• newsinsightplus.com
• 14year
• 186410ExLiverpool
• April 10, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaWorld of Warcraft to return to ChinaImage source, BlizzardMariko OiBusiness reporterPublished18 minutes agoPopular games such as World of Warcraft will be back in China this summer, according to the country’s video games giant NetEase.Last year, NetEase and the games’ publisher Activision Blizzard ended their 14-year partnership due to disagreement over intellectual property control.The breakup sparked outcry with millions of Chinese netizens complaining that they would lose access to their favourite games.All games require a local publisher and licences from the Chinese government to operate there.The earlier disagreement escalated into an open feud that saw the two companies sue each other. But the tension eased after Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard for $69bn (£54bn) in October last year which was the gaming industry’s biggest ever deal.“We are immensely grateful for the passion the Chinese community has shown for Blizzard games throughout the years,” Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment, said in a statement, external.”We are focused on bringing our universes back to players with excellence and dedication.”Other games which will return to China include Hearthstone, Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo and StarCraft franchises.China is the world’s biggest online gaming market, with its domestic revenue rising 13% to 303 billion yuan ($42bn; £33) at the end of last year. NetEase is the country’s second-largest video games company by revenue after Tencent.Microsoft and NetEase also said that they have agreed to explore bringing new NetEase titles to Microsoft’s Xbox gaming consoles and its other gaming platforms.“Returning Blizzard’s legendary games to players in China while exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox demonstrates our commitment to bringing more games to more players around the world,” said Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming.The lucrative sector has also had frequent run-ins with the authorities.Beijing first moved against the gaming sector in 2021, ruling that online gamers under the age of 18 would only be allowed to play for an hour on Fridays, weekends and holidays.Late last year, the authorities announced further restrictions to limit in-game purchases but China seems to have backtracked on strict rules to combat what the regulator deemed “obsessive” gaming.Related TopicsGamingInternational BusinessChinaActivision BlizzardTop StoriesWeak evidence and toxic debate letting down gender care children, report saysPublished5 minutes agoBiden says Netanyahu making a ‘mistake’ on GazaPublished49 minutes agoGang guilty of running £54m ‘benefit fraud factories’Published2 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Major gender care review, and ‘Mr Bates vs thugs in suits’Peter Higgs – the man who changed our view of the UniverseCan US pressure deliver Israel-Hamas truce in Gaza?Parched and shrinking – vital Moroccan dam dries up’Airport car park fire turned my life upside down’Is this K-drama? No, it’s South Korea’s election nightChappell Roan is the freaky, fun pop star you need to knowHow much is the cost of a UK passport going up?Big Zuu cuts down on cooking and rap for Ramadanloading elsewhere storiesMost Read1Gang guilty of running £54m ‘benefit fraud factories’2Major gender care review, and ‘Mr Bates vs thugs in suits’3Boeing hit after new whistleblower raises concerns4’Zombie’ drug found in cannabis THC vapes in UK5Biden says Netanyahu making a ‘mistake’ on Gaza6German art gallery worker fired for hanging own art7Children let down by ‘weak’ gender care – report8Was an extinct fox once man’s best friend?9Arizona court reinstates abortion ban law from 186410Ex-Liverpool midfielder Murphy was addicted to cocaineAttributionSport

[ad_1] Popular games such as World of Warcraft will be back in China this summer, according to the country’s video games giant NetEase. Last year, NetEase and the games’ publisher…

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 10year
• 190bn
• April 9, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityBusinessMarket DataEconomyYour MoneyCompaniesTechnology of BusinessCEO SecretsAI BusinessBoom times for US green energy as federal cash flows inPublished9 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August 2022By Zoe CorbynSan FranciscoIn February US company LanzaJet, which produces sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from ethanol, announced that it intended to build a second, larger plant on US soil.The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was a “big influence”, says Jimmy Samartzis, its chief executive.The second plant would add to its facility in Soperton, Georgia – the world’s first commercial scale ethanol-to-SAF plant.”We have a global landscape that we are pursuing…[but] we have doubled down on building here in the United States because of the tax credits in the IRA, and because of the overall support system that the US government has put in place.” Signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, the IRA, along with the so-called Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) enacted in November 2021, are intended, amongst other things, to funnel billions of federal dollars into developing clean energy. The aim is to lower greenhouse gas emissions, and incentivise private investment, to encourage the growth of green industries and jobs: a new foundation for the US economy.With a 10-year lifespan, and a cost originally estimated at $391bn (£310bn) but now predicted to reach over $1tn – the final figure is unknown – the IRA offers new and juicer tax credits, as well as loans and loan guarantees for the deployment of emissions reducing technology.The tax credits are available to companies for either domestically producing clean energy, or domestically manufacturing the equipment needed for the energy transition, including electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries.Consumers can also receive tax credits, for example for buying an EV or installing a heat pump. The tax credit for SAF producers like LanzaJet is new in the IRA and, offers between $1.25 to $1.75 per gallon of SAF (though it only lasts five years).Complementary is the BIL, which runs for five years and provides direct investment largely in the form of government grants for research and development and capital projects. Under the BIL, about $77bn (£61bn) will go to clean energy technology projects, according to the Brookings Institution which monitors the law. Image source, Ascend ElementsImage caption, Ascend Elements extracts useful materials from old batteriesOne company to benefit so far is EV battery recycling company Ascend Elements.It has won BIL grants totalling $480m (£380m), which it is matching a similar amount in private investment to build its second commercial facility in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. “[The IRA and BIL] are massive investments… larger than the infrastructure related provisions in the New Deal,” says Adie Tromer from the Brookings. “There is a clear sense that America has become more serious about transitioning to a cleaner economy.”While rules for some tax credits are still being finalized, tens of billions in actual public spending is flowing into the economy, says Trevor Houser at the Rhodium Group, an independent research provider. Rhodium, together with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, runs the Clean Investment Monitor (CIM) to track US clean technology investments.According to recently updated CIM data, in the 2023 fiscal year, the federal government invested approximately $34bn (£27bn) into clean energy, the vast majority through tax credits.The extent to which the policy instruments are so far spurring not just announcements – of which there are plenty – but real extra private investment is harder to know: clean energy investment has been on a general upward trend anyway and the IRA hasn’t been around long. But experts believe it is rising.Total clean energy investment in the US in the 2023 calendar year including from both private and government sources reached a record $239bn (£190bn), up 38% from 2022 according to the CIM data. Clean energy investment in the US, as a share of total private investment, rose from 3.7% in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 5% in the fourth quarter of 2023.The IRA has had two main positive effects thus far, says Mr Houser. It has “supercharged” private investment in more mature technologies which were already growing very rapidly like solar, EVs and batteries. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Emerging technologies like CO2 capture have seen “dramatic” growth in investmentIt has also, combined with the BIL, led to a “dramatic growth” in investment in emerging climate technologies like clean hydrogen, carbon dioxide capture and removal and SAF. While the total magnitude of those investments are still relatively small compared to the more mature technologies, “the IRA fundamentally changed the economics” says Mr Houser.But the IRA is failing to reach some parts of the green economy: so far it hasn’t lifted investment in more mature technologies which have been falling like wind and heat pumps, though Mr Houser notes things may have fallen further without the IRA.On the industry’s mind is the fate of the laws, particularly the longer-to-run IRA, should there be a change of government in the US November elections. Repealing or amending the IRA (or BIL) would require Republican control of the Presidency, Senate and House – though wholesale repeal would likely face meaningful opposition from within. The rub is many of the projects that the IRA is incentivising are being or will be built in Republican states or counties. Yet a Republican president alone could potentially frustrate things for example by slowing or deferring loans or grants, or amending the rules which serve the laws. “A Trump presidency would definitely chill the atmosphere and possibly more,” says Ashur Nissan of Kaya Partners, a climate policy advice firm.The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank and purveyor of hard-right ideas for the next conservative President, advocates repeal for both the IRA and BIL. For the organization’s Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a former Trump administration official, it is fiscally irresponsible for the US, with its vast deficit and debt, to be spending like this.It is also time, she says, that renewable energy such as solar and wind, into which subsidies have been poured for years, stood on their own feet. Yet others argue the US can’t afford not to do take this path. And the point of the loans program is to take risks to help unlock new solutions that scale. “It would be failing if there weren’t any so called ‘failures’ within it,” says Richard Youngman, of Cleantech Group, a research and consulting firm.More technology of businessThe rise of magnets – from surgery to outer spaceWhy there’s a revolution on the way in glass makingCould AI take the grind out of accountancy?‘I want to help people fly – and keep them safe’How Temu is shaking-up the world of online shoppingMeanwhile, the US’s approach is putting competitive pressure on Europe to do more.Some European clean energy manufacturing companies are now building facilities in the US to take advantage of the tax credits that otherwise would have been built in Europe including solar panel maker Meyer Burger and electrolyser manufacturers Nel and John Cockerill. “The US wasn’t a market for some of these companies in the past because Europe was more active,” says Brandon Hurlbut, of Boundary Stone Partners, a clean energy advisory firm.The EU’s Net Zero Industrial Act (NZIA) is expected to enter into force this year. It doesn’t involve new money, but seeks to coordinate existing financing and introduces domestic favourability for the first time – putting in place a non-binding target for the bloc to locally manufacture 40% of its clean energy equipment needs by 2030.In the UK, chancellor Jeremy Hunt has made clear he isn’t interested, nor can the UK afford to copy the IRA’s approach in some “distortive global subsidy race” and will stick to other ways of helping. The Labour party recently scrapped its $28bn green investment plan seen as a stab at leaning into an IRA style policy.A global audience will be watching as the US’s clean energy juggernaut unfolds. And if it leads others to ask what more they can do to produce clean energy products – even if just for reasons of economic opportunity – it will be good for humanity’s sake, says Mr Hurlbut.Related TopicsTechnology of BusinessJoe BidenTop StoriesLabour vows to fund pledges by tackling tax dodgersPublished8 minutes agoMurder suspect was bailed on threats to kill chargePublished1 hour agoSpectacular images of eclipse that transfixed North AmericaFeaturesEclipse seen in Scotland but rest of UK misses outThe eclipse at Niagara Falls: ‘Wow! Spectacular’ VideoThe eclipse at Niagara Falls: ‘Wow! Spectacular’The Syria I came back to is not the one I leftThe Papers: Labour’s tax loophole plan, and council ‘fat cats”Why I rewrote Huckleberry Finn to give slave Jim a voice”Carrot harvest helped me detect ancient coin hoard’BBC reporter: How I was targeted in the Westminster honeytrapWhy is Russia trying to frame Ukraine for concert massacre?Amy Winehouse film: ‘Paparazzi are the villains’ not BlakeElsewhere on the BBCThe huge challenge and risk of climbing EverestRebecca Stephens, the first British woman to reach the summit, explores the global obsessionAttributionSoundsThe Monty Python star’s overlooked radio work…John McCarthy invites Michael Palin to celebrate his career, as heard on BBC radioAttributionSounds’She was the right side of cheeky’Dua Lipa makes a surprise visit to her old schoolAttributioniPlayerHow did the Queen jump out of a helicopter?The writer of the scene for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games reveals allAttributionSoundsMost Read1One in hospital after flooding at holiday camp2Murder suspect was bailed on threats to kill charge3Labour’s tax loophole plan, and council ‘fat cats’4Record hot March sparks ‘uncharted territory’ fear5Wragg quits Commons job over Westminster honeytrap6Eclipse seen in Scotland but rest of UK misses out7David Cameron meets Trump in Florida during US visit8Living near Sure Start boosted GCSEs – study9Labour vows to fund pledges by tackling tax dodgers10Together in wonder: North America awed by total solar eclipse

