked by vaccines can be less powerful.

Along with France, Israel this week began giving third doses to certain people.

“Recent data showed that the immune response provoked by two doses were insufficient among severely immunosuppressed individuals,” France’s vaccine committee said in May.

For its part, Israel justified its decision by pointing to “a large number of cases in recent weeks” as well as the risk posed to immunocompromised patients.

Or the elderly?

France went a step further on Monday in announcing that a “booster campaign” would start from September for people fully vaccinated early in the year.

The vaccination council said earlier this month that it was starting its third dose drive with over 80s.

“Scientific data to support this proposal are still limited, but taking into account studies showing a fall in antibody levels in this population, and the potentially serious impact on the care system, it appears reasonable,” the council said.

It added that it was possible younger people would eventually have access to a third shot, depending on how the pandemic progresses.

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Britney Spears wins right to new lawyer in battle to remove dad

By - Jul 15,2021 - Last updated at Jul 15,2021

Supporters of pop star Britney Spears participate in a Free Britney rally at the Lincoln memorial on Wednesday in Washington, DC (AFP photo)

By Andrew Marszal

Agence France-Presse

LOS ANGELES — An emotional Britney Spears scored a victory in her bid to end her father's control of her affairs Wednesday, as a judge ruled she could appoint her own lawyer to help end a guardianship that the pop superstar slammed as "cruelty."

Spears phoned back into a Los Angeles court, three weeks after her first explosive testimony in which she pleaded with a judge to free her from the years-long conservatorship ramped up worldwide interest in the case.

During Wednesday's hearing, Judge Brenda Penny accepted the resignation of Spears' previous attorney and signalled she would accept the 39-year-old's new choice, Mathew Rosengart, to represent her.

Rosengart told AFP on the sidelines of the hearing that he would file a petition "as soon as possible" to remove Jamie Spears as the conservator — and suggested the singer's father should simply step down.

"We will be filing a petition as soon as possible to move Mr Spears, subject to our formal retention," said Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor who has represented Steven Spielberg and Sean Penn.

"Why is Mr Spears not voluntarily stepping down?" Rosengart asked. "He does not belong in this conservatorship anymore. And we believe he should voluntarily step down immediately."

Spears, speaking to the court again via telephone, was at turns angry and upset — and used the occasional expletive — as she said she wanted to "press charges" against her father.

"I'm angry and I will go there," the singer said, even telling the court at one point she thought "they were trying to kill me."

"If the court doesn't see this as abuse... I don't know what is," said Spears, calling for "investigations" and a restraining order against her father.

Following the judge's ruling, Spears posted a video of herself performing cartwheels on Instagram, with the caption: "Coming along, folks ... coming along!!!!! New with real representation today ... I feel GRATITUDE and BLESSED!!!!"

She signed her post with the phrase adopted by her loyal fans: "#FreeBritney."

Twists and turns

Spears, who rocketed to fame in her teens, suffered a highly public 2007 breakdown — when the shaven-headed star attacked a paparazzo's car at a gas station.

The following year, a California court placed her under a unique legal guardianship largely governed by her father, Jamie.

Spears swiftly returned to performing after that, released three albums, appeared on various television shows and even took up a Las Vegas residency.

But in January 2019, she abruptly announced she was suspending her performances until further notice.

And then last month, the singer made an impassioned plea for her situation to change, alleging that she had been prevented from having a contraceptive IUD removed, despite wanting more children, and forcefully put on medication that made her feel "drunk."

Spears said she had been made to perform shows under threat of lawsuit, and that she was not even allowed to get changed in privacy or drive her own car.

#FreeBritney

After that testimony Samuel Ingham, the lawyer appointed by court following her breakdown, asked to step down from his role.

So, too, did the financial management company that was set to assume joint control of Spears' estate with her father Jamie, who remains in place.

Penny accepted both those resignations Wednesday.

Spears's longtime manager Larry Rudolph has also quit.

Spears has lots of public support, from fans chanting outside the courtroom — who greeted the news of her replacement lawyer with raucous cheers — to her musical peers Christina Aguilera and Madonna.

At a small demonstration on the Mall in the capital Washington, 34-year-old Patrick Thomas, head of the recently formed Free Britney America group, called the singer's situation "archaic."

