Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift lead MTV Video Music Awards

NEW YORK, United States - Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton artist who's among the world's biggest stars, scored MTV's artist of the year award Sunday at the annual Video Music Awards.

But the performer was conspicuously absent from the show: he was busy with his own blockbuster tour, playing the second night of a sold out concert at Yankee Stadium that over the weekend drew some 100,000 fans.

Bad Bunny, wearing a satin pink suit and white sunglasses, accepted the award via video and also delivered a seismic performance of his smash "Titi Me Pregunto" from the baseball stadium in New York, where the song has soundtracked the streets for months.

"Thank you so much, New York," the 28-year-old said in Spanish to resounding applause.

"From the beginning I always believed that I could be great, that I could be one of the biggest stars in the world, without changing my culture, my language," he said. "I'm Benito Antonio Martinez from Puerto Rico -- for the whole world."

In a sure sign that pandemic-stymied touring was back in full swing, another of the year's biggest stars, Harry Styles, also couldn't make it to the VMAs -- which aired from New Jersey's Prudential Center -- due to his own show at Madison Square Garden.

The artist who dropped "Harry's House" this year also accepted his award for the year's best album via video, before heading back to his own global concert run.

SWIFT ALBUM ON THE WAY

Taylor Swift was also among the night's big winners, turning heads on the red carpet in a dress dripping with crystals before winning the night's top prize of music video of the year for her 10-minute-long film "All Too Well." 

"I'm so proud of what we made," said the 32-year-old, who has been making good on her vow to re-record her first six albums so she can control the rights to them.

"We wouldn't have been able to make this short film if it weren't for you, the fans," Swift said onstage. "Because I wouldn't be able to re-record my albums if it weren't for you. You emboldened me to do that."

She then gave fans a gift in return, announcing that her new album will come out October 21.

Shortly after the broadcast's end, the megastar revealed the new project's name.

"Midnights, the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life, will be out October 21. Meet me at midnight," she wrote on social media.

Hip hop superstar Nicki Minaj reigned over the evening as the 2022 recipient of the prestigious Video Vanguard Award.

Wearing her signature pink wig, the hip-hop icon from Queens delivered a medley of her hits including "Super Bass" and her most recent single "Super Freaky Girl."

Brazil's Anitta also turned heads with a booty-popping performance before winning the award for best Latin video for "Envolver."

"I was born and raised in the ghetto of Brazil, and for whoever was born there, we would never think this was possible," she said when accepting the trophy.

JOHNNY DEPP APPEARS

Iconic stoner comedy duo Cheech and Chong awarded the Red Hot Chili Peppers with the Global Icon Award, before the California rockers performed and also paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins, the late Foo Fighters drummer.

Eminem and Snoop Dogg opened their performance sitting on a couch as Snoop smoked a giant -- albeit fake -- blunt, before the pair headed to the metaverse for a trippy, animated performance of their latest collaboration "From the D 2 the LBC."

Marshmello and Khalid performed "Numb" with neon, disorienting visuals that created a brief but heady rave effect, while South Korea's Blackpink gave their first show at a US awards night ever.

Lizzo also performed before scoring the Video For Good award -- which honors videos with social or political messages -- for her song "About Damn Time."

Wearing a cone-bra corseted dress that recalled Madonna, the superstar thanked fans for voting for her to receive the award before nodding to US politics.

"Vote to change some of these laws that are oppressing us," the star urged.

And at the awards show that's historically far better known for its antics than actual prizes, Johnny Depp -- fresh off his controversial defamation trial against his ex-partner Amber Heard -- appeared as the MTV Moonman, his head digitally superimposed on the flying astronaut.

"You know what? I needed the work," said the 59-year-old actor.

Agence France Presse

White House blasts 'radical' Republican abortion bans

The White House on Friday blasted the latest set of "radical" abortion restrictions in four more states run by Republicans, signaling President Joe Biden's determination to lean on the issue ahead of tight November congressional elections.