[ad_1] Signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, the IRA, along with the so-called Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) enacted in November 2021, are intended, amongst other things, to…

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 1884.The
• 19th
• April 8, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCulturePercival Everett: Why I rewrote Huckleberry Finn to give slave Jim a voicePublished4 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Percival Everett’s inspiration for his novel came while he was preoccupied with a tennis ballBy Katie RazzallCulture and media editorPercival Everett, whose novel Erasure was turned into the Oscar-winning film American Fiction, had the idea for his latest book, James, when he was playing tennis.The Booker Prize-nominated author had just hit a ball “wildly” out of court.”I stopped and thought, ‘I wonder if anyone has written Huck Finn from Jim’s point of view?'”.They hadn’t, so Everett did. The writer adds this particular thought was nothing to do with his game, just that it was “the way most ideas come”.Critics have called Everett’s resulting novel a “masterpiece” describing him as “an American master at the peak of his powers”.Image source, MacmillanImage caption, James, inspired by Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, gives a voice to its escaped slave, JimThe hero of his new novel is – famously – the runaway slave Jim, in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1884.The book is written from Huck’s perspective, a boy who fakes his own death to escape his abusive father.Jim’s also on the run, having found out he is about to be sold to a new owner.Despite being a renowned fictional character, relative to Huck, Jim’s on the margins of a book that Ernest Hemingway described as the definitive American novel. As Everett puts it, Jim “doesn’t get to speak” in the original novel. Not properly anyway. Everett has given him a voice. Jim reimaginedIn an interview ahead of the novel’s publication in the UK, Everett tells me he believes the US has “taken some steps back” when it comes to racial unity in recent years.He points to the “alarming rate” of police killings of people of colour, describing them as “lynchings” and says the legacy of slavery has still “never fully been addressed”.By reimagining Jim (who writes himself into existence with a stolen pencil stub as James), Everett has made him human, instead of the sometime stereotype put on paper by Twain.In James, he has agency; we find out how he feels about the world, what he thinks about his nation and about racism. He is literate and literary. He has conversations in dreams with philosophers. He is wise.”What would they do to a slave who had taught the other slaves to read?” James asks himself. “What would they do to a slave who knew what a hypotenuse was, what irony meant, how retribution was spelled?” It’s a powerful device Everett uses to change the perspective. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The 1960 film of the original book starred Archie Moore and Eddie HodgesIn his novel, the slaves speak a dumbed down dialect when they are talking in front of white people.”I guess I jest gwyne set dese old bones down on dis heah porch and watch out for dat noise ‘gin” says Jim.They deliberately make themselves sound ridiculous and gullible.But when they can’t be overheard, the slaves use an eloquent, highly intellectual form of English, for example discussing “proleptic irony”.Everett explains that “any enslaved, imprisoned or oppressed people find a way to speak to each other in the presence of their oppressors that will not allow entry.””The slaves would have a way of speaking to each other that is unintelligible to their slave owners. In my novel, it happens to be what we would call standard English”.In the book, James tells his daughter and the other children he is schooling in the “slave filter”: “White folks expect us to sound a certain way and it can only help if we don’t disappoint them.””The only ones who suffer when they are made to feel inferior is us” he adds.It’s classic Everett, a novelist who describes himself as “pathologically ironic”. At one point in James, a local judge seems more terrified by the fact that James’s speech doesn’t conform to his expectations, than by the fact that the runaway slave is pointing a gun at him.The power of language looms large on every page.Image source, Historical Picture ArchiveImage caption, Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, considered a classic of American literature, continues to divide over its racial languageTwain’s original is anti-slavery, but it has become almost unteachable because of its liberal use of the N-word (the racist term is used more than 200 times in the novel).The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is no longer on the GCSE or A Level syllabus. To modern eyes, it’s too problematic. It’s even been banned by certain schools in America.Everett is opposed to book banning – although he told me, he hopes they might ban his new book “only because I like irritating those people who do not think and read”.”States in the US can ban books if they like, but they cannot stop art”.”The first thing that fascist regimes do is they banned books or burned them. It’s a way of trying to control others”.Everett calls Twain’s original a “wonderful novel”, the first time in American literature there is “a character who really represents an adolescent America wandering through its own landscape, trying to come to terms with what has become the most defining feature of the American experience, which is race”.Huck’s “trying to reconcile the fact that his friend is a person, Jim’s his friend, but he’s also property”.It’s “a pretty remarkable achievement”.The N-wordLike Twain, Everett uses the offensive term in his novel (though not nearly as often as the 19th Century classic).He tells me it’s all about context. “The language that people use tells us about the people” which is why characters in his novel say that word.”I really do appreciate a sign at the edge of a minefield that says ‘mines'”.It’s also about intent.”If someone came into this studio right now and quite angrily called me, quite literally, you N-word, I would be just as offended because I would know what they meant”.Everett is professor of English at the University of Southern California. “The strange thing of course is that as a black man, I can say the word. And my students, they will not say it”.”Sensitivity to language is important and necessary, but we’ve become too literal-minded”. Race in AmericaEverett has now written 24 novels, many of which interrogate race in America. The Trees, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2022, addresses lynchings past and present, often with humour. (“If you can get someone laughing, then you have disarmed them” which helps you “reveal some truths”).Erasure satirises the American publishing industry’s complicity in perpetuating stereotypes about black America. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Cord Jefferson (R) adapted Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure for the Oscar-winning American Fiction, starring Jeffrey Wright (L)And James is taking on slavery and racial tropes.Everett’s pessimistic about the current state of racial division in the US. He talks about “the swagger of white supremacists”.For a novelist so focused on language, it’s perhaps not surprising Everett worries that “polarity of thought has replaced discourse”. He also worries that there’s a faction in America that “would have us ignore the fact that slavery ever existed, and that’s a way of ignoring how slavery has impacted the lives of people to this day”.His great-grandmother was at one point a slave. “That’s how close it is to us in time”.He would like to see financial reparations as a “conciliatory act” although he says he would relinquish anything that was offered to him, in favour of people who actually need the money.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, American Fiction saw Everett attend this year’s Oscars ceremony with his wife, fellow author Danzy SennaAs for anger, “there’s a difference between rage and outrage”.”There’s a part of me that is angry”, he adds. But history shows “it’s long and pretty much the same throughout”. That attitude fits with a man whose skill lies in observation. Everett says he’s found an acceptance that slavery, mistreatment, injustice happen because of “the nature of human beings”.He takes comfort in a different kind of nature, particularly when he’s indulging in one of his favourite hobbies – fly fishing. A stream is “the best place to work”. And when he’s standing in a river “it’s full of endless possibilities”. James is published in the UK on 11 April. Related TopicsLiteratureBooksUS race relationsMore on this storyWhite audiences ‘too comfortable with black clichés’Published3 December 2023From Rushdie to RuPaul: The books to read in 2024Published29 December 2023Twain tribute sells for $242,500Published18 June 2010Top StoriesNorth America awed by total solar eclipsePublished53 minutes agoWatch stunning images and best moments from solar eclipse. VideoWatch stunning images and best moments from solar eclipsePublished1 hour agoCloudy skies scupper UK hopes of partial eclipsePublished56 minutes agoFeaturesAn eerie darkness descends – eclipse in picturesEclipse hits Mazatlán, Mexico, first stop in path of totality. VideoEclipse hits Mazatlán, Mexico, first stop in path of totalityBBC reporter: How I was targeted in the Westminster honeytrap’The NHS paid for my mum to go private. She died’The Westminster WhatsApp phishing plot. AudioThe Westminster WhatsApp phishing plotAttributionSoundsGazans return to devastation in Khan YounisMyanmar’s army massacred Rohingyas. Now it wants their helpBiggest WrestleMania yet? Fans stunned as The Rock and The Undertaker return to ringAmy Winehouse film: ‘Paparazzi are the villains’ not BlakeElsewhere on the BBCFinding the funny in the week’s big storiesIan Hislop, Paul Merton and a who’s who of hosts welcome a gaggle of guest panellistsAttributioniPlayerBlowing the lid on a baffling online scamPolly Weston’s determined to get to the bottom of the con involving a £138 dehumidifierAttributionSoundsWhat went disastrously wrong at Pontins?An investigation into the state of three holiday parks before their sudden closure…AttributioniPlayerThe opera-loving sisters who ‘stumbled’ into heroismHelena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War TwoAttributionSoundsMost Read1Wragg quits Commons post over Westminster honeytrap2Together in wonder: North America awed by total solar eclipse3Woman severely injured by travelator in China4Bradford stabbing victim named as manhunt continues5Human remains found in Croydon park are identified6Marvel star Majors avoids jail and gets probation7Labour vows to fund pledges by tackling tax dodgers8Two men jailed for footballer’s nightclub murder9Why is Russia trying to frame Ukraine for concert massacre?10Long Covid blood clues could prompt future trials

