Les Etats-Unis et l’Ukraine ont salué dimanche des échanges “productifs et constructifs” entre émissaires des deux pays réunis à Miami, en présence de négociateurs européens, en vue de mettre fin à la guerre en Ukraine.Même si ce dernier cycle de pourparlers — avec également des réunions distinctes entre Américains et Russes en Floride — n’a …
The first winds of west Africa’s Harmattan dry season are in the air, and Lagos, the economic capital of the continent’s most populous country, is abuzz.It’s “Detty December”, when the city turns into a site of pilgrimage for Nigerians and those in the diaspora to make their way home for the holidays — and party.The …
A night out on the town during Nigeria’s ‘Detty December’Mon, 22 Dec 2025 02:19:51 GMT Read More »
The US Coast Guard was pursuing another allegedly sanctioned tanker on Sunday, a US official told AFP, as Washington ramps up its pressure campaign targeting Venezuela’s vital oil sector.The “active pursuit” in the Caribbean Sea was happening a day after the Coast Guard seized its second vessel off Venezuela in two weeks.US President Donald Trump announced on December 16 a blockade of “sanctioned oil vessels” sailing to and from Venezuela, demanding the return of allegedly stolen US assets in the oil-rich South American country.He has also deployed a large navy armada in the Caribbean with a stated mission of combatting drug trafficking, but which Caracas says is a pressure campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro.”The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion. It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order,” a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said in a statement to AFP.News outlets identified the ship involved as the Bella 1, an oil tanker under US sanctions since 2024 because of alleged ties to Iran and Hezbollah.According to the specialized site TankerTrackers, the ship was en route to Venezuela but not carrying cargo.US forces approached the vessel late Saturday, but the ship did not submit to being boarded and continued sailing, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed officials.Earlier on Saturday, the US Coast Guard seized the Centuries, which according to TankerTrackers is a Chinese-owned and Panama-flagged tanker.It said that ship was loaded with 1.8 million barrels of crude oil at a Venezuelan port earlier this month before being escorted out of the Latin American country’s exclusive economic zone on December 18.An AFP review found that the Centuries did not appear on the US Treasury Department’s list of sanctioned companies and individuals.- Chevron tanker -Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez on Sunday posted a statement to social media about oil giant Chevron sending a tanker from Caracas to the United States carrying Venezuelan oil — without mentioning either vessel interdicted by Washington. “A ship of the American company Chevron has set sail from our country carrying Venezuelan oil bound for the United States, in strict adherence to regulations and in fulfillment of the commitments undertaken by our oil industry,” Rodriguez said on Telegram. Chevron renewed its license this year to extract crude oil from Venezuela, accounting for roughly 10 percent of the country’s production. “Venezuela has always been, and will continue to be, respectful of national and international legality,” Rodriguez continued.The Trump administration claims that Venezuela is using oil, its main resource, to finance “narcoterrorism.” The US military since September has also conducted a series of air strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. Critics have questioned the legality of the attacks, which have killed more than 100 people.Caracas denies any involvement in drug trafficking and insists that Washington is seeking to overthrow Maduro to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves.
From fleets of private trailers to personal chefs and sprawling entourages, Bollywood stars’ “obnoxious” demands are driving up production costs and putting a strain on the Indian film industry’s finances, insiders say.Bollywood has long been unpredictable at the box office and the pandemic compounded problems, but producers argue that today’s losses stem less from creative failure and more from top artists’ runaway expenses.”It is not so much about production cost — it is more about star fees,” says producer Ramesh Taurani, best known for the successful Race action franchise.Actors, filmmakers say, increasingly arrive on set with a dozen-strong entourage — including makeup artists, hairdressers, stylists, gym trainers and assistants — all billed to production.Stars are paid hefty fees of up to $22.18 million per film but additional requests for first-class travel, five-star hotels, multiple private trailers and work-shy hours have become routine.”Expansive support teams, premium travel and luxury accommodations often inflate budgets without proportionate creative impact,” said veteran producer Mukesh Bhatt. “The kind of demands stars make is obnoxious.”Distributor and trade analyst Raj Bansal added: “One actor usually comes with 10 to 15 staff members.”Earlier, actors wouldn’t mind sharing one vanity van. Then they decided to give one vanity van each to a big star — and demand went on increasing.”A single trailer hired for the duration of a film shoot can cost as much $18,000. For some actors, insiders say, demanding more has become a status symbol.- ‘Self-respect’ -Bollywood has always been considered high-risk, producing more flops than hits, but producers say the balance has tipped sharply as star-driven costs spiral beyond what box office returns can sustain.The fragile model was shaken after the pandemic, when streaming platforms bought films at inflated prices. When those deals dried up, producers faced a painful course correction as income plunged but actors’ demands stayed elevated. And that problem continues today.Competition has also intensified. “Audience behaviour has matured, streaming platforms have broadened horizons and regional cinema has elevated creative standards,” says Bhatt.”Yet, alongside this progress, rising production costs — particularly talent-driven budgets — have introduced a significant strain. It is not the films that falter, but the economics that lose balance.”Actor-filmmaker Aamir Khan slammed stars for burdening producers with these costs.”You earn in crores (tens of millions of rupees),” Khan said, in a September interview with the YouTube show Game Changers. “Where’s your self-respect?”