There are now full-scale abortion bans in 12 Republican-controlled states, which had prepared so-called trigger laws ready to be activated when the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision ensuring automatic rights to abortion access nationwide.

"Today marks the latest attack against the fundamental rights of Americans as new abortion bans go into effect in Idaho, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

"These near-total abortion bans are part of a growing effort by Republican legislators to roll back the freedoms Americans have relied on for nearly half a century. Today's radical steps take away women's reproductive rights and put personal health care decisions in the hands of politicians instead of women and their doctors," she said.

The Supreme Court ruling two months ago put jurisdiction over abortion access in the hands of individual state legislatures, immediately turning swaths of the country into areas where getting the procedure has become all but impossible.

Jean-Pierre echoed Biden's frequent demand for Congress to pass a new law enshrining nationwide abortion rights and urged "people across the country to make their voices heard" ahead of the November midterm elections, which will decide whether Democrats retain their narrow hold on the legislature.

Republicans have fought for decades to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and finally achieved their goal in a Supreme Court that tilted sharply to conservative interpretations of the constitution after Donald Trump filled three vacancies during his one-term presidency.

Polls show the court's ruling was unpopular with a majority of Americans, however, and Democrats hope the issue will help them fend off a previously predicted sweep by Republicans in the midterms. 

"I think the American people realize this is just beyond the pale, it goes too far," Biden told reporters at the White House.

Meanwhile, the White House is trying to help women who want to circumvent the bans by supporting their travel to states that do allow abortions.

The health department on Friday announced increased federal funding for states where the authorities want to help such women.

"We have seen the gut-wrenching stories of women suffering and not getting the care they need because of newly-enacted laws that restrict abortion care," Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said.

The new federal assistance will "protect women's access to reproductive care, including abortion," he said.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Durant set to stay with Nets after management talks

NEW YORK -- Kevin Durant looks set to remain with the Brooklyn Nets after holding talks with the club's management team, the Nets said in a statement on Tuesday.

Durant, who requested a trade from the club on June 30, met Nets chiefs in Los Angeles on Monday to discuss his future.

A statement from Nets manager Sean Marks on Tuesday indicated that the 33-year-old 12-time NBA All-Star would remain a Brooklyn player.

"(Head coach) Steve Nash and I, together with (owners) Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday," Marks said.

"We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."

The statement appears to draw a line under the frenzy of speculation surrounding Durant's future.

A slew of teams had reportedly been interested in restructuring their rosters in an effort to accommodate the superstar.

Earlier this month, multiple US reports said Durant had issued an ultimatum to Nets owner Tsai -- telling him to either fire Marks and Nash or grant his request for a trade.

Durant's trade demand in June came less than a year after he signed a four-year $198 million contract extension with Brooklyn.

However the 33-year-old has grown increasingly frustrated with the direction of the franchise according to reports, and was eager for a change of scenery.

The Nets had hoped to build a super-team around Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. 

However the trio of stars were unable to turn Brooklyn into championship contenders and were swept in the first round of this year's playoffs by the Boston Celtics.

Agence France-Presse

'Bullet Train' locked and loaded atop N.America box office

LOS ANGELES, United States - Sony's "Bullet Train" held the top spot for the second week running in the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations estimated Sunday during a relatively flat mid-August period of moviegoing.

As the last major studio release of the summer, the action thriller starring Brad Pitt pulled in $13.4 million, less than half its take the previous week but still nearly doubling up on its closest competitor.

Pitt, who plays a professional assassin on a Japanese train seemingly loaded with them, heads a cast that includes Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Latin music star Bad Bunny, as well as Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in bit roles.

Holding second spot was former number one "DC League of Super-Pets," Warner Bros.' animated film which pairs the likes of Superman and other action heroes with furry partners. It earned $7.2 million.