[ad_1] The author’s new novel, James, is a re-imagining of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 2016Top
• 2019The
• March 24, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaK-pop: How jealous ‘super fans’ try to dictate their idols’ private livesPublished6 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Karina (second from left) is the frontwoman of K-pop girl group aespaBy Jake Kwon & Kelly Ngin Seoul and SingaporeWhen K-pop star Karina posted a handwritten apology on Instagram earlier in March, it was both contrite and profuse.”I sincerely apologise for surprising my fans who have supported me,” the frontwoman of the girl group aespa wrote.Her offence? Publicly acknowledging that she was in a relationship with actor Lee Jae-wook. That Karina felt compelled to say sorry for being in a relationship has puzzled many outside the K-pop scene, but it opens a window into the world of the industry’s “super fans”. They stream their favourite stars’ music round the clock – even if on mute while sleeping – to boost chart rankings, organise mass voting sessions during award seasons, and sometimes even sponsor digital billboard ads in places like Times Square, New York. Paying the price of loveWhen news of Karina’s relationship broke, some fans drove a truck to her management agency.”We supported Karina’s bright future, believing in a shared dream, but it was our misconception,” blared an electronic billboard on the vehicle.”Is the love given to you by your fans not enough?” another read. Blackpink’s Jisoo is dating. The K-pop world is stunnedThe dark side of Asia’s pop music industryThis stands in contrast to how celebrities’ romantic lives are often publicised, and sometimes celebrated, in other parts of the world.Take Taylor Swift, for example, whose attendance at last month’s Super Bowl to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce is said to have singlehandedly boosted TV viewership of the game, making it the most-watched broadcast in the US since the 1969 Moon landing.Polls say one in five Super Bowl viewers were rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs – which eventually won the annual league – because of the pop star’s relationship with Kelce.So why are the attitudes different in K-pop?’A false intimacy'”The fans feel jilted,” said Korean media columnist Jeong Deok-hyeon, adding that K-pop fans often view themselves as being in parasocial relationships with the idols. These refer to one-sided relationships where one party expends an overt amount of time, emotional energy and money on another whom they are fascinated with, but who may not know they exist.”As the industry increasingly encourages fans to express their fandom through consumerism, their desire to be ‘compensated’ [for their investments] grows. This contributed to fans making demands which sometimes border on threats,” Mr Jeong told the BBC.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, K-pop star Karina has apologised to her fans after news of her dating actor Lee Jae-wook went publicSome believe the artistes themselves and their management agencies have facilitated a “false intimacy” between idols and fans. Even as recently as 10 years ago, it was common practice for K-pop agencies to ban new stars from dating or even have a personal mobile phone.Agencies have also begun creating social apps for their artists which appear to offer fans a glimpse of their idols’ everyday lives. SM, the K-pop-producing powerhouse behind groups like aespa, introduced an app in 2020 designed to look like a one-on-one messenger app, but is in fact a group chat where the idol drops messages for thousands of fans at once.Some stars have also bought gifts for fans or offered them one-on-one calls.”K-pop agencies have been telling fans that they have the power to create stars,” said Areum Jeong, who lectures on Korean culture at Arizona State University.Cedarbough Saeji from Pusan National University called the Karina incident “a classic case of the fans trying to ‘discipline’ the stars”. “They were angry about the dating, and then they got angry that she apologised in the ‘wrong way’,” said Saeji, an assistant professor in Korean and East Asian Studies, referring to how some fans felt Karina should have posted her apology in a fans-only forum – rather than on a public platform.”In 2024, privacy for K-pop stars, who live in this tiny country and are so widely recognized, is virtually impossible,” she said.Ms Jeong, who considers herself a dedicated K-pop fan, also takes part in “fan labour” by streaming the music of her favourite boyband NCT 127 and paying to vote for them on music platforms and award shows. There are a dozen different digital music platforms for K-pop, each with its own Top 100 chart based on the number of people streaming and downloading songs. Super fans divide and conquer by organising themselves into teams to navigate the rules for each platform. “Fans put in labour to ensure the group’s success. They consider the idol a product. And if you want to see the product on the stage for a long time, the artistes, the fans, and the management will all have to put in hard work,” Ms Jeong said. Some even share voting schedules and streaming guides with “regular fans”, she added, so they can contribute to propelling their idols to the top of the charts.The BBC browsed a “streaming guide” written up by fans of the boyband Seventeen, which includes reminders such as, “Watch two or three other Seventeen music videos that totals to at least seven to 10 minutes. Then repeat the process”, and “Do not pause, forward or rewind”.Large fan groups organise themselves so that different members take on different roles. ARMY, the millions-strong fan group for the world’s biggest boyband BTS, has taken on philanthropic projects on behalf of the band, and also operate X accounts that translate all BTS-related content, from song lyrics to members’ social media posts.Image source, Getty Images”The superfans fundraise, they campaign to vote… Some police comments online to make sure negative comments about their idols are reported and conduct coordinated searches to remove ‘bad’ search terms.”That’s all money and time. The industry profits off of it,” Ms Jeong said.Another hallmark of K-pop fandom are the birthday celebrations held for the idols who themselves are not present. Some fans rent out entire cafes for such events, which will also feature merchandise related to the idol.Changing attitudesK-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin said some idols may feel “obliged to keep their fans happy” because of the fragility of their careers. “The groups are typically quite short-lived at about four to five years… I think a big part of why Karina published her apology was because she has a leadership responsibility in aespa, and she wanted to assure her fans that she will continue to work hard with her music,” he said.”It’s ironic that these artists sing about love but dating is frowned upon. I feel for them,” he added.But as K-pop widens its global footprint, attitudes in the industry could be opening up too.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, BTS was invited to speak at the annual UN General Assembly in September 2021Many of Karina’s international fans took to social media to express their outrage that she had been compelled to apologise. “She doesn’t deserve this type of treatment” read one comment on X (formerly Twitter), while another said “Karina apologising for LIKING someone has to be one the craziest things in the world”.Some Korean fans also pointed to the international coverage of her apology, saying it was embarrassing. “It’s been so long since K-pop became global but they still don’t seem to grasp the fact that when something like this happens, it immediately disgraces the country” one person wrote. The global K-pop events market was valued at $8.1bn in 2021 and is projected to reach $20bn by 2031, according to Allied Market Research. Groups have also been invited to perform at international events. Seventeen, for example, will become the first K-pop group to perform at the Glastonbury Festival this year. BTS, who have been named special envoys by the UN, was invited to perform at its New York headquarters in 2021. K-pop albums raked in a record $243.8m overseas from January to October last year. Japan, the United States and China were the top three buyers.”Things are changing as the number of international K-pop fans grows. I am hopeful that the fan bases will become more supportive and open-minded… And that the industry can be less dependent on traditional norms,” Mr Benjamin said.The K-pop girl group with no Korean membersThe world’s most controversial K-pop bandSome of Karina’s fans in South Korea have continued to vouch for her.”There was nothing to apologise for…Whether you are a celebrity or a regular person, you need close friends. It’s natural for her to have a lover,” said Jeong So-yeon, a 33-year-old fan based in Seoul. “Other top stars do fine even after dating ‘scandals’. I look forward to her next albums,” she said.Related TopicsAsiaK-popSouth KoreaMusicMore on this storyBTS go into the army – what now for K-pop’s kings?Published12 December 2023Blackpink renew contract ensuring group’s futurePublished6 December 2023The K-pop girl group with no Korean membersPublished27 August 2023Blackpink star addresses ‘low energy’ performancesPublished14 July 2023The woman who defied the world of K-popPublished18 October 2019The dark side of Asia’s pop music industryPublished26 January 2016Top StoriesWilliam and Kate ‘enormously touched’ by public supportPublished1 hour agoFour suspected gunmen arrested after 133 killed in Moscow attackPublished6 hours agoBBC Verify examines how Moscow attack unfolded. VideoBBC Verify examines how Moscow attack unfoldedPublished11 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Kate ‘reassures nation’ and ‘murderous’ Moscow attackThe Brazilian teen who scored winner against EnglandAttributionSportBBC Verify examines how the Moscow attack unfolded. VideoBBC Verify examines how the Moscow attack unfoldedBullets, a crush and panic: Moscow concert that became a massacreKate cancer diagnosis rewrites story of past weeksWhat Kate video tells us about royal strategyYour pictures on the theme of ‘reflections’England kits ‘should connect people’From the desert to the icy waters of WalesElsewhere on the BBCWhy do people behave the way they do on social media?Marianna Spring investigates extraordinary cases of online hate to find out…AttributioniPlayerCritically acclaimed and utterly compelling…Masterful, claustrophobic drama starring Sofie Gråbøl as a troubled prison guardAttributioniPlayerFrom triumph to tragedy…After more than 30 years of service, America’s space shuttle took to the skies for the last timeAttributioniPlayerCan new evidence solve aviation’s greatest mystery?Ten years after the Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared, new technology may explain whyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1The man in the iron lung: How Paul Alexander lived life to the full2Newspaper headlines: Kate ‘reassures nation’ and ‘murderous’ Moscow attack3William and Kate ‘touched’ by public support4Kyiv hit by multiple blasts as Russia strikes Ukraine5Gunmen arrested after Moscow attack, says Putin6Pilgrimage helped Traitors star Amanda say ‘goodbye mum’7How jealous K-pop super fans try to dictate their idols’ private lives8’A brutal and timely reminder of England’s problems’AttributionSport9Sainz wins Australia after Verstappen retiresAttributionSport10Campaigning dad of Damilola Taylor dies