"This is not just about Britney alone. This is about every other person who is trapped in one of these, what I would call a prison," said Thomas, whose group is pushing for a congressional hearing and federal oversight of conservatorships.

'Stupid'

Penny's approval of Spears's new counsel, pending formal confirmation, is a major victory for the star.

She told the judge that she now wants the conservatorship to be terminated without having to undergo any more "stupid" psychological testing, but if tests would be required she would settle for the simple removal of her father from the system.

Jamie Spears' lawyer did not oppose the new attorney, but told the court that Spears' claim that her father is responsible for all the bad things that have happened to her is "the furthest thing from the truth."

Signalling he would not step down voluntarily, the attorney said Spears' father "has been there 24/7 for the past 13 years," and repeated a call for the court to investigate the singer's claims of abuse.

Read more about Britney Spears wins right to new lawyer in battle to remove dad

Britney Spears legal battle heads back to Los Angeles court

By - Jul 14,2021 - Last updated at Jul 14,2021

A poster from the Free Britney Movement (AFP photo by Frederic J. Brown)

LOS ANGELES — Three weeks after Britney Spears sensationally called for an end to her “abusive” guardianship, the pop singer’s legal battle returned to court on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Spears gave explosive testimony on June 23 in which she pleaded with a California judge to allow her to end the conservatorship long controlled by her father, and to choose her own lawyer.

Her 20-minute emotional and almost breathless monologue ramped up worldwide interest in a case that was already the subject of a frenzied #FreeBritney campaign by her adoring fans, who are were outside court again on Wednesday.

It is not known if the singer will address the court directly this time, but at least 10 separate petition hearings and five further items are on the docket, according to the Los Angeles County Superior Court website.

Since her testimony last month, many of the central figures in the complex and controversial network installed to manage Spears’ affairs have distanced themselves.

Samuel Ingham, the lawyer appointed by court soon after her highly public 2007 breakdown — when the shaven-headed star attacked a paparazzo’s car at a gas station — has asked to step down from his role.

So too has the financial management company that was set to assume joint control of Spears’ estate with her father Jamie, who remains in place despite a petition filed last year for his removal.

Her longtime manager Larry Rudolph has also resigned.

All three men came in for searing criticism from Spears last month, when the 39-year-old said that “my dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship and my management — who played a huge role in punishing me when I said ‘no’... they should be in jail”.

Her impassioned testimony has drawn widespread support, from fans chanting outside the courtroom to her musical peers Christina Aguilera and Madonna.

Spears told the court that she had been prevented from having a contraceptive IUD removed, despite wanting more children, and forcefully put on medication that made her feel “drunk” .

She said she had been made to perform shows under threat of lawsuit, and that she was not even allowed to get changed in privacy or drive her own car.

“I just want my life back. It’s been 13 years and it’s enough,” said Spears.

‘Handpick my

own lawyer’

The nature of Wednesday’s petitions is not publicly known.

But earlier this month Spears’ mother Lynne filed a petition asking for her daughter to be allowed to choose her own new lawyer.

Celebrity website TMZ reported on Tuesday that the singer has been in talks with Hollywood lawyer Mathew Rosengart and that he has agreed to represent her.

The former federal prosecutor has previously represented the likes of Steven Spielberg and Sean Penn, and is expected to attend court on Wednesday.

Rosengart did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

If the judge approves his appointment, Rosengart would be expected to apply for Jamie Spears’ removal from control of her estate, and — at some point — an end to the conservatorship itself.

“I haven’t really had the opportunity by my own self to actually handpick my own lawyer by myself. And I would like to be able to do that,” Spears told the court last month.

“I would like to also — the main reason why I’m here — is because I want to end the conservatorship without having to be evaluated,” she said.

Judge Brenda Penny would also need to sign off on the requests to step down from lawyer Ingham and Bessemer Trust, the wealth manager.

Spears is currently responsible for footing the legal bills for both sides — including the hefty fees charged by the attorneys opposing her in the case.

Wednesday’s hearing was not be available to follow online after a copy of the audio from last month’s hearing — made available for streaming under pandemic protocols — was leaked and circulated online.

