US Business

Pop royalty Beyonce and Adele will face off at the Grammys once again, after the music titans released blockbuster albums that vaulted them to the front of the list of 2023 nominees.

Beyonce leads the pack with nine chances to win during the performance-heavy ceremony on February 5 that honors the industry’s best, the Recording Academy announced Tuesday.

Rapper Kendrick Lamar notched eight nods, while Adele and fellow balladeer Brandi Carlile scored seven each.

Beyonce’s “Renaissance,” a pulsating club track collection, will face off with Adele’s introspective, ugly-cry ode “30” in the most prestigious categories — six years after the British artist shut out Queen Bey’s culture-shaking “Lemonade”.

Adele’s sweep left both women in tears, with the crooner calling Beyonce her “idol” and telling the audience her fellow megastar’s paradigm-shifting record should have won.

That contest fueled criticism that the Academy consistently fails to pay Black artists their due.

The 2023 nomination slate sees Beyonce continue on her history-making path: she moved into a tie with her husband, Jay-Z, as the most nominated artists ever with 88 each.

Already the woman with the most Grammys, Beyonce could overtake classical conductor Georg Solti for the most wins by any artist, with four victories; she’s already tied for second place with music power player Quincy Jones.

– Bad Bunny, Mary J and Taylor redux –

After years of pandemic-induced delays and scalebacks, the 65th annual Grammys will head to Los Angeles early next year for what looks primed to be the Recording Academy’s most star-studded gala in recent memory.

Bad Bunny, indisputably the world’s biggest commercial artist, came away with three nominations for his major drop “Un Verano Sin Ti,” which is in the running for Album of the Year.

It’s the first time an all Spanish-language album has a chance at that coveted award, and the Puerto Rican reggaeton megastar’s first time landing a solo nomination in the major Grammy categories.

R&B legend Mary J. Blige won a surprise six nominations off her album “Good Morning Gorgeous.” She is tied with rapper Future, who dominated the rap categories, and DJ Khaled, for his album “God Did.”

Pop juggernaut Harry Styles, who the Academy has repeatedly snubbed, will also vie for six awards, including alongside Beyonce, Lamar, and Adele for Record and Album of the Year.

Beyonce’s “Renaissance” was a boon for songwriters, including Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, who received six nominations thanks to his work on the album.

Lizzo and Doja Cat also figure among the top nominees, cementing their status as Grammy regulars.

Taylor Swift — who’s been making good on a vow to re-record her first six albums so she can control the rights to them — returned to her country roots by earning one of the genre’s down-ballot nominations for “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault).” 

She also snagged a nod for best music video, and another in the prestigious Song of the Year contest, which celebrates songwriters, for her 10-minute version of “All Too Well.”

The song came out in 2012 on Swift’s album “Red,” but qualified for inclusion because the expanded version contained more than 50 percent new material.

“I want to ramble about the magic and mystery of time and fate and reclaiming my art but instead I think I’ll go scream for ten minutes straight,” the artist posted in her Instagram stories. 

– Surprises and snubs –

The Best New Artist field was once again one of the ballot’s most eclectic, featuring Brazil’s Anitta, Mexican-American Omar Apollo, and Eurovision winners Maneskin, who hail from Italy.

The Academy — comprised of music-makers including artists, composers and engineers — also honored a coterie of the industry’s enduring stars, with Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and ABBA garnering a handful of nominations each.

Familiar faces cropped up in the global categories, including Angelique Kidjo and Burna Boy, while South Korea’s boy band sensation BTS — who earlier this year declared they were taking a hiatus — will vie once again for their first elusive Grammy.

After complaining that her song “Super Freaky Girl” was moved from the rap categories to pop, Nicki Minaj didn’t make it into either.

Silk Sonic’s Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — who scooped both Record and Song of the Year in 2022 — meanwhile abstained from submitting work from their 1970s easy listening project this time around. 

Meanwhile, the Weeknd continued to boycott the awards after being left out in 2021.

And it wouldn’t be the Grammys without a few amusing morsels: icon Neil Young will compete against pop stars including Adele, Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber for top music film.

From his earliest business days, Donald Trump has always wanted to be the center of attention.

Now the former president has put himself firmly back at the top of the agenda — brushing off a lackluster midterm showing by his loyalists, and pulling the trigger on a third run for the White House in 2024.

To millions of passionate backers, the 76-year-old is the man who broke the mold, defying the political system to champion what he dubbed the “forgotten men and women” of middle America.

