The singing trio behind HUNTR/X, the fictional music group at the center of the summer’s massively popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” is scheduled to perform live for the first time Oct 7 on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
The NBC show announced that Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami will perform their smash hit “Golden” from the Sony Pictures/Netflix film that gave Netflix is first No. 1 box-office title in the streaming company’s 18-year history. The film’s soundtrack topped the charts.
The three will also join Fallon on the couch for interviews. Their appearance will stream the next day on Peacock. Jennifer Lopez is also a guest.
The film centers on Huntr/X, the superstar K-pop trio who double as demon hunters. The members, Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zooey (Ji-young Yoo), must protect their fans and face their biggest enemy yet: a rival boy band made up of demons in disguise.
Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which continues to be a mainstay on Netflix’s weekly Top 10 list since its launch 14 weeks ago. (JapanToday)
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are getting divorced.
The actress has filed for divorce from the country star, PEOPLE confirms, just one day after news broke that the couple had separated after 19 years of marriage. TMZ was first to report the news.
Kidman filed for divorce on Tuesday, Sept. 30 in Nashville, where the couple has lived since 2007, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. She listed their date of separation as the date of filing, and cited irreconcilable differences as reason for the split.
The pair were married in June 2006 after meeting at a gala in Los Angeles the year prior, and share daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
A source previously told PEOPLE that Kidman, 58, “didn’t want this,” and had been “fighting to save the marriage.”
“Nicole’s sister [Antonia] has been a rock and the entire Kidman family has come together to support one another,” the source added.
The filing comes after a summer apart, as Kidman was filming Practical Magic 2 in London and Urban, 57, was traveling on his High and Alive World Tour.
Kidman and Urban often spoke about their bond in the press, with the actress telling PEOPLE in 2024 that she was “so lucky that I have Keith who’s just my love, my deep, deep love.”
Ahead of the 2024 Met Gala, Kidman added that she overcomes her nerves ahead of the annual event by “[having] my man with me.”
A second source told PEOPLE after the pair’s separation that their separation “really hasn’t been a secret,” and the stars have “been living separately for a while now.”
“People close to Keith felt like the split was kind of inevitable,” the source added.
Reps for Kidman and Urban did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The separation came just three months after Kidman celebrated the couple’s 19th wedding anniversary with a sweet Instagram post of the pair cuddling.
“Happy Anniversary Baby ❤️ @KeithUrban,” she captioned the post at the time. (People)
Supporters of President Donald Trump, including a senior White House official, have lashed out after Latin megastar Bad Bunny was named as the headliner for next year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
The Grammy-winning Puerto Rican rapper had already sparked right-wing ire after saying he would skip the United States during his upcoming world tour due to fears of immigration raids at his concerts.
But Trump’s Make America Great Again movement was doubly infuriated by the naming on Sunday of an artist who mainly sings in Spanish as the star performer for the NFL’s flagship event in February.
“Is the @NFL incapable of reading the room?” Sebastian Gorka, Trump’s Senior Director for Counter Terrorism, posted on X late Monday after the announcement.
Gorka’s comment accompanied a post by a conservative podcaster calling Bad Bunny “a rapper with a catalog of vulgar lyrics in Spanish and English” — including one aimed at Trump.
Former racing driver turned right-wing commentator Danica Patrick said separately on X: “No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America’s highest rated television events of the year.”
Sage Steele, a former host on sports network ESPN who appeared in the White House’s “new media” seat at a briefing earlier this year, called Bad Bunny “DEMONIC” and added: “NFL…I just don’t get it.”
The artist himself said in a statement released by the NFL that his naming as Super Bowl halftime act was “for my people, my culture, and our history.”
Puerto Rico, where Bad Bunny hails from, is a U.S. territory in the Caribbean. In June, Bad Bunny posted video footage on his social media channels from an ICE raid that took place on his home island.
Super Bowl halftime shows have traditionally attracted the biggest names in the music industry, including the likes of Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Prince and Paul McCartney.
More recent performers have included this past year’s headliner Kendrick Lamar, the rapper who cut out profanity but still performed a viral diss track of his rival Drake. (JapanToday)
With the meticulously planned release of Taylor Swift’s 12th album this Friday, the country singer-turned-pop star demonstrates again that she is as business savvy as she is musically adept.
From hints dropped during her last tour in 2024 to movie screenings this coming weekend to accompany the new album’s release, “Taylor Swift has perfected marketing as narrative art,” said Robin Landa, a professor who studies advertising and branding at Kean University. “She doesn’t simply release an album — she orchestrates a cultural phenomenon.”
