Bad Bunny to skip US in world tour, fears immigration raids

The wildly popular Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny says he will skip the United States during an upcoming world tour because he fears raids by immigration agents at his concerts.Since July the singer has been playing to sold-out shows in San Juan, capital of the US territory in the Caribbean.He will kick off his “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” (I Should Have Taken More Photos) international tour, which will take him to Latin America, Australia, Japan and Europe, starting in November.The artist said he will not perform shows in the United States, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have arrested tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants, many of them Latinos, under a crackdown ordered by President Donald Trump’s administration.”There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate. I’ve performed there many times,” he told the British magazine i-D in an interview published Wednesday.Bad Bunny said his shows this summer in Puerto Rico have been very successful and he enjoyed meeting Latinos who have lived in the continental United States.He said the problem is “ICE could be outside” US concert venues, using an expletive to describe the agency. “And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”In June, Bad Bunny posted video footage on his social media channels from an ICE raid that took place on his home island.Since Trump took office in January for a second term, the number of undocumented immigrants detained in police raids has reached record highs.In June, there were 60,254 such arrests in the United States, a record for that month, compared with 40,500 arrests in January 2025 before Trump returned to the White House, according to an AFP analysis of government data.   In Puerto Rico, where ICE also operates, 500 immigrants, mainly from the nearby Dominican Republic, were arrested in the first four months of Trump’s second term, an ICE official, Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos, said in an interview on National Public Radio.

DiCaprio stars in politically charged ‘One Battle After Another’

Radical violence. Immigration raids. White supremacists. Leonardo DiCaprio’s politically charged new movie “One Battle After Another” could scarcely be more timely. Part-action, part-drama, with plenty of comedy and almost guaranteed a bagful of Oscar nominations, the film centers on an ageing revolutionary and his teenage daughter.It delivers a lesson on “what this next generation is going to have to deal with,” DiCaprio told a press conference Thursday.DiCaprio plays Bob, a political insurgent who specializes in explosives. The movie begins as he conducts undercover resistance operations at the US-Mexico border with his lover and co-conspirator, Perfidia (Teyana Taylor).But when villainous Sean Penn’s Colonel Lockjaw infiltrates the group, Bob is forced to flee with their infant Willa. Sixteen years later, the bulk of the story finds Bob’s outlaw history catching up with him and his now-adolescent daughter.Lockjaw is in hot pursuit, happy to order arbitrary immigration crackdowns on the community where he believes his target is hiding.The problem is, Bob has spent that time frying his brain with drugs and alcohol — and can’t remember the first thing about being a revolutionary.”I love the idea that you expect this character’s going to use massive espionage skills, but he cannot remember the password,” said DiCaprio. “His past is coming back to haunt him, and now it’s passed on to the next generation, a sort of trauma.”- ‘Politically charged’ -The film, out September 26 in the United States, comes from writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, the auteur behind “There Will Be Blood,” “Magnolia,” “Boogie Nights” and “Licorice Pizza.”Reviews are under embargo, but immediate reaction from critics on social media has been effusive in praise. It is already seen as a clear frontrunner for best picture at the Academy Awards.Penn’s character is embroiled with a group of white supremacists called the Christmas Adventurers — a setup that provides comedy as well as darkness.”Well, they became less ludicrous even since we’ve shot the film. I see the culture adapting to take it all straight,” Penn earlier told the New York Times.DiCaprio told the same newspaper that the movie “is politically charged, but I think it has a lot to do with how tribal we’ve all become.” The film dissects “how we have stopped listening to one another, and how these characters thinking or acting in these extremes can bring a lot of hurt,” said the actor.The Times interview was conducted several weeks before the fatal shooting of right-wing US activist Charlie Kirk.”I hope that this movie really creates a lot of healthy dialog and a lot of necessary conversations that need to be had,” Taylor told Thursday’s press conference.- ‘Blast’ -By his own admission, Anderson “stole” the concept of “what happens when revolutionaries scatter” from the Thomas Pynchon novel “Vineland.”Anderson previously adapted Pynchon’s “Inherent Vice” for the screen. But this time the inspiration is much looser.”Rather than be respectful of the book like I did with ‘Inherent Vice,’ I just kind of took what I needed… and just started running with it,” Anderson told a Los Angeles special screening attended by AFP.DiCaprio, playing an atypically shabby and disheveled, paranoid hero, drew inspiration from “The Big Lebowski,” as well as Al Pacino’s character in “Dog Day Afternoon.””The humanity of the character, in a strange way — an incredibly flawed protagonist” appealed to DiCaprio.”It was a blast to make the movie.”