Read more about Britney Spears legal battle heads back to Los Angeles court

‘Jerusalema’ hit-maker says Africa now hitting its stride

Master KG sees bright prospects for Afro-pop

By - Jul 13,2021 - Last updated at Jul 13,2021

PARIS — “Now is the time for Africa to shine, to present our culture to the world.”

Master KG, the South African DJ-producer behind global hit “Jerusalema”, sees bright prospects for Afro-pop.

Even at 25, he knows what he is talking about.

He made the whole planet dance with a song in a Zulu dialect which he composed while his compatriot Nomcebo Zikode laid down the yearning lyrics, a plea for unity and the coming of the New Jerusalem.

The day AFP met Master KG in Paris on one of his trips to Europe, the musician is wearing a yellow-and-blue jacket emblazoned with the words “Wake up Afrika”.

“We’re just getting started. We’re getting on the right path... with Afro-beat and Afro-pop, we will hear more and more African artists around the planet — there is room for everyone,” enthuses the young man, still a little shy, his bespectacled face tucked inside his hoodie.

Indeed, the term “Afro-pop” often comes up in the mouths of prominent DJs such as America’s Diplo, the powerhouse of the Major Lazer electronic-dancehall hit machine.

Artists like Burna Boy from Nigeria or Fally Ipupa from the Democratic Republic of Congo are building reputations far beyond Africa.

Master KG, whose real name is Kgaogelo Moagi, has been ranked by Forbes Africa as being among the 30 most influential personalities aged under 30 on the continent.

And he has just released a new track, “Shine Your Light”, with two star DJs, the Frenchman David Guetta and the Senegalese-American Akon (on the Elektra/Warner label).

Life-changer

“Yes, ‘Jerusalema’ changed my life,” Master KG told AFP. “I am here in Paris talking to you! I would not travel the world like I am now without this song.”

The hit has racked up more than 210 million plays on Spotify and more than 415 million views on YouTube. Stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Janet Jackson have praised him on social networks.

“When I look at the statistics, the numbers, it always surprises me, no one could have predicted this,” he comments. For eight weeks towards the end of 2020, “Jerusalema” was the most frequently searched track on Shazam, a software programme that identifies a song that is playing.

The success story is well known. Released at the end of 2019, the single got a new lease of life when it went viral on TikTok, garnering seven billion hits. The choreographic dance challenge in the video then spread across networks, from nursing assistants in France to monks in Italy.

“I would never have thought that the police would be able to dance to my music,” laughs the musician, who shows no signs of developing a big head, despite the luxury cars exhibited on his social network channels.

“I already had success before ‘Jerusalema’, unrelated of course, but then everything becomes more comfortable. The song is gonna generate income for the rest of my life,” he said frankly.

‘Village kid’

In South Africa, Master KG has bought a house for his mother and built one for his grandmother. And life has also changed for his chosen singer, Nomcebo Zikode. When he contacted her to lend her voice to “Jerusalema”, she was thinking of giving up music. Instead, she has just released an album.

Master KG also has a recording studio near Johannesburg, which is an unexpected success for one who describes himself as a “village kid”, born in Calais, a small town in the northeast of South Africa. He is amazed when he is told that a French town has the same name.

Master KG lived with his mother, a hotel employee (his father is a teacher), and got into music when an uncle gave him his first computer in 2013. He has already released two albums, which he considers more like a cluster of singles.

The third, which he hopes to present at the end of 2021, will be more “constructed, prepared”.

“For the title of the album, the fans must help me, help me find a title, it will be an album from South Africa to the world, rich in the encounters I have had,” he says.

When told that he risks receiving a colossal number of proposals, he laughs. “There’s bound to be one that will stick”.

Read more about ‘Jerusalema’ hit-maker says Africa now hitting its stride

Marvel at crossroads with ‘Black Widow’ big-screen return

Jul 13,2021 - Last updated at Jul 13,2021

Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh (right) in ‘Black Widow’ (Photo courtesy of imdb.com)

By Andrew Marszal
Agence France-Presse

LOS ANGELES — Two years ago, after a blistering and unprecedented streak of billion-dollar-grossing movies, the Marvel superhero films took what was meant to be a short hiatus.