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaHow luxury African fashion has wowed Europe’s catwalksPublished6 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Wedaeli ChibelushiBBC NewsLaduma Ngxokolo can pinpoint the exact moment he became a man – and how it inspired his unique sense of fashion.In 2004, he spent a month in the wilderness with a troop of young men from his community – all part of a coming-of-age ritual traditionally observed by South Africa’s Xhosa ethnic group.As per the tradition, Ngxokolo and his fellow initiates were supposed to re-enter society with fresh clothes after their month away.”It was a British-style, gentleman type of look. So your typical look would be a hunter cap or a hat and a jacket,” Ngxokolo tells the BBC.But Ngxokolo decided to fashion his own outfits from scratch, ones more reflective of Xhosa culture.An outlier among his fellow “amakrwala”, as initiates are called, he emerged from boyhood donning “an accent colour around the calf, around the neck, around the chest… and lots of stripes”.Having personally witnessed the lack of Xhosa-inspired high-end clothing companies, Ngxokolo began to develop MaXhosa Africa – a designer brand dominated by knitwear and colourful Xhosa patterns.Image source, AFPImage caption, Laduma Ngxokolo’s designs are rooted in his Xhosa cultureSince then, MaXhosa has been endorsed by Beyoncé, worn by US musician Alicia Keys, featured in Vogue and will be presenting a new collection at Paris Fashion Week on Sunday.And Ngxokolo’s not alone – in recent years several African luxury designers have burst onto the global fashion scene.Since 2019, three South Africans – Thebe Magugu, Lukhanyo Mdingi and Sindiso Khumalo – have bagged the prestigious LVMH Prize for emerging talent. The following year, Beyoncé’s Africa-centred Black Is King film showcased the continent’s leading brands to a Western audience. Vogue has also increasingly been promoting fashion from Africa – in 2022 a cover story shot in Ghana with actress Michaela Coel went viral.Africa “holds all the cards to become one of the next world fashion leaders”, according to a 2023 report from the UN’s cultural body Unesco. Image source, AFPImage caption, Imane Ayissi founded his label in 2004 and his creations have been worn by Hollywood A-listers like ZendayaThis past month goes some way to backing up Unesco’s forecast. Alongside MaXhosa, brands from Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon have been launching new collections at the industry’s “big four” fashion weeks – Paris, Milan, London and New York.After his show in Paris, ballet dancer-turned-designer Imane Ayissi tells the BBC “there’s been a “noticeable increase” in African showing at Europe’s fashion weeks.”Six years ago, there were no designers from Africa in official Western fashion weeks,” he says. Ayissi, the son of a Cameroonian champion boxer and a beauty queen, sent his models down the Paris runway wearing layers of taffeta and satin, into which he incorporated kente (a handwoven Ghanaian textile) along with traditional fabric from Burkina Faso.Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Imane Ayissi’s latest collection juxtaposed materials like satin with traditional African fabric designs”The main inspiration is the way women, in a lot of different African countries, mostly in Western and Central Africa, use simple pieces of fabrics and drape them around their hips to create a kind of skirt, sometimes with several levels,” the designer says.But why have African styles and textiles like this seen such a rise in popularity recently?There are a variety of reasons, one being the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, says Frederica Brooksworth, chief executive of the Council for International African Fashion Education (CIAFE).”For once, because everything was happening online and not many people were able to do things like fashion weeks, it was an amazing opportunity for Africa’s voice to actually be heard,” she tells the BBC.She also points to the dizzying rise of the Afrobeats genre, the growth of successful fashion shows within Africa – like Lagos Fashion Week – and the impact of creatives in the diaspora.Image source, AFPImage caption, Tolu Coker’s latest collection was a tribute to street vendors in West AfricaBorn in the UK to Nigerian parents, breakout designer Tolu Coker was among the handful of diasporans showcasing their heritage at London Fashion Week last month.Her latest collection pays homage to the tenacity of West Africa’s street hawkers, who sell goods from kiosks or brave traffic to reach passing drivers.”My mother used to hawk when she was younger… that’s a really big part of her story,” says Coker, whose fans include Rihanna and Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage. Image source, AFPImage caption, A market stall was set up at the end of the runway for Tolu Coker’s London showCoker’s models marched down the Mayfair runway sporting razor-sharp tailoring, raffia bags and, in one instance a chic, multi-coloured suitcase – “a nod to the businesswoman”. While championing Nigerian culture, Coker notes that diaspora designers like her are “privileged” and enjoy opportunities that their counterparts on the continent often cannot access.Poor infrastructure, as well as a lack of formal education and investment are among the challenges faced by designers working in Africa, Unesco says. /* sc-component-id: sc-bdVaJa */ .sc-bdVaJa {} .hlroRb{overflow:hidden;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;background-color:#F2EFEC;-webkit-flex-direction:row-reverse;-ms-flex-direction:row-reverse;flex-direction:row-reverse;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;box-sizing:border-box;} /* sc-component-id: sc-bwzfXH */ .sc-bwzfXH {} .kUlSIZ{width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%;position:absolute;background-size:cover;background-position-x:50%;background-position-y:50%;background-image:url(‘https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/assets/175f0d3c-257d-4842-8a71-55475b6eded5’);} /* sc-component-id: sc-htpNat */ .sc-htpNat {} .kUePcj{max-width:743px;width:45%;position:relative;min-height:200px;-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} /* sc-component-id: sc-bxivhb */ .sc-bxivhb {} .bQGZgI{max-width:100%;position:absolute;bottom:0;left:0;color:#ffffff;background:#000000;opacity:0.7;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;padding:5px;word-wrap:break-word;} @media (max-width:599px){.bQGZgI{font-size:12px;line-height:16px;}} @media (min-width:600px) and (max-width:1007px){.bQGZgI{font-size:13px;line-height:16px;}} @media (min-width:1008px){.bQGZgI{font-size:12px;line-height:16px;}} /* sc-component-id: sc-gzVnrw */ .sc-gzVnrw {} .blLFIH{width:45% !important;position:relative;margin:0;word-wrap:break-word;color:#404040;font-weight:300;-webkit-flex:1 0 auto;-ms-flex:1 0 auto;flex:1 0 auto;padding:16px;} /* sc-component-id: sc-htoDjs */ .sc-htoDjs {} .kGbKV{display:block;} /* sc-component-id: sc-dnqmqq */ .sc-dnqmqq {} .dHUwnI{font-weight:100;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;padding:11px 0 25px 0;} .dHUwnI p{margin:0;} @media (max-width:599px){.dHUwnI{font-size:18px;line-height:22px;}} @media (min-width:600px) and (max-width:1007px){.dHUwnI{font-size:21px;line-height:24px;}} @media (min-width:1008px){.dHUwnI{font-size:20px;line-height:24px;}} /* sc-component-id: sc-iwsKbI */ .sc-iwsKbI {} .jiPRqw{display:block;} /* sc-component-id: sc-gZMcBi */ .sc-gZMcBi {} .honXkL{padding-top:10px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;} /* sc-component-id: sc-gqjmRU */ .sc-gqjmRU {} .klLnaG{color:#404040;font-style:normal;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;} .klLnaG > strong{font-weight:bold;} @media (max-width:599px){.klLnaG{font-size:16px;line-height:20px;}} @media (min-width:600px) and (max-width:1007px){.klLnaG{font-size:18px;line-height:22px;}} @media (min-width:1008px){.klLnaG{font-size:16px;line-height:20px;}} @font-face { font-family: ‘ReithSans’; 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font-weight: bold; } @font-face { font-family: ‘Noto Sans Gurmukhi’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/NotoSansGurmukhi-Regular.ttf) format(“truetype”); } @font-face { font-family: ‘Noto Sans Gurmukhi’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/NotoSansGurmukhi-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”); font-weight: bold; } @font-face { font-family: ‘Padauk’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/PadaukRegular.ttf) format(“truetype”); } @font-face { font-family: ‘Padauk’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/PadaukBold.ttf) format(“truetype”); font-weight: bold; } @font-face { font-family: ‘Shonar_bangala’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/ShonarRegular.ttf) format(“truetype”); } @font-face { font-family: ‘Shonar_bangala’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/ShonarBold.ttf) format(“truetype”); font-weight: bold; } @font-face { font-family: ‘NotoSansEthiopic’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/NotoSansEthiopic-Regular.ttf) format(“truetype”); } @font-face { font-family: ‘NotoSansEthiopic’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/NotoSansEthiopic-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”); font-weight: bold; } @font-face { font-family: ‘Mallanna’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/mallanna.ttf) format(“truetype”); } Laduma NgxokoloAfrican luxury fashion is a very lonely space to operate in”Laduma NgxokoloSouth African designerNgxokolo attests to this assessment – he tells the BBC that “African luxury fashion is a very lonely space to operate in”.”Initially, I didn’t feel supported. I went to banks, I went to government funding agencies – most of the funding packages are for people that are into mining, the food business, farming.” Bobby Kolade, founder of Ugandan brand Buzigahill, and who has presented his collections at Berlin Fashion Week, has similar gripes.”I don’t think that our governments and our leaders see the value of small business. If we were creating 3,000 jobs at once, then they’d be on our side,” says Kolade, whose melding of fashion and activism piqued the interest of global media publications.Image source, BuzigahillImage caption, Buzigahill’s latest collection is inspired by workers in KampalaAfrica does have an increasing market for luxury clothes at it has a growing middle-class – though its designer brands are currently only accessible to a “small, wealthy percentage”, Unesco says.And some African governments are taking steps to support their designers. For instance, Kenya’s government helped to launch the Kenyan Fashion Council, while an initiative from the Central Bank of Nigeria funds some designers there. There are also other upsides, Kolade stresses.To him, Uganda’s capital, Kampala, is a wellspring of inspiration.Buzigahill’s latest collection drew from the city’s security guards, tree surgeons and farmers who, according to Kolade, “don’t know how much swag they have”.Image source, AFPImage caption, Fashion weeks from Lagos to Johannesburg show there is also a growing middle-class on the continent willing to spend on high-end brandsHis words reflect a common ethos among Africa’s designers – that of planting their cultures at the centre of their work, while still drawing the attention of the Western-led global fashion industry. Two decades on from his amakrwala fashion debut, Ngxokolo is putting the final touches to his Paris Fashion Week show while also preparing to open his first New York store.But, Ngxokolo insists, South Africa has always been his “priority”.”The loyalty and the love that your people give you is great,” he says. “It’s a form of great sustainability for the business.”Images subject to copyright.You may also be interested in:How the Oscars changed the life of a Kenyan designerThe AI artist reimagining a stylish old ageTurning an iconic plastic bag into high fashionHow Paris got a taste for second-hand style from AfricaRelated TopicsNigeriaBusiness in AfricaCameroonUgandaSouth AfricaBlack interestFashionAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsTop StoriesUN says many bullet wounds among Gaza convoy injuredPublished18 minutes agoBiden treads carefully through Middle East minefieldPublished10 hours agoRents soar in commuter towns as tenants priced out of citiesPublished12 hours agoFeaturesWhat video and eyewitness accounts tell us about Gazans killed at aid dropBad blood over Singapore Taylor Swift tour subsidiesThe Papers: ‘Democracy under threat’ and ‘Farewell Navalny’Black country singers: ‘We’re tolerated, not celebrated’The two faces of Robert F Kennedy JrJools ‘can’t believe’ he’s finally number oneHow worried is Labour after losing Rochdale?’Cousin of the Kelpies’ unveiled on Glasgow canalHow big banks are becoming ‘Bitcoin whales’Elsewhere on the BBCWill this elite boarding school fit around them?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds behind…AttributioniPlayerHair-pulling, wrestling and kicking!Watch the moment a violent brawl unfolded in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerThe mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayerWhy do people behave the way they do on social media?Marianna Spring investigates extraordinary cases of online hate to find out…AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Killer whale vs shark: Solo orca eats great white2How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?3Victoria Beckham’s fashion show disrupted by Peta4Rents soar in towns as tenants priced out of cities5US fashion designer Iris Apfel dies aged 1026UN says many bullet wounds among Gaza convoy injured7’Democracy under threat’ and ‘Farewell Navalny’8Bad blood over Singapore Taylor Swift tour subsidies9Jools ‘can’t believe’ he’s finally number one10How we tracked down the Ukrainian poison seller