Epstein birthday book renews pressure on Trump, other former pals

A decades-old book of cheerful, often lewd birthday messages has set off a political bomb in Washington — helping bring down the British ambassador and inflaming the most perilous scandal of Donald Trump’s presidency.Compiled to celebrate Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003, the three-volume book had remained secret for years.But his estate handed it over this week to Congress, which swiftly made its 238 pages public, offering a vivid window into the late sex offender’s well-connected world.Frequently referring to his playboy lifestyle, it also renewed long-running questions about what his elite associates knew of his alleged criminal activity with underage girls.The scandal proved too much for Peter Mandelson, a top British political operator fired Thursday from his prestigious post as ambassador to the United States.A 10-page entry allegedly submitted by Mandelson includes photos from his time with “best pal” Epstein in a tropical locale, apparently the financier’s notorious private island in the Caribbean.Epstein would sometimes disappear, “leaving you with some ‘interesting’ friends to entertain instead,” says a note, along with a photo of two women whose faces are obscured.British media then published emails from Mandelson, in which he offers support to Epstein after his 2008 conviction for procuring an underaged girl for prostitution, ultimately leading to his ouster.Other VIPs are peppered throughout. The most famous among them: Trump.- Political nightmare -For the 79-year-old Republican, the Epstein scandal is a political nightmare that refuses to die.Democrats have pounced since July, when Trump’s administration confirmed Epstein’s 2019 death was a suicide and deemed the release of more case files unnecessary — despite previously fanning conspiracies among fellow Republicans about a coverup.Trump now dismisses the saga as a Democratic “hoax.”However, under pressure from their own right-wing base, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives launched an investigation.That brought the birthday book to light, including Trump’s alleged note: a type-written message inserted into the sketched outline of a nude woman — with his signature for pubic hair.”May every day be another wonderful secret,” it reads.Trump and his allies claim the signature is fake. However, it bears striking resemblance to other documents he signed during the period.While the Wall Street Journal had previously reported on the existence of the letter — prompting Trump to file a $10 billion defamation suit — another note alluding to the president appears.”Jeffrey showing early talents with money + women! Sells ‘fully depreciated’ [redacted name] to Donald Trump,” reads the note, allegedly from businessman Joel Paschow, a longtime member of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.The text accompanies a photo of Epstein holding an oversized check marked “DJ Trump.” Next to him is a woman who has been identified in US media as someone who dated both Trump and Epstein in the 1990s.The page before includes a sketch of Epstein handing little girls balloons in 1983, then several topless women massaging him in 2003 — apparently a joking reference to his grooming of underage women.- Other VIPs -The book features a bevy of other prominent people.Ahead of Trump’s alleged letter is a poem from Stuart Pivar, a wealthy chemist and art collector, lightheartedly remarking that Epstein was “up to no good” but had thus far “avoided the penitentiary.”Next up is a note from Harvard economist Henry Rosovsky, who died in 2022.”For the man who has almost everything, but never enough of these!” it reads, followed by two painted prints of breasts.A note allegedly from famed private equity investor Leon Black refers to a “Maxwellian delight.”This refers to Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who compiled the birthday book, and is now serving a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting underage girls.Also included is a note from French model scout Jean-Luc Brunel, who would later be arrested in France on rape charges and whose 2022 prison death was also ruled suicide.Trump isn’t the only president to appear.A note from former president Bill Clinton praises Epstein’s “childlike curiosity” at 50.