Jumping back up three spots to third was "Top Gun: Maverick," Paramount's long-awaited -- and extremely popular -- Tom Cruise sequel. It pulled in $7.1 million, for an eye-popping $674 million in North American ticket sales over the past 12 weeks.

Fourth spot went to Disney's action comedy "Thor: Love and Thunder," at $5.3 million. It stars Chris Hemsworth as the uber-muscular space Viking, who pines for his ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman). It has now eclipsed $325 million over six weeks.

Following closely in fifth was Universal's "Nope," also at $5.3 million. The sci-fi/horror flick, boosted by the involvement of popular writer/director Jordan Peele, stars Daniel Kaluuya.

Overall, domestic releases are gradually getting back on track since the coronavirus pandemic hammered the industry, but the schedule remains relatively "thin," according to Franchise Entertainment Research's box office newsletter.

"There's no question, the total box office would be bigger with more studio releases," it said.

Rounding out the weekend's top 10 were:

"Minions: The Rise of Gru" ($4.9 million)

"Where the Crawdads Sing" ($4 million)

"Bodies Bodies Bodies" ($3.3 million)

"Elvis" ($2.6 million)

"Fall" ($2.5 million)

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Kyrgios defeats top-ranked Medvedev at Montreal Masters, Alcaraz ousted

MONTREAL, Canada -- Nick Kyrgios broke twice in the final set as he rallied to topple world number one Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the ATP Montreal Masters on Wednesday.

Australia's Wimbledon finalist beat Medvedev 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-2 to produce his second career upset of a reigning number one after ambushing Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014.

Kyrgios produced his usual on-court antics, complaining about a high bounce, hitting a ball into the stands to draw a warning and bickering with his player box in moments of tension.

But after gathering his formidable resources, the 27-year-old ranked 37th finished off the match in exactly two hours.

"This is our fourth meeting and we know each other well," Kyrgios said. "I don't go in looking at the rankings, just the guy in front of me.

"I had a clean objective today -- play a lot of serve and volley and execute better.

"Hopefully I can keep this rolling and keep on winning. Medvedev is a machine -- he's number one for a reason."

Both players were coming off weekend title wins, Kyrgios at the Washington 500 on Sunday and Medvedev at Los Cabos, Mexico, on Saturday.

Kyrgios has won 14 of his last 15 matches to improve to 29-7 for 2022.

Medvedev lost for the 11th time in 2022, but by reaching the final at Los Cabos -- where he lifted his first trophy of the season -- he is assured of taking the number one ranking into his US Open title defense later this month.

He was barred from Wimbledon as the tournament excluded Russian and Belarussian players over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz, who like Medvedev enjoyed a first-round bye, fared no better in his opening match.

American Tommy Paul spoiled the Spaniard's Canadian debut with a 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 victory.

The unseeded American converted his fifth match point to seal the second-round victory in three hours and 20 minutes.

Alcaraz came into the event with two prestige Masters 1000 titles from Miami and Madrid and holding a 42-7 record this season.

But the 34th-ranked Paul claimed victory on a volley winner after holding off the Spaniard's charge from 5-2 down in the third set. The American stayed in the match as he rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the second set to start his comeback surge.

- Comfortable tennis -

"It was nice to finish this match at the net," said Paul, who fired 36 winners to Alcaraz's 33. "I did a lot of things well today.

"I played a good level of tennis, comfortable tennis. I'm happy to get through and now have to recover for tomorrow."

Fourth seed Casper Ruud backed up his defeat earlier this season of Alex Molcan, beating the Slovakian 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in just under two hours.

The Norwegian with three trophies so far in 2022 had to work to win the opening set after dropping serve as he tried to close it out leading 5-4. 

It eventually took a tiebreaker for Ruud to prevail. He sealed his third-round place in straight sets for his 36th win of the season. 

"It's always a tough fight against him," Ruud said.