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureBollywood meets Beyoncé: ‘Brown artists can be mainstream too’Published4 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Aiyush Pachnanda Image caption, The south Asian underground music scene is rapidly growingBy Yasmin RufoBBC NewsScroll through TikTok or go for a night out at the weekend and you could easily be left with the impression that South Asian music is booming. But despite seemingly being so popular, it is struggling to make an impact on the mainstream.It is a Saturday night in a club in west London, and sounds, cultures and beats are being fused together by South Asian DJs who are going head-to-head in a musical showdown.”This isn’t just music, this is a celebration of my culture and identity,” one young man shouts over the music. As revellers dance to remixes of global chart-toppers, iconic Bollywood songs, bhangra beats and a whole host of other sounds, DJ D-lish says she is “pushing the boundary of what south Asian music means”. The 25-year-old, real name Alisha, is just one of many South Asian artists trying to make their music mainstream.Despite an underground music scene that has a cult-like following, Asian artists continue to grapple with the challenge of breaking into the charts. This is despite the fact that almost 10% of the British population are Asian. While other musical subcultures such as Grime are having their heyday, Asian-influenced music seems to have been left behind. In 2002, Panjabi MC released his bhangra hit Mundian To Bach Ke. It sold 10 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. However, what could have been the start of a boom for Asian artists turned out to be little more than a one-hit wonder.Two decades on, the problem persists – only a handful of British Asian artists have had top 40 singles and even fewer songs with an Asian-influenced sound have made it into the charts. ‘Judged before I opened my mouth’Singer-songwriter Jay Sean tells BBC News that “people were confused” when he first started performing in the early 2000s.”They would see a brown kid and immediately assume what kind of music I was about to play, I would be judged before I even opened my mouth,” he explains.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jay Sean said people would always make assumptions about his music based on the way he lookedBest known for his 2009 hit Down, the British Asian R&B artist said even after he signed to a label, he would be asked “dumb questions” because there was “a lot of ignorance around South Asian culture and label producers didn’t always get it”. Musician Naughty Boy, who has worked with Emeli Sande and Sam Smith, told the BBC he had a similar experience of being “put in a box because I was brown and Muslim”. The artist, who had a UK number one hit with La La La and five additional UK top 10s, said he had previously been told to “dilute” his sound to “make it more mainstream and increase the chances of it charting”. He said he resisted doing so and has always been “unapologetic” with his music.Both artists have different stage names to their actual names, but say that this is not to hide their heritage.Image caption, Naughty Boy has been making music for over a decade”I didn’t want to prove myself through my identity, so I use the name to not attract attention. I want the world to hear my music without judgement,” Naughty Boy says.He and Jay Sean have set up their own record labels to give a platform to up-and-coming South Asian talent.”I’m not going to rest until I see more South Asian artists being played on mainstream platforms – if Spanish music and Afrobeats can be mainstream for a British audience then our music can as well,” says Sean.’The media turns a blind eye’ As the South Asian underground music scene continues to expand, record labels are tapping into its popularity and a greater commitment is being made to sign South Asian artists.Vishal Patel is the co-founder of 91+, an independent label that was created “to fill a void” and exclusively signs artists of South Asian heritage.He suggests South Asian artists are struggling to become mainstream because “of the lack of infrastructure”. “There are so few media executives who are of South Asian heritage that can operationally help us push this music. Most execs don’t understand our culture so they choose to ignore it,” he explains.”It was like this once for black British artists, but they were able to come together and break through – it’s the labels, media and streaming services that have made Grime music cool. We need people in the industry who will champion South Asian musicians.”Image source, Aiyush Pachnanda Image caption, Music executives are using social media as a tool to find up-and-coming South Asian artistsJasmine Takhar, a presenter of the BBC’s Introducing show on the Asian Network has given a platform to more than 500 South Asian artists on her show.She believes that there is an “ignorance” around the type of music that South Asian artists make.”The talent is definitely there,” she tells the BBC, “but how often do you hear South Asian artists on the radio or promoted on Spotify?”Takhar adds that she has come across acts with millions of followers on social media but have barely any presence in the mainstream because “the media turns a blind eye”.A new Asian soundOne group who has found social media fame is girl band Girls Like You, who were scouted on Instagram by Vishal’s record label. Comprised of four women aged between 20 and 25 who are all of South Asian Heritage, the band have gone viral multiple times on Instagram and TikTok.Image source, Girls Like YouImage caption, Girls Like You make music in English, Hindi, Urdu and PunjabiMost recently the girl group had six million views on a remix of Bollywood’s Yeh Ka Hua and Ne-Yo’s R&B classic So Sick. They say their music is a “fusion of cultures that mix languages and sounds”.”We love to throw together pop music with bhangra,” explains band member Jaya. “It’s like mixing Bollywood and Beyoncé.”Sampling Bollywood music is not a new concept in western music – many well-known pop songs have used snippets from India’s largest film industry. Britney Spears’ Toxic sampled a 1981 Hindi song by Lata Mangeshkar, while the Black Eyed Peas sampled a famous song by Asha Bhosle in Don’t Phunk with My Heart. Yasmin, another of the band’s members, said the group are “breaking down stereotypes of what it means to be a British Asian woman” and have a “completely global” following on social media. They are hoping they will be able to turn their social media success into chart-topping hits, and they feel confident that now is the time for South Asian artists.As well as social media helping artists grow, music festivals are also making an effort to increase the diversity of their line-ups. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Diljit Singh Dosanjh will be the first Punjabi language singer to perform at CoachellaCoachella’s 2024 line-up has been praised for its South Asian representation, with the likes of Mercury prize nominee Joy Crookes – who’s from South London and is half Bangladeshi – performing.She previously told the BBC that it was very important for musicians from minority groups be given a “platform”.Singer Diljit Dosanjh, the first turban-wearing actor to lead a Bollywood movie and the first Punjabi artist to sell out the O2 Arena in London, will also perform at the festival.However, while steps are being taken to reflect South Asian music’s increasing popularity, Naughty Boy is wary that the music industry’s commitment is not seen as a “phase”. “I don’t want labels to throw money at South Asian artists because it’s cool to be brown right now,” he says.”I’m brown forever, not a minute, so while it’s refreshing to see this, we need a long-term commitment to change the landscape.”Related TopicsLondonBollywoodBeyoncéMusicMore on this storyIndia and Pakistan’s moment at Coachella 2023Published15 April 2023Asian music pioneer ‘thrilled’ with display of workPublished17 August 2023Badshah: I love being loved but fame is uncomfortablePublished25 November 2023’Proud to see South Asians on Coachella line-up’Published11 January 2023Ride It: The song that TikTok is helping re-chartPublished28 September 2019Naughty Boy talks about King Charles IIIPublished3 October 2022Top StoriesLive. Navalny’s team says Russian authorities are hiding his bodyZelensky warns of ‘artificial deficit’ of weaponsPublished3 hours agoIs Russia turning the tide in Ukraine?Published10 hours agoFeaturesHow Russian state media are spinning Navalny deathRosenberg: Dissent takes courage – and Navalny supporters are defiantNavalny’s life in ‘Polar Wolf’ remote penal colonyMarina Litvinenko on the death of Alexei Navalny. AudioMarina Litvinenko on the death of Alexei NavalnyAttributionSoundsRussians dragged away after leaving Navalny tributes. VideoRussians dragged away after leaving Navalny tributesIs it even possible to do 28 A-levels – and what’s the cost?I made my Chewbacca suit from 45 bags of hair extensionsCarnival, kisses and snow: Photos of the weekEerie unseen world of Celtic rainforest revealed in UV lightElsewhere on the BBCThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerWhat is it really like to be a monk?’To be a monk is something very vast, very high and very beautiful’AttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerFancy a film tonight?There’s something for everyone on BBC iPlayerAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Two sinkholes open up in field above HS2 tunnel2Jordan North speaks out after sudden Radio 1 exit3Grandmother dies at home hours after calling 9994Trump hit where it hurts most in New York fraud ruling5Zelensky warns of ‘artificial deficit’ of weapons6Tens of thousands at London pro-Palestinian march7Rosenberg: Dissent takes courage – and Navalny supporters are defiant8Kuenssberg: Tory by-election disaster shows power of ‘sofa vote’9Japan relaxes haircut rules for new troops10’Zombie Fires’ burning at an alarming rate in Canada