Triple record à Wall Street, poussée par les perspectives de baisses des taux

La Bourse de New York a touché des sommets en clôture jeudi, alors que des nouveaux indicateurs économiques sont venus conforter les attentes des investisseurs quant à un assouplissement monétaire de la Fed.Les trois indices vedettes de Wall Street ont terminé sur de nouveaux records: le Dow Jones a gagné 1,36% à 46.108,00 points, l’indice Nasdaq a progressé de 0,72% à 22.043,07 points et l’indice élargi S&P 500 a avancé de 0,85% à 6.587,47 points.”Le marché pousse un soupir de soulagement”, commente auprès de l’AFP Adam Sarhan, de 50 Park Investments.En cause: “les données économiques sur l’emploi (…) renforcent les probabilités d’une baisse des taux d’intérêt d’ici la fin de l’année et au-delà”, résume Jose Torres, d’Interactive Brokers.Les investisseurs ont porté leur attention sur les demandes hebdomadaires d’allocations chômage, qui sont ressorties au plus haut depuis 2021.Ces dernières ont accéléré à 263.000, alors que les analystes s’attendaient à une stabilisation.L’indice des prix à la consommation d’août est, lui, ressorti en hausse de +0,4% sur un mois, après +0,2% en juillet, selon le ministère américain du Travail, soit légèrement au-dessus des attentes du marché.Sur un an, l’inflation a aussi accéléré à +2,9%, contre +2,7% un mois plus tôt, un chiffre cette fois en ligne avec les prévisions des analystes.La grande majorité des acteurs du marché estiment toutefois que la banque centrale américaine (Fed) baissera ses taux d’un quart de point lors de sa prochaine réunion prévue les 16 et 17 septembre.Non pas parce que l’inflation semble en passe d’être maîtrisée, mais parce que le marché du travail paraît fragile, un point d’attention qui fait aussi partie du mandat de l’institution.Les investisseurs s’attendent également à des baisses lors des réunions d’octobre et de décembre, qui ramèneront les taux dans une fourchette comprise entre 3,50% et 3,75%.”Si la Fed baisse ses taux, le coût des activités commerciales diminue”, ce qui “stimule à la fois l’économie réelle et Wall Street”, souligne M. Sarhan, d’où l’enthousiasme de la place new-yorkaise.”Cependant, la Fed va agir (…) en évaluant les risques et les avantages” tout au long du processus, ajoute l’analyste.Dans ce contexte, sur le marché obligataire, le rendement des emprunts d’Etat américains à échéance 10 ans se détendait par rapport à la clôture mercredi, à 4,02% vers 20H15 GMT contre 4,05%.Au tableau des valeurs, le groupe de médias Warner Bros Discovery a été propulsé (+28,95% à 16,17 dollars) après des informations de presse assurant que son concurrent Paramount Skydance pourrait le racheter, et former ainsi un mastodonte du divertissement.Selon le Wall Street Journal, Paramount Skydance (Nickelodeon, MTV, Paramount) serait prêt à s’emparer de la majorité des actions du conglomérat rassemblant entre autres le studio de cinéma Warner Bros et les chaînes de télévision HBO et CNN. L’action Paramount Skydance s’est envolée de 15,55% à 17,46 dollars.Le spécialiste suédois du paiement fractionné Klarna (-6,15% à 43,00 dollars) a été boudé pour son deuxième jour de cotation à Wall Street.Son introduction en Bourse, très attendue, lui a permis de lever plus d’un milliard de dollars.Le géant technologique Oracle a perdu du terrain (-6,25% à 307,82 dollars) après son envolée de la veille, provoquée par des prévisions colossales pour ses centres de données.