To many others, Trump broke the country — and now threatens to break it again as he attempts to reconquer the presidency.

“America’s comeback starts right now,” Trump told cheering supporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort, as he formally announced his candidacy.

The Republican’s first term began in 2017 with a dark inaugural address evoking “American carnage.”

It ended in mayhem when the former real estate entrepreneur with dyed blond hair refused to accept his defeat by Joe Biden, and then stoked supporters to storm Congress on January 6, 2021.

In office, Trump upended every norm, ranging from the trivial (what got planted in the Rose Garden) to the fundamental (relations with NATO).

And as an ex-president, his wrecking ball political presence continued to dominate an increasingly far-right Republican Party.

Entangled in mounting legal woes, he pushed his 2020 election lies ever more vigorously — arguably sabotaging his party’s midterm performance by backing an army of election-denying candidates, who fared dismally.

But Trump proved undeterred by the rumblings of dissent in his party, as he threw his hat back into the ring for 2024.

– At first, they laughed –

When the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida this summer to retrieve top secret documents that Trump had allegedly pilfered on his way out of the White House, opponents thought his time was really up — that criminal charges and even prison awaited.

A probe into his attempt to overturn the 2020 election could also potentially result in charges.

But supporters embrace Trump’s insistence that he is somehow suffering on their behalf.

“The political persecution of President Donald J. Trump has been going on for years,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, which he launched to circumvent his Twitter ban.

“I restored power to the people, and truly delivered for our Country, like we have never seen before. The establishment hated it.”

Back in 2016, many Americans literally laughed at the idea of a future Trump White House.

Yet he defeated Democratic heavyweight Hillary Clinton.

When Democrats launched two impeachment proceedings, the Republican Party backed him to the hilt. He was acquitted both times.

Offstage turmoil that might sink an ordinary presidency — court battles with a porn star, the jailing of his lawyer — only fueled Trump’s message of grievance and aggression.

Journalists became the “enemy of the people.” Intelligence services and the FBI were demonized as the “deep state.” Opponents in Congress were variously branded “crazy” and treasonous.

As Trump had tweeted in 2012, “when someone attacks me, I always attack back… except 100x more.” 

On the world stage, it was the same story. Trump turned US alliances into cut-throat business relationships.

Friendly partners like South Korea, Germany and Canada were accused of trying to “rip us off.”

US foes and rivals like North Korea and China were invited to negotiate in dramatic, if patchy, diplomatic initiatives where Trump cast himself in the starring role.

– Autocratic drift? –

Prior to 2016, he was famous mostly for the ruthless character he played on the reality TV show “The Apprentice,” for developing luxury buildings and golf clubs, and for his former fashion model wife Melania.

But academics noted parallels between Trump’s evolution as a politician and those of autocrats in countries where democratic institutions exist only as facades.

He relished the controversy, joking — he said he was joking, at least — about changing the constitution to stay in power indefinitely. “It drives them crazy,” he said gleefully.

He also mused — or was it a joke? — about being added to the monumental Mount Rushmore sculptures, alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

But as the Covid tragedy spiraled, Trump looked inept, granting Biden an opening. The Democrat’s old-school ways and calming centrist message propelled him to a comfortable majority.

Facing defeat as the 2020 results came in, Trump pulled the trigger.

“If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” he declared in the White House right after the election, unleashing an unprecedented challenge to US democracy that would climax in the January 6 violence.

Disgrace looked assured, and the Trump story looked over — but it wasn’t. And he is back for more.

Trump said a lot of things about himself. Many of them — The Washington Post counted more than 30,000 false or misleading claims — were untrue.

One typically brazen claim, though, was hard to contest: “There’s never been a president like President Trump.”

Poland put its military on high alert Tuesday after what the country’s president said was “most probably” a strike by a Russian-made missile.

Western leaders were scrambling to respond to the potentially major escalation of the war in Ukraine, with an “emergency roundtable” due to be held Wednesday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia.

Warsaw said the missile killed two people in the village of Przewodow but did not have conclusive evidence of who fired it, adding that Moscow’s ambassador has been summoned to provide “immediate detailed explanations”.

Poland put its military on heightened alert after an emergency national security council meeting.

“There has been a decision to raise the state of readiness of some combat units and other uniformed services,” spokesman Piotr Muller told reporters after the meeting in Warsaw, adding that “our services are on the ground at the moment working out what happened.”

President Joe Biden spoke by phone with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, offering “full US support for and assistance with Poland’s investigation”, the White House said.