The massively hyped “The Life of a Showgirl” album was inspired by Swift’s experiences during her record-breaking “Eras” concert tour, which coincided with the singer’s romance with her now-fiance Travis Kelce, a three-time Super Bowl champion football star.
The 12-track record “comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life — and so that effervescence has come through,” Swift herself promises.
That appears to signal a return to pop after her darker 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” last year.
Swift, 35, has said to expect “bangers” — high-energy, dance-friendly songs — in the ilk of her fan-favorite “22” and “Shake It Off,” and created with the same Swedish production duo, Max Martin and Shellback.
To call “The Life of a Showgirl,” which features a duet with rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter, eagerly anticipated is an understatement.
The album is the most pre-saved album ever on the Spotify streaming platform, breaking the record set last year by Swift’s last album.
Accompanying the album, movie theaters in dozens of countries will host special screenings from Friday through Sunday of a music video, a making-of featurette, personal commentary by Swift about her songs, and a karaoke-style singalong.
The one-off movie event is estimated to gross between $30 million and $50 million, according to film industry website Deadline.
Swift, who first announced the album on Kelce’s popular podcast last month, is “really taking ownership of the whole process, in every aspect of her music and her presentation to the public,” said Toby Koenigsberg, a music professor at the University of Oregon.
Swift’s “Eras” tour also spawned its own movie theater event, and underlined “the importance of having fan communities that interact in real life, not just on social media,” he added.
One element that has long connected “Swifties” — the nickname for her die-hard fans — online is the frantic search for “easter eggs,” or clues about Swift’s upcoming projects scattered through her album booklets, music videos, concerts and social media posts.
Swifties noticed that, in a letter to her fans in May, Swift spelled the words “thiiiiiiiiiiiis” with 12 “i”s — taken by some to indicate her 12th album was imminent.
Once the first album images of “The Life of a Showgirl” were released, featuring cabaret-inspired outfits in orange and green tones, thrilled devotees rushed to social media to point out clues supposedly buried in Swift’s 2022 music videos, as well as certain costumes from her latest tour.
“Taylor’s Easter eggs are one of the most brilliant fan engagement tools in modern music,” said Landa. “This strategy creates free marketing through fan theories and social media speculation — essentially turning her audience into her promotional team.”
So, is Swift a musician or a businesswoman?
“Sometimes people talk about her business acumen, which is really remarkable… but at the core of what she does is her songwriting,” said Koenigsberg.
Swift is “able to consistently write good songs, year after year, album after album, in a way that almost nobody else can.” (JapanToday)
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has declared that Nigeria is moving in the right direction as President Bola Tinubu’s reforms are beginning to yield positive results.
The former Akwa Ibom State governor also dismissed claims that Nigeria is “finished” or irredeemable, insisting the country is on the right track under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Akpabio made the appeal in a congratulatory message to mark the country’s 65th Independence Anniversary.
The Federal Government had earlier declared Wednesday, October 1, a public holiday to commemorate the country’s independence from Britain in 1960.
However, in a late announcement on Monday, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation disclosed that the traditional Independence Day parade would no longer be held.
The statement read: “At 65, we are mature and should be working for the unity of the nation and prosperity of our people. We salute your resilience, patience and endurance in the last two years. We deeply appreciate your support and understanding.
“In line with the theme of this year’s celebration, ‘All hands are on deck for a greater Nigeria,’ I urge you to continue to bear the temporary discomfort of the ongoing reforms.
“We are not unaware of the pains occasioned by the reforms. But I want to assure you that very soon, this will be a thing of the past because the benefits of the reforms are beginning to manifest positively.”
Continuing, the Senate president urged Nigerians to endure the pains of the reforms for a little while longer in the interest of the future generations.
Akpabio also dismissed insinuations by critics of the current administration that the country has finished running its course.
“I must tell you that Nigeria is not finished. Do not buy into the mischievous narrative that Nigeria is irredeemable.
“We are on the right pedestal and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration is reshaping the country; we are growing and making progress.
“If we all join hands together to support the reforms, Nigeria will become better and surely get to the promised land,” he stated. (Punch)
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling on Monday condemned Emma Watson as “ignorant” over her transgender rights views, in a stinging riposte to the former child star.
In a long post on X, the writer expressed her irritation that Watson, 35, and Daniel Radcliffe, 36 — who starred in the film adaptations of Rowling’s best-selling books — “continue to assume the role of de facto spokespeople for the world I created”.
Radcliffe, who played boy wizard Potter, and Watson, who played his friend Hermione Granger, have both taken issue with Rowling’s stance on gender issues.
But Rowling, who has not previously been so outspoken about Watson, suggested that the star’s privilege meant she was unable to properly grasp the issues at stake.