Triple record à Wall Street, poussée par les perspectives de baisses des taux

La Bourse de New York a touché des sommets en clôture jeudi, alors que des nouveaux indicateurs économiques sont venus conforter les attentes des investisseurs quant à un assouplissement monétaire de la Fed.Les trois indices vedettes de Wall Street ont terminé sur de nouveaux records: le Dow Jones a gagné 1,36% à 46.108,00 points, l’indice Nasdaq a progressé de 0,72% à 22.043,07 points et l’indice élargi S&P 500 a avancé de 0,85% à 6.587,47 points.”Le marché pousse un soupir de soulagement”, commente auprès de l’AFP Adam Sarhan, de 50 Park Investments.En cause: “les données économiques sur l’emploi (…) renforcent les probabilités d’une baisse des taux d’intérêt d’ici la fin de l’année et au-delà”, résume Jose Torres, d’Interactive Brokers.Les investisseurs ont porté leur attention sur les demandes hebdomadaires d’allocations chômage, qui sont ressorties au plus haut depuis 2021.Ces dernières ont accéléré à 263.000, alors que les analystes s’attendaient à une stabilisation.L’indice des prix à la consommation d’août est, lui, ressorti en hausse de +0,4% sur un mois, après +0,2% en juillet, selon le ministère américain du Travail, soit légèrement au-dessus des attentes du marché.Sur un an, l’inflation a aussi accéléré à +2,9%, contre +2,7% un mois plus tôt, un chiffre cette fois en ligne avec les prévisions des analystes.La grande majorité des acteurs du marché estiment toutefois que la banque centrale américaine (Fed) baissera ses taux d’un quart de point lors de sa prochaine réunion prévue les 16 et 17 septembre.Non pas parce que l’inflation semble en passe d’être maîtrisée, mais parce que le marché du travail paraît fragile, un point d’attention qui fait aussi partie du mandat de l’institution.Les investisseurs s’attendent également à des baisses lors des réunions d’octobre et de décembre, qui ramèneront les taux dans une fourchette comprise entre 3,50% et 3,75%.”Si la Fed baisse ses taux, le coût des activités commerciales diminue”, ce qui “stimule à la fois l’économie réelle et Wall Street”, souligne M. Sarhan, d’où l’enthousiasme de la place new-yorkaise.”Cependant, la Fed va agir (…) en évaluant les risques et les avantages” tout au long du processus, ajoute l’analyste.Dans ce contexte, sur le marché obligataire, le rendement des emprunts d’Etat américains à échéance 10 ans se détendait par rapport à la clôture mercredi, à 4,02% vers 20H15 GMT contre 4,05%.Au tableau des valeurs, le groupe de médias Warner Bros Discovery a été propulsé (+28,95% à 16,17 dollars) après des informations de presse assurant que son concurrent Paramount Skydance pourrait le racheter, et former ainsi un mastodonte du divertissement.Selon le Wall Street Journal, Paramount Skydance (Nickelodeon, MTV, Paramount) serait prêt à s’emparer de la majorité des actions du conglomérat rassemblant entre autres le studio de cinéma Warner Bros et les chaînes de télévision HBO et CNN. L’action Paramount Skydance s’est envolée de 15,55% à 17,46 dollars.Le spécialiste suédois du paiement fractionné Klarna (-6,15% à 43,00 dollars) a été boudé pour son deuxième jour de cotation à Wall Street.Son introduction en Bourse, très attendue, lui a permis de lever plus d’un milliard de dollars.Le géant technologique Oracle a perdu du terrain (-6,25% à 307,82 dollars) après son envolée de la veille, provoquée par des prévisions colossales pour ses centres de données.

People misidentified as Charlie Kirk’s shooter fear retaliation

Two people misidentified online as suspects in the fatal shooting of right-wing US activist Charlie Kirk told AFP Thursday they were terrified by the misinformation targeting them, as the manhunt for the real killer continued.Michaela, who asked to be identified by her first name due to safety concerns, told AFP she became “really scared” as she was inundated with hate-filled messages and threats after her image circulated in posts that falsely named her as the shooter.”I’m getting witch-hunted online,” she said. “Some people want to enact vigilante justice on me.”The 29-year-old transgender woman told AFP she spent the day Wednesday in the state of Washington, where she lives and works as a paralegal. She said she has only been to Utah once, for an overnight stop in Moab while moving from Texas in May, and is not a student at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot.Screenshots shared with AFP of her bank transactions and iPhone location history confirm she was in Washington when Kirk was killed.Her roommate also corroborated her location, calling the rumors “insane.”- ‘Fits their narrative’ -Misinformation proliferates rapidly after major breaking news events, and transgender people have become a common scapegoat after US mass shootings.The high-profile assassination of Kirk, a polarizing figure with a massive following, kicked the search for information into overdrive. Multiple out-of-context visuals quickly spread online.In Michaela’s case, her profile image appears to have been erroneously linked to Kirk’s shooting because it was indexed in searches for another X user who posted about the Turning Point USA founder’s visit Wednesday to Utah Valley University. The user, whom Michaela said she does not know, had previously shared one of Michaela’s posts earlier in the week.”People on the right wing, obviously they want a shooter, and a trans person fits their narrative,” she said. “It’s pretty surreal to see how quickly it happened.”The FBI released pictures of a person of interest Thursday and also said the presumed murder weapon had been found, after two people taken into custody were later released.On Instagram, Michaela has frantically sought to clarify she is not a suspect and did not author the posts about Kirk’s Utah event. She has also contacted the FBI.But her picture has rocketed across social media, boosted by prominent accounts that have promoted Russian disinformation and the QAnon conspiracy theory.In direct messages reviewed by AFP, several people threatened to kill her, often using explicit language or anti-LGBTQ slurs.”You better watch out because we’re coming for you,” one message said.- Misidentified suspects -Across the border in Canada, another man was dealing with similar harassment.Michael Mallinson, a 77-year-old retired banker from Toronto, posted an article from a US fact-checking outlet on his LinkedIn “to set the record straight” after X users wrongly matched his photos to footage of a man who was initially apprehended by police.The hoax had started with an account impersonating a local news station in Nevada.Mallinson told AFP he learned of the misinformation about him when his daughter called in a panic, pleading that he delete his social media accounts to protect himself. She had received what he described as a “very nasty message” on Facebook.On X, hundreds more spiteful comments had been left under a photo he uploaded in May.”I have absolutely nothing to do with this,” Mallinson said, explaining that he has never been to Utah and had not heard of Kirk before yesterday. “I was horrified and shocked.”Mallinson said he deactivated his accounts, alerted police and has been emailing his friends and relatives the truth.”It’s my image, it’s my name, but it’s not me, and I don’t really know what to do,” he said. “I worry about longer-term ramifications. That stuff stays on social media forever.”