The two leaders agreed to “remain in close touch to determine appropriate next steps as the investigation proceeds”, it added.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron — all leaders of NATO member states — expressed solidarity with Poland.

Poland is protected by NATO’s commitment to collective defence — enshrined in Article 5 of its founding treaty — but the alliance’s response will likely be heavily influenced by whether the incident was accidental or intentional.

Biden also spoke with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg about the blast in Poland, while ambassadors from the alliance were to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday.

European Union chief Charles Michel said he was “shocked”, and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pledged to “remain closely coordinated in the days ahead as the investigation proceeds and we determine appropriate next steps”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier said two Russian missiles hit Poland in what he described as “a very significant escalation.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba rejected as a “conspiracy theory” the idea that the Poland blast may have been caused by a surface-to-air missile fired by Kyiv’s forces, while Russia’s defence ministry dismissed reports that it was to blame as a “provocation” intended to escalate tensions.

The explosion came after Russian missiles hit cities across Ukraine on Tuesday, including Lviv, near the border with Poland.

Zelensky said the strikes cut power to some 10 million people, though it was later restored to eight million of them, and also triggered automatic shutdowns at two nuclear power plants.

He said Russia had fired 85 missiles at energy facilities across the country, condemning the strikes as an “act of genocide” and a “cynical slap in the face” of the G20.

Moldova, which also borders Ukraine, reported power cuts because of the missiles fired at its neighbour and called on Moscow to “stop the destruction now”.

– ‘Now is the time’ –

Zelensky told the G20 summit in Bali on Tuesday that “now is the time” to end the war, while Washington said the Russian strikes in Ukraine would “deepen the concerns among the G20 about the destabilising impact of Putin’s war”.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Russia was again trying to destroy Ukrainian critical infrastructure.

Since September, Ukraine forces have been pushing deeper into the south. Russia last week announced a full withdrawal from the regional capital of the southern Kherson region, allowing Ukraine’s forces to re-enter the city.

Tuesday’s missile strikes came after Russia-appointed officials in Nova Kakhovka said they were leaving the important southern city, blaming artillery fire from Kyiv’s forces.

They also claimed “thousands of residents” had followed their recommendation to leave to “save themselves”, saying Kyiv’s forces would seek “revenge on collaborators”.

– Key dam at risk –

Nova Kakhovka sits on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, now a natural dividing line between Ukrainian forces that retook Kherson city on the west side and Russia’s forces on the opposing bank.

It is also home to the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, which was captured in the beginning of the invasion because of its strategic importance supplying the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula.

The Russian-controlled dam is a particular focus now after Zelensky accused Russian troops of planning to blow it up to trigger a devastating flood.

Any defects in the dam would cause water supply problems for Crimea, which has been under Russian control since 2014 and which Ukraine hopes to recapture.

Russian forces said last week that a Ukrainian strike had damaged the dam.

The Russian-appointed head of the occupied part of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said Tuesday the dam was no longer operating.

“The situation is more dangerous — not with electricity generation — but with the dam itself, which, in the event of an explosion, would flood a fairly large area,” he said on state-run television channel Rossiya-24, according to Russian agencies.

Waving flags and adorned in Donald Trump paraphernalia from head to toe, thousands of die-hard supporters of the former US president waited for hours outside his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida with bated breath.

They are desperate to hear Trump announce he will run for president again in 2024.

“I am super excited. I feel like it’s almost Christmas morning, and Santa Claus is coming,” said a grinning Stacey Bovasso, 54.

“Donald J. Trump is our president, and we need him back.”

Many like Bovasso, who works for a tech company, took the day or afternoon off to attend the announcement.

Most are convinced that Trump actually won the 2020 election, and it was stolen from him due to fraud — an unfounded claim the multi-millionaire has clung to and used to fire up his support base.

Daniel Thibault, a 41-year-old waiter who traveled 170 miles (280 kilometers) from Tampa in western Florida, does not doubt what happened in the last election.

“The next one is the third election (Trump) is going to win. He just got cheated in the last one.”

On a bridge leading to the former president’s luxury residence, a group waves flags reading “Trump 2024 – Take America Back” and “Communism sucks”.

The mood is festive, and a loudspeaker booms with the usual tunes of Republican rallies, such as Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”.

Trump’s most ardent backers believe the country is in danger, hurtling into decline, and that Donald Trump is their only savior.

“This new administration is destroying America and everything it stands for,” said Eric Pardi, 54, a painter. “They’re destroying our national independence, our border, our economy, and our law and order.”