When that big-screen break — involuntarily extended by the COVID-19 pandemic — finally ended with the release of “Black Widow”, Hollywood will be watching closely to see if Marvel still has its mojo.

“I would say it is in flux, at a pretty crucial turning point,” said Kendall Phillips, a Syracuse University professor who specialises in pop culture.

“The key question is — can Marvel do it again?”

“Black Widow” — which finally gives Scarlett Johansson’s Russian assassin-turned-superhero Natasha Romanoff her own spin-off — has been sitting “in the can” since May 2020, as parent company Disney waited for theatres to reopen.

It is now set to be the first of a jam-packed raft of new Marvel films, with 12 splashy good-versus-evil extravaganzas due in theatres by the end of 2023 — not to mention various TV series that have premiered during the pandemic or are coming soon.

Even for a franchise that previously churned out three blockbusters per year — including “Avengers: Endgame”, which briefly passed “Avatar” as the top-grossing film in history — that is a frantic pace.

And the films’ comeback is being launched at a time when the appetite of moviegoers for piling into theatres remains uncertain.

Despite the recent successes of “A Quiet Place 2” and “F9”, only 80 per cent of North American theatres are open, box office takes are far short of pre-pandemic times, and fears of COVID-19 variants are growing.

“’Black Widow,’ I’m certain, would make 10 to 15 per cent more this weekend if all theatres were open and there was no such thing as COVID,” said David A. Gross, who runs movie consultancy Franchise Entertainment Research.

“But that’s the world we live in.”

The overall Marvel relaunch is also complicated by the loss of several stars.

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans have stepped back from key roles as Iron Man and Captain America, while “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman died of cancer last year.

His role will not be recast for next year’s sequel, which will tread a difficult line between honouring Boseman’s legacy and cashing in on the first film’s nearly $1.4 billion worldwide gross.

In their absence, upcoming films will feature lesser-known comic book characters such as Shang-Chi, and the “Eternals”.

Minor characters have been promoted to lead roles in recent Marvel TV series on the Disney+ streaming platform such as “WandaVision” and “Loki”.

“In the very, very long term, I think there’s an issue of diluting the value of theatrical titles,” said Gross.

But Gross added: “I would never bet against Marvel. They’ve basically shattered every expectation and every ceiling.”

‘Marvel is back’

According to Phillips, part of Marvel’s success stems from creating culturally important “event” movies that draw in “the everyday average moviegoer, who never read Marvel Comics, didn’t watch the cartoons, doesn’t play the video games”.

“The tricky bit is, they’re having to try to keep those people on board, draw in a new generation, all while not having those [famous] characters,” he said.

Picking up the baton from 2019’s groundbreaking female-led “Captain Marvel”, “Black Widow” will be the series’ first film directed entirely by a woman, with two female leads in Johansson and Florence Pugh.

Analysts are eagerly waiting to see if it will be the first film since the pandemic hit to pass $100 million on its opening weekend.

Those numbers are far short of the $350 million opening of “Avengers: Endgame”, and may be dampened by the film’s simultaneous release on Disney+ streaming.

But if it can even beat the recent $70 million box office of “F9”, it will send a message that “Marvel is back, they’re in the movie theatre, and that’s where fans want to see Marvel first”, said Comscore box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

“Every decision we make along the way, is for ‘what will it be like on that opening night in a big theatre?’” said Marvel film chief Kevin Feige, at a launch event in Los Angeles last week.

“And now we finally get to see it... Marvel movies are made for the theatres.”

Read more about Marvel at crossroads with ‘Black Widow’ big-screen return

Renault Stepway 1.6L: Taking on the urban jungle

By - Jul 12,2021 - Last updated at Jul 12,2021

Photo courtesy of Renault

A small, affordable, economical and tough yet comfortable compact urban crossover, the Renault Stepway is an ideal and uncomplicated daily driver engineered with developing markets in mind. A rebadged version of Renault’s Romanian subsidiary Dacia’s high riding Sandero Stepway and its base hatchback sister, the Renault version is virtually indistinguishable bar the French manufacturer’s iconic diamond-like badge.

Introduced in its first generation in 2008, the Stepway is already in its third generation for some markets, but others, including Jordan, the second-generation model is still going strong.

