Elton John, the British music icon, has revealed that he has lost his eyesight.

At the premiere of ‘The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical’ in London on Sunday, the 77-year-old pianist also disclosed that though he could not watch the show, he enjoyed listening to it.

Addressing the theatre audience, the award-winning singer said he appreciated his husband’s support during trying times.

“As some of you may know I have had issues and now I have lost my sight. I haven’t been able to see the performance but I have enjoyed it,” he said.

“To my husband, who has been my rock because I have not been able to come to many of the previews.

“It’s hard for me to see it, but I love to hear it and it sounded good tonight.”

The music icon had earlier shared that he lost vision in one eye after contracting a severe eye infection during his vacation.

John is one of the best-selling artistes of all time. He is known for hits like ‘Your Song’, ‘Rocket Man’ and ‘I’m Still Standing’.

He has sold over 300 million records worldwide in a music career spanning six decades.

John has received five Grammy Awards and five Brit Awards; including Outstanding Contribution to Music; two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globes.

He also has a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, a Disney Legends Award, and the Kennedy Center Honour.

Chart-topping K-pop group NewJeans announced Thursday their decision to leave their label ADOR, accusing the company of “mistreatment”.

The news comes two weeks after the girl group sent an ultimatum to ADOR parent company HYBE — behind K-pop sensation BTS — telling the firm they would terminate their contract unless a set of demands was met.

“From midnight today, our contract will be terminated with ADOR,” member Minji said at a press conference.

NewJeans made their debut in 2022 and the K-pop phenomenon is among HYBE’s most successful groups.

Band member Hanni said Thursday the group has “faced mistreatment, not just towards us but also including our staff”, without elaborating.

NewJeans experienced “deliberate miscommunications and manipulation regarding multiple areas”, she said.

“This is not the type of work ethic we respect and not one we want to be a part of, and to continue working under a company with no intention of protecting NewJeans would only do us harm,” said Hanni.

ADOR did not immediately respond to AFP requests to comment on the announcement.

The band members said they would continue with their contractual obligations, but acknowledged they may no longer be able to use the name NewJeans.

“However, that doesn’t mean that we are giving up on the name at all,” said Danielle.

“We will continue to fight for NewJeans. NewJeans never die.”

The group’s demands addressed to HYBE included an apology for a comment by one of the company’s managers, who is accused by NewJeans of bullying, and the immediate reinstatement of their producer Min Hee-jin.

Min resigned last week from ADOR’s board of directors after HYBE accused her of breach of trust, which sparked a sprawling legal and PR battle.

– ‘Predetermined outcome’ –
Industry experts said the decision by NewJeans was expected.

“The contract termination lawsuit itself has been widely anticipated in the market, so today’s press conference, in a way, seems to have a predetermined outcome,” said Lim Soo-jin, an analyst at Daishin Securities.

“Entertainment analysts have generally excluded NewJeans-related projections from next year’s estimates, so the overall impact is not expected to be substantial,” he told AFP.

The hefty fee which NewJeans may have to pay will compensate for “financial loss” at the label, he added.

The K-pop group may have to face a contractual penalty of up to 620 billion won ($440 million) according to legal experts.

The band members, however, disagree.

“We have not breached the exclusive contract and have done our best in our activities so far, so we believe there is no reason for us to pay any penalty,” said band member Haerin.

“On the contrary, it is ADOR and HYBE that violated the contract, leading to this situation, and the responsibility clearly lies with them.”

Silvia Pinal, the iconic actress from Mexico’s golden age of cinema in the 1940s and 50s, has died at age 93.

Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Mexico’s culture secretary, announced the film star’s death in a social media post on Friday.

Icaza described Pinal as a “theater pioneer” whose impact on the Mexican culture is “unforgettable”.

“I deeply mourn the passing of the legendary actress Silvia Pinal. She worked with great directors such as Luis Buñuel and was a pioneer in theater, paving the way for future generations,” the post reads.

“Her legacy as an artist and her contribution to our culture are unforgettable. Rest in peace.”

Lamento profundamente el fallecimiento de la primera actriz Silvia Pinal. Trabajó con grandes directores como Luis Buñuel, y fue pionera en el teatro, abriendo caminos para futuras generaciones. Su legado como artista y su contribución a nuestra cultura son inolvidables. Descanse… pic.twitter.com/acqWnkSUCQ

— Claudia Curiel de Icaza (@ccurieldeicaza) November 29, 2024

Sylvia Pasquel, Pinal’s daughter, also revealed that she was hospitalized under intensive care due to complications from a urinary infection.

Emilion Azcarraga, chairman of the board of Mexican television company Grupo Televisa, also paid tribute to the actress.

“It saddens us to say goodbye to the diva of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, theater and television, and at the same time it fills us with pride to have shared so many years of learning with her in what always was and will always be her Televisa home,” he said via X.

Para mí, y para toda la familia Televisa, nos entristece el adiós a la diva del Cine de Oro, teatro y televisión mexicana, y a su vez nos llena de orgullo haber compartido con ella tantos años de enseñanza en esta la que siempre fue y seguirá siendo su Casa Televisa.

Hasta… pic.twitter.com/jxuhY101x1

— emilio azcarraga (@eazcarraga) November 29, 2024