“I wasn’t a multimillionaire at 14. I lived in poverty while writing the book that made Emma famous,” she said. “I therefore understand from my own life experience what the trashing of women’s rights in which Emma has so enthusiastically participated means to women and girls without her privileges.”
Rowling has long been at the forefront of the debate about gender identity and has previously denounced trans activism, leading to accusations of transphobia.
She has defended herself saying her concern was the impact it has on women’s rights and single-sex spaces for women.
Rowling, 60, also revealed her annoyance at receiving a one-line note from Watson in 2022.
Following an awards ceremony at which Watson publicly made a dig at Rowling she sent her a message saying “I’m so sorry for what you’re going through”.
“This was back when the death, rape and torture threats against me were at their peak, at a time when my personal security measures had to be tightened considerably and I was constantly worried for my family’s safety,” the author said.
“Emma had just publicly poured more petrol on the flames, yet thought a one line expression of concern from her would reassure me of her fundamental sympathy and kindness,” she said.
Rowling also hinted she had only decided to be “this honest” about the “Beauty and the Beast” and “Little Women” actress now because of comments last week in which Watson announced that she still loved and treasured the author.
This was “a change of tack I suspect she’s adopted because she’s noticed full-throated condemnation of me is no longer quite as fashionable as it was,” Rowling said.
“Adults can’t expect to cosy up to an activist movement that regularly calls for a friend’s assassination, then assert their right to the former friend’s love.
“Emma is rightly free to disagree with me and indeed to discuss her feelings about me in public — but I have the same right, and I’ve finally decided to exercise it,” she said. (JapanToday)
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday attributed his absence at the coronation of the former Oyo State Governor, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, to protocol arrangements.
Atiku gave the explanation when he, alongside prominent African Democratic Congress coalition leaders, paid Ladoja a visit at his private residence in Ibadan.
With Atiku were a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorcha Ayu; ex-Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), and other prominent ADC members.
The PUNCH reports that Ladoja was crowned last Friday in a grand ceremony attended by President Bola Tinubu and a host of dignitaries.
Atiku clarified that his absence was not deliberate, describing the new Olubadan as a statesman who had played pivotal roles in Nigeria’s political history.
“We are here to say congratulations to the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja. We regretted that we didn’t attend the coronation. It was not intentional. Protocol arrangements did not allow us to come during the coronation, not that we didn’t want to come.”
“We know your roles and relationship with some of us. We are here to congratulate you.
Kindly accept our apologies for not making it to the coronation. We regret not attending the programme,”he added.
In his response, Oba Ladoja declared that he had left partisan politics behind, stressing that his new role demanded impartiality. He recalled his long association with Atiku and others during his political years but emphasised his focus on justice and fairness as monarch.
He said,”I’m not one of you again. I am the Olubadan of Ibadanland. So, I am for everybody now. I am no more one of you. I am not a politician anymore. Welcome to my house.
“Now that I am the Olubadan, I am no more interested in any other thing than the Olubadan. You are welcome to my house.
“We started from the Social Democratic Party, we were in exile together, we were in Peoples Democratic Party together. When I wanted to create identity, I went to Accord Party, which became a household name here. I know you politicians have a way of coming back.
“All the religious leaders, they said that the only thing the leaders can do is to promote justice and fairness. I will serve my people, Ibadan people, the state, Africa and the world at large. I will depend on your support and advice,” the monarch stressed. (Punch)
A Victor Osimhen penalty gave Galatasaray victory over Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Chelsea edged out Jose Mourinho’s Benfica and Kylian Mbappe hit a hat-trick for Real Madrid in Kazakhstan.
Elsewhere in the second round of matches in the league phase of Europe’s elite club competition, Tottenham battled back to draw with Bodo/Glimt as Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Marseille and Inter Milan recorded big wins.
In Istanbul, Osimhen beat Alisson Becker from the spot in the 16th minute, giving Galatasaray a 1-0 win and condemning Liverpool to a second straight loss after their defeat by Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
The English champions thought they had a chance to equalise late on when Ibrahima Konate went down and a penalty was given, but the referee overturned his decision on review.
Liverpool, who finished first in the league phase last season, also saw Alisson go off injured in the second half before the introductions off the bench of Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak failed to have the desired impact.
“The margins were very small last season but then we were a lot of times on the right side of the score,” coach Arne Slot said.
“Today again the margins were really small, but for the second time in a row on the wrong side.”
Liverpool will now hope to bounce back on Saturday away to Chelsea, who themselves got back to winning ways with a 1-0 success against Benfica as the Portuguese giants’ new coach Mourinho came back to Stamford Bridge.