"He's very fast and can give everyone problems," he added of the player coached by Novak Djokovic's former mentor Marian Vajda.

Elsewhere, Italian Jannik Sinner needed three sets to get past Adrian Mannarino 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 while Alex de Minaur lined up an all-Aussie Thursday match against Kyrgios by defeating Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7/4), 7-5.

Agence France-Presse

Apple TV+ counts its 'Luck' as fallen 'Toy Story' exec makes comeback

LOS ANGELES, United States - Like all good animated family movies, "Luck" has a thoroughly optimistic premise: that no matter how hopeless or dire your circumstances may seem, something good will eventually come of it.

Apple TV+ will be hoping the same is true for John Lasseter, the former Pixar guru who resigned under a cloud of #MeToo harassment claims, and later became head of the new Skydance Animation.

"Luck" is that studio's first film, available to stream Friday, which follows 18-year-old girl Sam and a talking black cat called Bob on their adventures in the fantastical Land of Luck.

In this land of perfect fortune, all the world's good and bad luck is produced by magical creatures including leprechauns, dragons, unicorns and goblins, who then funnel it down to Earth.

The movie features a voice cast of Simon Pegg, Whoopi Goldberg and Jane Fonda, along with Broadway star Eva Noblezada in the lead role of Sam, the world's unluckiest girl.

The cast could have been even starrier, had Emma Thompson not very publicly withdrawn in 2019 over the hiring of Lasseter, publishing her resignation letter in the Los Angeles Times.

It was a decision that other cast members have mulled over, with Pegg telling AFP he "initially" had qualms before deciding to proceed.

"It's a dangerous thing to just write people off immediately, I think, if there's some accountability, if there's some acknowledgement and acceptance," he told AFP.

- 'Complicated' -

Lasseter, who transformed Pixar from a small Lucasfilm graphics department into the world's most successful animation studio with hits including "Toy Story," was accused of misconduct at the 2017 height of the #MeToo movement.

The powerful studio president apologized to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug," and for "falling short" in ensuring a culture of "trust and respect." 

The following year, he resigned, acknowledging in an internal memo that he had made staff feel "disrespected or uncomfortable."

Multiple sources alleged that Lasseter was a heavy drinker at company social events who would try to kiss women, place his hands on their thighs and hug them in meetings. 

In her letter, Thompson said the case of Lasseter was "complicated."

Upon his hiring by Skydance, Thompson wrote that "any Skydance employees who don't want to give him a second chance have to stay and be uncomfortable or lose their jobs."

For Pegg, it was important that Lasseter had "admitted accountability for the things that had been aimed at him."

"We're all doomed if we are banished for stuff that we regret and apologize for, and mean that apology. That's the most important thing."

Goldberg had a more succinct take: "Everybody steps in it sometime," she told AFP.

- 'Real-world stakes' -

In the film, Sam -- an orphan who has reached adulthood without finding a permanent foster home -- follows Bob the cat (Pegg) into the Land of Luck in order to find a lucky penny.

She hopes this magical coin can help her young friend Hazel find the "forever family" she never had.

Of course, getting her hands on it is anything but straightforward, taking Sam on a physical journey through the realm's whirring Rube Goldberg machines and glittering waterfalls -- and an emotional one.

"I really love that element. It's a film which is the most outrageous environments and concepts but paired with genuine real-world stakes about friendship," said Pegg.

"Sometimes what appears to be bad luck can end up being good luck. Not least for Sam, who apparently lives an entire life of bad luck, only to go on this adventure and find exactly what she's looking for."

For the filmmakers, the withdrawal of Thompson led to the hiring of Oscar-winner and social campaigner Jane Fonda, playing an elegant dragon who is the CEO of the luck-making operation. 

"When Jane joined the cast, I looked to her as being such a legendary activist and feminist," said Pegg.

"I felt like she was a great person to take the lead from. And it was her involvement in the film that cemented my decision to do it."

Agence France Presse