[ad_1] British south Asian artists have historically been overlooked but now they are becoming mainstream.

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 1970s
• 22yearold
• February 5, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureGrammys 2024: Dua Lipa opens show and SZA sizzlesPublished15 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsGrammy AwardsImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Dua Lipa is up for song of the year for her Barbie song, Dance The NightBy Mark SavageBBC Music CorrespondentPop star Dua Lipa opened the 2024 Grammy Awards with an athletic medley of her songs Training Season, Houdini and Dance the Night – the latter of which is up for song of the year.She was followed on stage in Los Angeles by Tracy Chapman, making a rare appearance to join Luke Combs for his cover of her song Fast Car.And R&B star SZA – the show’s main nominee – staged a recreation of the Crazy 88 fight scene from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill to accompany her song of the same name.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, SZA hoisted a man into the air during her medley of Snooze and Kill BillThe singer had already won two awards in the Grammys pre-ceremony, and is still up for three of the night’s biggest prizes – album, record and song of the year.For her performance, she was joined by a phalanx of sword-wielding female dancers who swiftly dispatched hordes of men in suits – a reference to her song’s comical tale of killing her ex.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Miley Cyrus was overjoyed to win her first GrammyThe first award of the night went Miley Cyrus, who picked up best pop vocal performance for her song Flowers.It was the star’s first Grammy, a fact she noted in her acceptance speech, telling the story of a boy whose futile attempts to catch a butterfly ended when he stopped swinging around a net and stayed still.”And right when he did is when the butterfly came and landed right on the tip of his nose. And this song, Flowers, is my butterfly,” she said.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Tracy Chapman’s hit Fast Car was rejuvenated last year when country star Luke Combs covered itBilled as “music’s biggest night”, the Grammys are the industry’s most prestigious awards.The line-up for Sunday’s show includes legends like Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel and U2, alongside the biggest chart names.Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Burna Boy and Travis Scott are also among the performers, with stars like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Doja Cat in the audience. Even Meryl Streep turned up – supporting her son-in-law Mark Ronson, who was nominated for producing the Barbie soundtrack.Red carpet and ceremony in picturesThe main Grammy winners as they happenKylie, Billie Eilish and Beatles win early GrammysOnly a handful of the 94 prizes are handed out in the live show, with the rest announced during a four-hour “premiere ceremony” in the afternoon.That ceremony saw multiple wins for rapper Killer Mike and indie-rock trio Boygenius, whose debut album The Record combines 1970s California rock harmonies with lyrics about love and friendship.Kylie Minogue won her second ever Grammy, best pop dance recording, for the viral smash Padam Padam; while Joni Mitchell picked up best folk album for a live album that captured her return to the stage in 2022 after a brain aneurysm.And South African singer Tyla made history by picking up the first ever award for best African performance.The 22-year-old, who came fourth in the BBC’s Sound of 2024, won for her viral smash Water, which inspired a TikTok dance craze last summer.”I still have to remind myself that it’s my song,” she said. “Everywhere I go, it’s playing and people know it. I don’t even know [how to describe] the feeling.”Related TopicsKylie MinogueGrammy AwardsMusicMore on this storyGrammy Awards red carpet and ceremony in picturesPublished1 hour agoKylie, Billie, Joni and Beatles win early GrammysPublished2 hours agoGrammy Awards: The main winners as they happenPublished4 hours agoTop StoriesUS says strikes on Iran-linked sites just ‘beginning’Published2 hours agoWoman killed by dogs while visiting grandsonPublished8 hours ago’I thought Clapham attack girl was going to die in my arms’Published4 hours agoFeaturesGrammy Awards red carpet and ceremony in picturesThe Papers: ‘Horrifying’ dog attack and ‘bonkers’ week of weatherMum-of-five embraces mayhem above Insta perfectionOrlando, Beijing and… the village of Stewartby?Scottish prisons are full, ‘we can’t take any more’Chinese ship’s port call flares India tensionNew video shows Clapham attack suspect in Tesco. VideoNew video shows Clapham attack suspect in TescoAll you need to know about Monday’s train strikesCan Musk’s Neuralink brain chip really change the world?Elsewhere on the BBCA Scottish wild swimming road-trip!Julie Wilson Nimmo and Greg Hemphill take the plunge at Scotland’s breathtaking wild swimming spotsAttributioniPlayer’I never tried to be famous…it was accidental’Michael Parkinson with guests Ricky Gervais, Michael Palin and Kate AdieAttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerBritish television’s greatest double actEric and Ernie share their remarkable journey through TV appearances, rare radio material and BBC archivesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Woman killed by dogs while visiting grandson2New atom-smasher could spark physics revolution3Kylie, Billie, Joni and Beatles win early Grammys4’Horrifying’ dog attack and ‘bonkers’ week of weather5Jockey, 25, dies after fall at horse race in Kent6Russian oil getting into UK via refinery loophole7Former Scottish Labour leader admits voting SNP8US says strikes on Iran-linked sites just ‘beginning’9’I thought Clapham attack girl was going to die in my arms’10Grammy Awards red carpet and ceremony in pictures

[ad_1] Miley Cyrus picks up her first ever Grammy Award, 17 years after releasing her debut single.

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 2023Hermoso
• 2023Top
• January 25, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaJudge proposes Spain’s Luis Rubiales face trial over Hermoso World Cup kissPublished22 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Luis Rubiales resigned as Spain’s football federation president following the incidentBy Jake LaphamBBC NewsA Spanish judge has proposed that former football federation president Luis Rubiales should stand trial over the women’s World Cup kiss involving captain Jenni Hermoso.Mr Rubiales grabbed Ms Hermoso’s head and kissed her during the presentation after Spain’s victory in Australia. She said the kiss was “not consensual”, a statement denied by Mr Rubiales.A judge has found there is enough evidence for the matter to proceed to trial.During a hearing in Madrid, the judge described the kiss as “not consensual and… a unilateral and surprising initiative”, according to a statement from the court cited by the Reuters news agency.Prosecutors previously charged Mr Rubiales with sexual assault and coercion.Penalties for such a kiss range from a fine to four years in prison.The incident has involved several Spanish football executives including Ms Hemoso’s former coach, a former marketing manager and the sports director of the men’s team.Jorge Vilda, Rubén Rivera and Albert Luque are accused of pressuring Ms Hermoso to say publicly the kiss had been consensual.The judge in Madrid has said the trio should also stand trial.Lawyers involved in the proceedings now have 10 days to make a formal trial request before a court.Ms Hermoso, Spain’s top scorer, testified before the court investigating her allegation for more than two-and-a-half hours earlier in January.According to Spanish media, she said the kiss was “unexpected and at no time consensual”.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jenni Hermoso said she “received threats” amid the controversyA statement issued shortly after the final that was attributed to Ms Hermoso had indicated the kiss had been consensual. But she later complained of being pressured by officials of the Spanish football federation to put her name to the statement.The kiss took place during the medal ceremony in Sydney on 20 August last year, following Spain’s win over England.Mr Rubiales has always maintained the kiss was a “consensual peck”, but in the wake of the incident, he was forced to resign as president of the Spanish football federation.It set off a wave of global anger at sexism at the highest levels of women’s sport.Related TopicsSpainMore on this storyHermoso testifies World Cup kiss was not consensualPublished2 JanuaryThe kiss that shook Spanish & global footballAttributionSportPublished10 September 2023Hermoso received threats amid Rubiales kiss scandalAttributionSportPublished6 November 2023Top StoriesLive. ‘Justice not served’: Victims’ families hit out as Nottingham killer sentencedElba warns over mandatory jail for carrying knifePublished2 hours agoLive. Sturgeon’s expletive-laden messages about Johnson shown to Covid inquiryFeaturesDowned Russian plane leaves unanswered questionsWhy a key crime stat doesn’t tell the full story about sexual offencesThe secrets of Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors styleChris Mason: Has Sunak seen off latest Tory wobbles?Why do people in Wales celebrate Saint Dwynwen’s day?South Africa fire survivors living in unsafe shacksRecords broken but Barbie snubbed – 6 Oscars talking pointsMediators push for Gaza ceasefire but gaps remainUS Election Unspun: Sign up for our newsletterElsewhere on the BBCTracing the historical origins of British comedy tropesIan Hislop’s on the hunt for the earliest examples of enduring British jokesAttributionSoundsBailiffs behaving badly…With councils increasingly using bailiffs, File on 4 examines the industry’s tacticsAttributionSoundsThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerSamantha Harvey’s critically acclaimed new novelA thoughtful tale of space and the human experience, through the eyes of six astronautsAttributionSoundsMost Read1Tom Holland bonus sent to Tom Hollander in error2Elba warns over mandatory jail for carrying knife3Stricken Japanese Moon mission landed on its nose4Woman arrested after pet lion taken on car ride5Ex-sub-postmistress wants money back, not apology6Alabama inmate faces first nitrogen execution in US7Madonna ‘vigorously’ defends late concert lawsuit8DJ who urinated on cancer patient at club jailed9The secrets of Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors style10Captain Cook statue sawn off ahead of Australia Day