Richard Rios turned an Alejandro Garnacho cross into his own net for the only goal of the game in the 18th minute, with Benfica unable to recover as Mourinho returned to face the club he coached over two separate spells.
Chelsea had substitute Joao Pedro sent off in stoppage time but Enzo Maresca’s side were delighted to get the win after losing their opening European game of the campaign at Bayern.
“A defeat is always a defeat but this one can be a start for us. It was a stable performance,” Mourinho said of his team.
Spurs escaped Norway with a point in a 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt in a game played north of the Arctic Circle.
Kasper Hogh missed a penalty for the hosts before a brilliant second-half brace from Jens Petter Hauge had them two goals in front.
However, Micky van de Ven pulled one back on 68 minutes for last season’s Europa League winners, and Spurs then got a lucky 89th-minute equalizer when a Nikita Haikin save smashed into the stomach of Jostein Gundersen from close range and trickled over the line.
Record 15-time European champions Real made the long trip east to face Kairat Almaty and ran out 5-0 winners.
Mbappe opened the scoring from a first-half penalty and made it 2-0 soon after the break before firing in from the edge of the area to complete his hat-trick on 73 minutes, making it 60 career Champions League goals.
The Frenchman has now scored 13 goals in nine games in all competitions this season for Real, who also saw Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Diaz net towards the end.
Bayern also scored five, with Harry Kane netting twice in the first half in a 5-1 win away to Pafos in Cyprus. The England star now has 17 goals in nine games in all competitions this season for his club.
Raphael Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson and Michael Olise also found the net for Bayern, while Mislav Orsic scored for the hosts.
“I’m going into games with confidence, knowing I’ll get my chances. Scored a couple more goals today, I’m happy with that,” Kane said.
Atletico followed a 5-2 win over Real in the Madrid derby last weekend by thumping Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1.
Giacomo Raspadori, Robin Le Normand, Antoine Griezmann and Giuliano Simeone netted for Atletico before Julian Alvarez scored a late penalty. Griezmann’s goal was his 200th for the club. Jonathan Burkardt pulled one back for Eintracht.
Igor Paixao netted twice in the opening 12 minutes as Marseille hammered Ajax 4-0. Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were also on target.
Lautaro Martinez got a brace either side of a Denzel Dumfries goal as last season’s runners-up Inter eased to a 3-0 win over Slavia Prague at San Siro.
Mario Pasalic scored a late winner as Atalanta beat Club Brugge 2-1, after a Lazar Samardzic penalty had cancelled out a Christos Tzolis opener for the Belgians. (JapanToday)
Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested three suspects in connection with an attempt to disrupt the announcement of results during the Student Union Government election at the Ebonyi State University.
The incident occurred while the election results were being announced, and the suspects allegedly fired gunshots to disperse the crowd.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, said this in a statement on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, the bullet struck a student, who was immediately rushed to Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, for medical attention.
“The Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command, CP Adaku Uche-Anya fdc assures members of the public of the Command’s unwavering commitment to maintaining peace, law, and order across the state,” the statement read partly.
In July, several students sustained injuries when the Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, Students’ Union Government election degenerated into chaos.
A viral video seen by PUNCH Online showed students scaling the institution’s fence while gunshots rang out in the background.
Smoke was also visible at the venue, suggesting the use of tear gas. In addition, some youths were spotted wielding knives to scare away voters and disrupt the process. (Punch)
The Ebute Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday remanded the leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Shamsideen Oladiti aka Shameleon, at the correctional centre, pending the legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
PUNCH Metro reported that the Lagos State Police Command arrested Oladiti over allegations of assault and murder.
The 55-year-old man, according to a statement by the command’s Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, allegedly attacked a dispatch rider on Lagos Island, using a helmet and fists to inflict serious injuries.
The command’s deputy spokesman also explained that a separate complaint had earlier been lodged against the suspect over an incident on August 28, 2025.
He noted that during an altercation, Oladiti allegedly used a metallic ring to repeatedly strike another man on the head and face, leaving him with severe injuries.
Oluseyi said that despite medical care, the victim died on September 17, 2025, and his remains had since been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.
The suspect had since been held at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba.
The police, however, arraigned him on a three-count charge, after which the court ordered his remand.
The case was also adjourned to October 28, and the case was ordered to be duplicated to the state Directorate of Public Prosecutions for advice.
It was gathered that the death of the deceased, identified as Imam Ramon, triggered protests at the suspect’s office in Sandgrouse Market, Lagos Island.
Sympathisers were also said to have set two of Adio’s motorcycles ablaze, heightening tension in the area.
The incident again brought to the fore the high-handedness of some NURTW officials in the country, as residents called on the government to curb their excesses. (Punch)
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