Global stocks rise as US inflation data hits forecast

Global stock markets rose on Thursday as US inflation data came in as anticipated, reinforcing the prospect of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next week.Meanwhile, the European Central Bank held rates steady for a second consecutive meeting, as expected, and raised its forecasts for eurozone growth and inflation this year.US Labor Department data showed the consumer price index (CPI) picked up to 2.9 percent in August, as economists monitor the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the world’s biggest economy.The figure was in line with analysts’ expectations and is seen as unlikely to deter the Fed from cutting interest rates next week.While inflation is above the Fed’s two-percent target, recent weak jobs figures “have strengthened the likelihood of monetary policy easing,” said Richard Flax, chief investment officer at European asset manager Moneyfarm.Data released last week showed that the US economy added only 22,000 jobs in August, while revised figures showed job growth was significantly weaker than previously reported in the year through March.Separate data released on Thursday showed initial claims for jobless benefits rose by 27,000 to 263,000 last week, the highest level since October 2021.”The real news of the day sits with the weekly jobless claims,” said Art Hogan of B. Riley Wealth Management, who expects the Fed to lower interest rates by 75 basis points by the end of the year.”That’s just more evidence that we’re seeing weakness in the labor market,” Hogan said. “So, clearly, the Fed’s full employment mandate is front and center.”Official figures that showed producer prices falling in the world’s biggest economy last month helped reassure analysts that the inflationary effect of the tariffs on consumer prices will be modest and short-lived as well.”While a 2.9 percent CPI rate is not exactly dovish, the lack of feed-through from tariffs into the CPI report could ease Fed concerns about the future path of inflation,” said XTB research director Kathleen Brooks.”In the aftermath of this report, the dollar has done a 180-degree turn and is lower across the board,” and yields on US government bonds have fallen, she added.Wall Street’s three main indices closed at fresh records.European stocks also held onto gains following the ECB’s rate decision.The bank now expects the eurozone economy to expand by 1.2 percent this year, up from its previous forecast of a 0.9-percent expansion, with inflation to come in at 2.1 percent.In Asia, the Tokyo stock market hit a record high, helped by a 10-percent surge in the share price of tech investment titan SoftBank. Oil prices fell Thursday as ample supply of crude helped to offset this week’s escalation of tensions in the Middle East and over the Russia-Ukraine war.The International Energy Agency on Thursday said global oil supply hit a record high in August as the OPEC+ grouping and other countries ramped up production, with a looming surplus keeping prices in check.- Key figures at around 2015 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 1.4 percent at 46,108.00 points (close)New York – S&P 500: UP 0.9 percent at 6,587.47 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.7 percent at 22,043.07 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.8 percent at 9,297.58 (close) Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.8 percent at 7,283.52 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.3 percent at 23,703.65 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 1.2 percent at 44,372.50 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.4 percent at 26,086.32 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 1.7 percent at 3,875.31 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1737 from $1.1696 on WednesdayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3580 from $1.3528 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 147.18 from 147.40 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.43 pence from 86.46 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.7 percent at $66.37 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 2.0 percent at $62.37 per barrelburs-rl-bys/bgs