- ‘Power of storytelling’ -Industry insiders say actors’ demands also have a cascading effect, as stars seek to exceed each other’s perks.”A measured approach will allow us to redirect resources toward what truly defines cinema — the power of storytelling,” said Bhatt.Producers have pushed for partnership-style compensation models.”When a film thrives, every contributor should benefit,” Bhatt said. “When it struggles, the weight should not rest solely on the producer, who shoulders risk from the very beginning.”The 2024 science fiction action film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (“Big Mister, Little Mister”), starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, reportedly cost about $42 million. After poor ticket sales, producers were reported to have mortgaged property to cover debts.There have been exceptions.Actor Kartik Aaryan waived his fee for the 2023 action-comedy Shehzada, which tanked at the box office.”If your star value and the entire project’s value gives profit to the entire team, I think then the math adds up,” Aaryan said. “If it doesn’t, then you should take a cut.”Some producers argue that the industry must confront its own excesses.”If the star fee and entourage is affecting your budget, then don’t take stars,” says actor-writer-producer Viveck Vaswani.”I have made 40 films with 40 newcomers and have prospered. I took SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) when nobody wanted him. I cast Raveena Tandon when nobody knew her.”Vaswani, a longtime friend of Khan, notes that “SRK has no entourage cost, he pays his own”, as does Akshay Kumar.”Lots of them do that, they don’t burden the producers,” he said. “If you think your star is stronger than your script, you are wrong.”
From fleets of private trailers to personal chefs and sprawling entourages, Bollywood stars’ “obnoxious” demands are driving up production costs and putting a strain on the Indian film industry’s finances, insiders say.Bollywood has long been unpredictable at the box office and the pandemic compounded problems, but producers argue that today’s losses stem less from creative failure and more from top artists’ runaway expenses.”It is not so much about production cost — it is more about star fees,” says producer Ramesh Taurani, best known for the successful Race action franchise.Actors, filmmakers say, increasingly arrive on set with a dozen-strong entourage — including makeup artists, hairdressers, stylists, gym trainers and assistants — all billed to production.Stars are paid hefty fees of up to $22.18 million per film but additional requests for first-class travel, five-star hotels, multiple private trailers and work-shy hours have become routine.”Expansive support teams, premium travel and luxury accommodations often inflate budgets without proportionate creative impact,” said veteran producer Mukesh Bhatt. “The kind of demands stars make is obnoxious.”Distributor and trade analyst Raj Bansal added: “One actor usually comes with 10 to 15 staff members.”Earlier, actors wouldn’t mind sharing one vanity van. Then they decided to give one vanity van each to a big star — and demand went on increasing.”A single trailer hired for the duration of a film shoot can cost as much $18,000. For some actors, insiders say, demanding more has become a status symbol.- ‘Self-respect’ -Bollywood has always been considered high-risk, producing more flops than hits, but producers say the balance has tipped sharply as star-driven costs spiral beyond what box office returns can sustain.The fragile model was shaken after the pandemic, when streaming platforms bought films at inflated prices. When those deals dried up, producers faced a painful course correction as income plunged but actors’ demands stayed elevated. And that problem continues today.Competition has also intensified. “Audience behaviour has matured, streaming platforms have broadened horizons and regional cinema has elevated creative standards,” says Bhatt.”Yet, alongside this progress, rising production costs — particularly talent-driven budgets — have introduced a significant strain. It is not the films that falter, but the economics that lose balance.”Actor-filmmaker Aamir Khan slammed stars for burdening producers with these costs.”You earn in crores (tens of millions of rupees),” Khan said, in a September interview with the YouTube show Game Changers. “Where’s your self-respect?”- ‘Power of storytelling’ -Industry insiders say actors’ demands also have a cascading effect, as stars seek to exceed each other’s perks.”A measured approach will allow us to redirect resources toward what truly defines cinema — the power of storytelling,” said Bhatt.Producers have pushed for partnership-style compensation models.”When a film thrives, every contributor should benefit,” Bhatt said. “When it struggles, the weight should not rest solely on the producer, who shoulders risk from the very beginning.”The 2024 science fiction action film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (“Big Mister, Little Mister”), starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, reportedly cost about $42 million. After poor ticket sales, producers were reported to have mortgaged property to cover debts.There have been exceptions.Actor Kartik Aaryan waived his fee for the 2023 action-comedy Shehzada, which tanked at the box office.”If your star value and the entire project’s value gives profit to the entire team, I think then the math adds up,” Aaryan said. “If it doesn’t, then you should take a cut.”Some producers argue that the industry must confront its own excesses.”If the star fee and entourage is affecting your budget, then don’t take stars,” says actor-writer-producer Viveck Vaswani.”I have made 40 films with 40 newcomers and have prospered. I took SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) when nobody wanted him. I cast Raveena Tandon when nobody knew her.”Vaswani, a longtime friend of Khan, notes that “SRK has no entourage cost, he pays his own”, as does Akshay Kumar.”Lots of them do that, they don’t burden the producers,” he said. “If you think your star is stronger than your script, you are wrong.”