[ad_1] An investigating court finds enough evidence to try Rubiales and three Spanish football executives.

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 2018Top
• 2021Lion
• January 25, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaThai police to charge two over pet lion spotted cruising in BentleyPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Ann IsaanrussiaImage caption, A video showing a chained lion cub seated in the back of a white, open-top Bentley has gone viralBy Yvette TanBBC News Police in Thailand have arrested a woman whose pet lion was pictured going on a joyride in the streets of Pattaya. A video that has now gone viral shows the chained lion cub seated in the back of a white, open-top Bentley. The lion was being driven about by a Sri Lankan man who has since left the country, and is believed to be a friend of the woman, Sawangjit Kosoongnern.While it is not illegal to own a lion in Thailand, it needs to be officially registered. Authorities in Thailand said Sawangjit claimed to have bought the animal from a Thai man in Nakhon Pathom province, who successfully facilitated its delivery to Pattaya.However he failed to have his facility checked by officials before doing so, which made both the transfer and ownership of the animal illegal. She is therefore facing charges of possessing a controlled wild animal without permission, which carries a penalty of a year’s imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($2,800; £2,200). Police were also reportedly looking to charge the Sri Lankan man, who had kept the lion in his rented pool villa, but were unable to as he is no longer in Thailand. He was due to be charged with bringing a controlled wild animal into public places, which carries jail time of up to six months and a fine of 50,000 baht. The man who sold the lion to Sawangjit will also face charges of moving an animal without permission. Officials say there are currently 224 lions in Thailand that are legally owned. Related TopicsAsiaThailandMore on this storyPet lion seized in Cambodia after TikTok videosPublished27 June 2021Lion cub found in French apartmentPublished24 October 2018Top StoriesLive. Nottingham killer to be sentenced as victim’s family call him ‘evil’Elba warns over mandatory jail for carrying knifePublished22 minutes agoUK to loan back Ghana’s looted ‘crown jewels’Published13 hours agoFeaturesNottingham killer should be in jail for life, says victim’s sonThe secrets of Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors styleChris Mason: Has Sunak seen off latest Tory wobbles?The Papers: UK ‘should have citizen army’ and Royal Mail cutbacksWhy do people in Wales celebrate Saint Dwynwen’s day?South Africa fire survivors living in unsafe shacksRecords broken but Barbie snubbed – 6 Oscars talking pointsMediators push for Gaza ceasefire but gaps remainUS Election Unspun: Sign up for our newsletterElsewhere on the BBCTracing the historical origins of British comedy tropesIan Hislop’s on the hunt tracks for the earliest examples of enduring British jokesAttributionSoundsBailiffs behaving badly…With councils increasingly using bailiffs, File on 4 examines the industry’s tacticsAttributionSoundsThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerSamantha Harvey’s critically acclaimed new novelA thoughtful tale of space and the human experience, through the eyes of six astronautsAttributionSoundsMost Read1Elba warns over mandatory jail for carrying knife2Ex-sub-postmistress wants money back, not apology3Alabama inmate faces first nitrogen execution in US4Captain Cook statue sawn off ahead of Australia Day5Stricken Japanese Moon mission landed on its nose6Madonna ‘vigorously’ defends late concert lawsuit7Downed Russian plane leaves unanswered questions8UK to loan back Ghana’s looted ‘crown jewels’9UK ‘should have citizen army’ and Royal Mail cutbacks10The secrets of Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors style

[ad_1] Police were also reportedly looking to charge the Sri Lankan man, who had kept the lion in his rented pool villa, but were unable to as he is no…

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• newsinsightplus.com
• abolish
• acclaimed
• January 25, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaGhana coup plot: Soldiers among six sentenced to death by hangingPublished45 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPImage caption, Before multiparty democracy in 1992, Ghana experienced several coupsBy Wycliffe MuiaBBC News Six Ghanaians, including three soldiers, have been sentenced to death by hanging for their involvement in a coup plot three years ago. This was the first treason trial in Ghana since 1966 when post-independence leader Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown. The six were arrested in 2021 while testing weapons in the capital, Accra, to allegedly topple the government. The group, including a gunsmith, pleaded not guilty during a trial that captured the attention of the nation. Defence lawyers said they would appeal against the ruling in the Supreme Court. Three other people, including a senior police officer and two military officers, were acquitted.There was a heavy security deployment outside the High Court in Accra during the sentencing on Wednesday.The court found the six guilty of high treason and conspiracy to commit high treason.The men were arrested with locally manufactured guns, improvised explosive devices and AK-47 rifles, according to court documents. State prosecutors said the group had planned to organise protests, ostensibly to topple President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government ahead of the 2020 general elections. The court said it found the evidence against the men, including intercepted communications and testimonies, compelling. Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, who led the prosecution, praised the court verdict as “significant”. “The constitution of Ghana as the fundamental law of the country, which has sustained the stability of the nation, frowns seriously upon any attempt to overthrow a government and that is why that offence [treason] is punishable by death,” Mr Dame said. Ghana had last carried out an execution in 1992 when it returned to democratic rule.Last year lawmakers last year voted to abolish the death penalty for ordinary crimes, replacing it with a life sentence. You might also be interested in:UK to loan back Ghana’s looted ‘crown jewels’Ghana halts ‘elaborate plot to destabilise country”We Ghanaians saw Mugabe as our son-in-law’Related TopicsGhanaAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsTop StoriesLive. Nottingham killer to be sentenced as victim’s family call him ‘evil’Elba warns over mandatory jail for carrying knifePublished6 minutes agoUK to loan back Ghana’s looted ‘crown jewels’Published11 hours agoFeaturesNottingham killer should be in jail for life, says victim’s sonThe secrets of Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors styleChris Mason: Has Sunak seen off latest Tory wobbles?The Papers: UK ‘should have citizen army’ and Royal Mail cutbacksWhy do people in Wales celebrate Saint Dwynwen’s day?South Africa fire survivors living in unsafe shacksRecords broken but Barbie snubbed – 6 Oscars talking pointsMediators push for Gaza ceasefire but gaps remainMichael Owen: I’d pay anything for my son to see againElsewhere on the BBCTracing the historical origins of British comedy tropesIan Hislop’s on the hunt tracks for the earliest examples of enduring British jokesAttributionSoundsBailiffs behaving badly…With councils increasingly using bailiffs, File on 4 examines the industry’s tacticsAttributionSoundsThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerSamantha Harvey’s critically acclaimed new novelA thoughtful tale of space and the human experience, through the eyes of six astronautsAttributionSoundsMost Read1Elba warns over mandatory jail for carrying knife2Captain Cook statue sawn off ahead of Australia Day3Alabama inmate faces first nitrogen execution in US4UK ‘should have citizen army’ and Royal Mail cutbacks5Man sentenced to death for Japan anime studio fire6Downed Russian plane leaves unanswered questions7Tax cut promises may need to be rolled back – IFS8UK to loan back Ghana’s looted ‘crown jewels’9The secrets of Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors style10Stop the boats policy a ‘fake response’ – UN official

[ad_1] “The constitution of Ghana as the fundamental law of the country, which has sustained the stability of the nation, frowns seriously upon any attempt to overthrow a government and…

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