Wide stance compact

A junior sister model to Renault’s and Dacia’s popular Duster crossover, with a more distinctly urban appeal and less emphasis on off-road ability, the second generation Stepway was first launched at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. A smaller proposition than the Duster, the Stepway is noticeably shorter and more condensed in design. Compact and road-oriented as it may be, the Stepway nevertheless has a rugged SUV-like appeal owing to the black cladding along its lower wheel-arches and sills, faux front skid plate and roof rails.

With similar width and height, and short wheelbase and rear overhang, the Stepway looks as agile and manoeuvrable as it is on the road, and seems to sit on the road with a greater sense of width than its demure dimensions suggest. With its lower cladding, subtly pronounced wheel-arches, broad bonnet and browed grille and headlights, the Stepway’s sense of width is further accentuated, despite compact actual proportions. Meanwhile, the Stepway features discretely bulging rear haunches and an arcing roofline tapering to a concise rear treatment.

A step-up successor

Offered in European markets with a selection of smaller engines, including turbo-diesels and three-cylinder turbo petrol options under the Dacia brand, the Renault Stepway is instead powered by a less complicated and more powerful 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels. A better breathing engine with double overhead camshafts and 16-valves compared to the 8-valve first generation Stepway previously featured in these pages, the current model gains 20BHP and 25lb/ft over its predecessor, and is livelier, more confident and versatile on road for it.

A compact and comparative lightweight at an estimated 1,140kg, the Stepway develops 110BHP at 5,750rpm and 109lb/ft at 3,750rpm, which allows decent estimated headline performance figures including 11-seconds 0-100km/h acceleration and a 170km/h top speed. Confident and responsive to throttle input from standstill, the Stepway is progressive through revs and in power and torque delivery. Meanwhile, its engine is eager to its rev limit, and its CVT transmission is more willing to allow this, despite being biased to maintaining more efficient revs, as CVT systems are.

Playful yet predictable

A more eager drive than its predecessor, the Stepway’s CVT may lack the driver control of a manual or even automatic gearbox. However, its “slingshot” style of operation as speed build up while ratios seamlessly alter and revs are held in a high torque range lends the Stepway what seems like a more versatile and confident mid-range for overtaking and incline. Driving the front wheels, the Stepway meanwhile feels more predictable and eager through corners than with the added weight of a front-biased all-wheel-drive system.

Smooth and stable on road for its compact crossover class, the Stepway drives much like a keen and light front-drive hatchback through corners, despite sitting higher off the ground than the regular Dacia Sandero hatchback it is based on. Turning tidily into and leaning slightly through corners, the Stepway’s wide track lends good stability. Meanwhile, the lack of sudden power diversion to the rear makes the Stepway predictable and consistent in road-holding, and with its light weight and small wheelbase, it is agile and adjustable through corners.

Well-packaged and practical

Refined for its segment, the Stepway is comfortable and settled over most imperfections, with its modest 205/55R16 tyres providing good absorption, durability and help with steering feel. A decidedly urban-oriented crossover, the Stepway should be capable of better than expected but moderate off-road ability, if past experience with other front-drive Renault-Dacia vehicles is to go by. With front-drive, short wheelbase and overhangs, low weight and usefully high 173mm ground clearance the Stepway would be expected to make short work of many dry, unpaved dirt roads.

Tall, compact and with a relatively big glasshouse, the Stepway is well-packaged with good visibility and is pleasant but unpretentious inside, with large uncomplicated controls, buttons and instrumentation, and seems well put together. Driving position is good and accommodates taller drivers, while rear space is decent for its class. Well equipped with useful mod cons, safety and infotainment features, if not advanced high tech equipment, the Stepway meanwhile provides easy boot access and 320-litre volume, which expands to 1,200-litres with its 60/40 split rear seats folded down.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 1.6-litre, transverse 4-cylinders

Compression ratio: 10.7:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC

Gearbox: Continuously variable transmission (CVT) auto, front-wheel-drive

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 110 (111) [81] @5,750rpm

Specific power: 68.8BHP/litre

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 109 (148) @3,750rpm

Specific torque: 92.6Nm/litre

0-100km/h: approximately 11-seconds (estimate)

Top speed: approximately 170km/h (estimate)

Fuel capacity: 50-litres