Entertainment
Legendary actor Val Kilmer dies at 65
Prolific American actor Val Kilmer, who was propelled to fame with “Top Gun” and went on to starring roles as Batman and Jim Morrison, has died at age 65, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
The cause of death was pneumonia, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer told the Times. He had battled throat cancer following a 2014 diagnosis, but later recovered, she said.
AFP has reached out to his representatives for comment.
Originally a stage actor, Kilmer burst onto the big screen full of charisma, cast as a rock star in Cold War spoof “Top Secret!” in 1984.
Two years later, he gained fame as the cocky, if mostly silent fighter pilot in training Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in box office smash hit “Top Gun,” playing a rival to Tom Cruise’s “Maverick.”
A versatile character actor whose career spanned decades, Kilmer toggled between blockbusters and smaller-budget independent films. He got a shot at leading man status in Oliver Stone’s “The Doors,” depicting Jim Morrison’s journey from a psychedelics-loving LA film student to 60s rock frontman.
After a cameo in Quentin Tarantino-written “True Romance,” Kilmer went on to star alongside Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in “Heat” and took a turn as the masked Gotham vigilante in “Batman Forever,” between the Bruce Wayne portrayals by Michael Keaton and George Clooney.
A 1996 Entertainment Weekly cover story dubbed Kilmer “The Man Hollywood Loves to Hate,” depicting him as a sometimes surly eccentric with exasperating work habits.
A New York Times interviewer in 2002 said Kilmer “hardly lives up to that reputation” and found the actor instead “friendly, buoyant and so open that he often volunteers personal details about his life and is quick to laugh at himself.”
“You have to learn to speak Val,” director D. J. Caruso told the newspaper.– ‘ Magical life’ –Born Val Edward Kilmer on New Year’s Eve 1959, he began acting in commercials as a child.
Kilmer was the youngest person ever accepted to the drama department at New York’s fabled Juilliard school, and made his Broadway debut in 1983 alongside Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon.
In Hollywood, the Los Angeles native longed to make serious films but found himself in a series of schlocky blockbusters and expensive flops in the early 2000s.
Chastened by a decade or more of low-budget movies, he was mounting a comeback in the 2010s with a successful stage show about Mark Twain that he hoped to turn into a film when he was struck by cancer.
“Val,” an intimate documentary about Kilmer’s stratospheric rise and later fall in Hollywood, premiered at the Cannes film Festival in 2021 and showed him struggling for air after a tracheotomy.
Kilmer “has the aura of a man who was dealt his cosmic comeuppance and came through it,” US publication Variety wrote of the film.
“He fell from stardom, maybe from grace, but he did it his way.”When he reprised his role as “Iceman” in the long-awaited sequel “Top Gun: Maverick,” Kilmer’s real-life health issues,and rasp of voice,were written into the character.“
Instead of treating Kilmer — and, indeed, the entire notion of Top Gun — as a throwaway nostalgia object, he’s given a celluloid swan song that’ll stand the test of time,” GQ wrote.
On his website, Kilmer said he had led a “magical life.”
“For more than half a century, I have been honing my art, no matter the medium. Be it literature, movies, poetry, painting, music, or tracking exotic and beautiful wildlife,” he wrote.
According to the Times, he is survived by two children, Mercedes and Jack Kilmer.
AFP
Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy has reclaimed the top spot as Africa’s most streamed artist on Spotify, surpassing South African sensation Tyla in a major streaming milestone.
According to the latest Spotify data and charts tracking, Burna Boy (Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu) has overtaken Tyla to lead the continent in key streaming metrics, including monthly listeners.
The Grammy-winning artist continues his dominance in 2026, building on his record-breaking 2025 performance where he amassed nearly 2 billion streams — the highest ever recorded for an African artist on the platform in a single year.
Burna Boy’s global appeal, driven by hits from his recent projects and consistent catalog performance, has propelled him ahead of Tyla, who had previously held strong positions in monthly listener counts.
This achievement underscores the continued rise of Afrobeats and African music on the world stage, with Nigerian artists dominating Spotify’s top African streaming rankings. Industry watchers note Burna Boy’s ability to maintain massive engagement across international audiences.
Fans and music enthusiasts have taken to social media to celebrate the feat, hailing the “African Giant” for flying the flag high. The development further cements Burna Boy’s status as one of the most influential voices in contemporary African music.
Spotify is yet to issue an official statement on the latest shift, but the numbers speak volumes about the fierce competition and growing global appetite for African sounds.
• Teyana Taylor
American actress and singer Teyana Taylor and hip-hop duo Clipse emerged as the biggest winners at the 2026 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards, taking home three awards each during the ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The event, hosted by comedian Druski and broadcast live on BET, also saw Kendrick Lamar and Kehlani secure two awards apiece, according to a post on Billboard.
Taylor capped off a remarkable year by winning Best Actress, Video Director of the Year and the newly introduced Fashion Vanguard Award.
She was also honoured with the prestigious Icon of the Year award, one of three honorary recognitions presented during the ceremony.
Clipse dominated the music categories, winning Album of the Year for Let God Sort ‘Em Out, Best Group and Best Collaboration for “Chains & Whips,” their hit collaboration with Kendrick.
Lamar added to his impressive BET Awards record by winning Best Male Hip Hop Artist for a ninth time, further extending his lead as the most decorated artiste in the category.
Kehlani claimed her first Best Female R&B/Pop Artist award, ending SZA’s three-year reign in the category, and also won Video of the Year for her hit song “Folded.
British singer Olivia Dean, who earlier won Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards, replicated the feat at the BET Awards, becoming only the fifth artiste to win the category at both ceremonies.
Entertainment
Davido to release new single ‘I Know Who I Be’ June 26
Before the latest announcement, Davido’s last solo release was Be There Still, which dropped in March 2025.
Nigerian singer Davido has announced the release of a new song titled ‘I Know Who I Be’, marking his return with fresh music after a period of limited solo releases.
The track, which features Jazzwrld and GL_Ceejay, is scheduled to be released on June 26.
Davido, whose real name is David Adeleke, is one of Africa’s most celebrated music stars.
He rose to fame in 2012 with the hit song Dami Duro and later founded DMW, a record label that has produced several successful artistes.
The singer made the announcement on his X page on Monday, telling fans that “the journey to the throne begins” as he unveiled plans for the forthcoming release.
He further disclosed that “my next single I Know Who I Be releases June 26th,” while sharing promotional photographs for the project.
The announcement has generated excitement among fans, particularly because the singer had revealed in May that he would be taking a temporary break from making music.
Before the latest announcement, Davido’s last solo release was Be There Still, which dropped in March 2025. He most recently appeared as a featured artiste on TxC’s track Nakupenda.
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