Traffic stops and hallways clear as the diva arrives, her attendants escorting her backstage ahead of her rendition of the role she’s perfected over years of delighting audiences.”You’ve got this, Wanda,” one opera manager says as she heads inside.Before the show, she gets a quick pedicure touch-up — her hooves tend to pick up hay and debris.Wanda is, after all, a donkey.She’s played roles in classic New York Metropolitan Opera productions including “La Boheme” and “The Barber of Seville” since 2022.In Act II of “La Boheme” — Puccini’s popular if heartbreaking portrayal of 19th-century Paris — Wanda joins hundreds of performers including diners, shoppers and vendors.The donkey pulls the colorful cart of Parpignol, who peddles toys to children in the spectacular street market scene that also literally features a horse-drawn carriage.But Wanda and her colleague Max — the elegant brown horse who takes the stage after the donkey exits — are pros, calmly hitting their marks.Their handlers don cloaks alongside the animals during the performance, while Wanda’s costume includes a magenta cone hat with multi-colored gems and a frilly collar.As they wait in a holding area for their cues, Max usually naps, handler Angelina Borello told AFP during one performance. Wanda gets visits and pets from people including actor Gregory Warren, who plays Parpignol.Wearing elaborate clown make-up, he pats his co-star lovingly.”I think it comforts them a little bit just to know who’s there and who’s dressed like a clown,” Warren said. “She’s very chill. It’s a lot of fun.””It adds an energy, I think especially for the kids on the stage, to get to see a live animal in action in the middle of it all.”- ‘Confidence’ -Wanda debuted at the Met after her predecessor Sir Gabriel retired to Maryland, where he lives on a farm as a companion to a mare whose partner passed.When she’s scheduled for several opera roles in a short period, Wanda lives at stables in the New York borough of the Bronx to minimize her time on the road. When she has longer stretches off, she resides in upstate New York. She also has regular gigs in Palm Sunday processions in Manhattan.”She’s fabulous,” said Nancy Novograd, the owner of the agency All Tame Animals.Animals well-disposed to show business have similar qualities as people born to perform, Novograd said.”What I’m looking for is confidence. I’m looking for an animal that can walk into an unusual environment and maintain its focus,” she told AFP.On any given day, Novograd’s agency might be working on a commercial shoot with horses on the beach or waxworms appearing in a television show.Stage manager Hester Warren-Steijn said the logistics of working with live animals is an intricate dance — much like everything else backstage at the Met, home to a complex revolving stage with hydraulic lifts.There’s always a Plan B in case something goes awry, she said. The occasional allergy to equine hair crops up — those singers stay away to protect their voices.- Post-show peppermints -Warren-Steijn said part of the job of including animals onstage at the Met is ensuring that “they are well-treated” and “taken care of.”Animal rights advocates over the years have protested the use of live animals in stage productions, especially in Europe. The German arm of PETA notably convinced the Berlin State Opera in 2022 to stop using guinea pigs in several performances of Wagner’s “Ring Cycle.”At the Met, Warren-Steijn said the live animals in beloved productions like “La Boheme” are part of the grandeur and world-building that “this company does so well.””People want to see it,” she said. “This is the Met at its Mettiest.”According to Novograd, some animals simply aren’t right for performance. When that’s the case, it’s quickly evident to her and the trainers she works with.When “it’s overwhelming,” she said, “they should not be working.”But for some animals, “it’s something different, it’s stimulating,” she continued.”They get to be with the people they like to be with. They see new and different things.”When Wanda’s done performing, the donkey, like many high-caliber artists, demands refreshments — ideally lots of starlight peppermints.But she gets her treats only after her stroll across the stage, which lasts approximately a minute.Otherwise, Novograd said, “she’ll be asking for them constantly.”
Grace Room Ministries once filled giant stadiums in Rwanda three times a week before the evangelical organisation was shut down in May.It is one of the 10,000 churches reportedly closed by the government for failing to comply with a 2018 law designed to regulate places of worship.The law introduced new rules on health, safety, and …