To him, the only solution is for Trump to return to the White House.

“That man loves this country and stands for it, and that’s what a president should be, somebody who stands and defends our Constitution,” he says.

Stephanie Liu, an American citizen born in China, is even more fired up for the real-estate magnate.

“He is chosen by God to fight for our country. His patriotism inspires us to support him,” said the 50-year-old social worker who traveled to Florida from New York.

As if to contradict her, an advertising plane flew above Mar-a-Lago with a banner reading: “You lost again Donald. DeSantis 2024.”

Florida governor Ron DeSantis, seen by many as Trump’s main rival in 2024, has significant support in his home state. But, some say he should wait his turn.

“I love Ron DeSantis. But he needs to stay as our governor. And then once Trump is done with his term, then it will be his time, and I believe that’s the way that it should be,” said businesswoman Karen Reinhart, 60.

Meanwhile, 58-year-old Debbie Mecchia is tempering her expectations.

“I wouldn’t say I was nervous, but there’s always that aspect that his announcement may not be what we all think it is. But, I mean, we’re excited, we’re hoping, you know, he does say that he’s running for president in 2024.”

Luxury beauty brand Estee Lauder said in a statement Tuesday it had agreed to buy designer Tom Ford’s company for $2.3 billion. 

The deal, which values Ford’s business at $2.8 billion, will see the US fashion superstar remain in his position as creative director until the end of next year, the statement said. 

Bringing the brand under the “stewardship” of Estee Lauder Companies (ELC) “will allow for continuity and the further evolution of the Tom Ford brand as one of the preeminent global luxury brands of the twenty-first century,” New York-based ELC said in its statement.

The deal includes the Tom Ford Beauty cosmetics and fragrance collection, with which Estee Lauder already has a licensing agreement until 2030.

Estee Lauder also holds major brands such as MAC cosmetics, Clinique and La Mer facial products, and Aveda.

The group expects Tom Ford Beauty to hit sales of one billion dollars a year within two years, betting on the success of its luxury perfumes in the United States and China.

“We are incredibly proud of the success Tom Ford Beauty has achieved in luxury fragrance and makeup and its dedication to creating desirable, high-quality products for discerning consumers around the world,” head of Estee Lauder Companies Fabrizio Freda said in the statement.

“This strategic acquisition will unlock new opportunities and fortify our growth plans for Tom Ford Beauty,” he added.

The deal also includes licenses for the brand’s men’s and women’s fashion lines, eyewear label and accessories and underwear divisions, according to the statement.

– Intellectual property rights –

The purchase of Tom Ford will grant Estee Lauder intellectual property rights to all of its lines.

The company will no longer have to pay royalties for Tom Ford Beauty and will be able to take advantage of new revenue sources by granting its own licenses.

The agreement notably provides for the extension and expansion of the license granted by Tom Ford to Ermenegildo Zegna for clothing, accessories and underwear lines. 

The license currently granted to Marcolin for Tom Ford glasses will also be extended.

“I could not be happier with this acquisition as The Estee Lauder Companies is the ideal home for the brand,” 61-year-old Ford said in the statement. 

Domenico De Sole, chairman of Tom Ford International, will remain at the company as a consultant until Ford leaves at the end of 2023, the ELC statement said. 

Ford, who first launched his brand in 2005, is the current head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. 

He launched film production company Fade to Black in 2005, and previously worked as creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent in the 1990s and early 2000s.

According to the Wall Street Journal, other groups had been in the running to purchase Tom Ford, including French company Kering which holds the Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga brands.

Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk on Tuesday postponed the relaunch of the site’s paid subscription service after a first attempt saw an embarrassing spate of fake accounts that scared advertisers.

“Punting relaunch of Blue Verified to November 29th to make sure that it is rock solid,” Musk tweeted, delaying his new revamp, originally promised for Tuesday, by two weeks.

The bid for more time came after authentic-looking fake accounts proliferated on the website that Musk bought for $44 billion late last month, throwing his plans into chaos.

This forced Twitter last week to suspend the new paid checkmark system and reinstate a gray “official” badge on accounts belonging to public figures and major businesses.

In an apparent attempt to avoid a repeat of the problem, Musk tweeted that in the new release, “changing your verified name will cause loss of checkmark until name is confirmed by Twitter to meet Terms of Service.”

In the original revamp users in the US could pay eight dollars for the verified checkmark and were left free to change their account names and impersonate existing accounts, attracting mischief.

Musk’s overhaul of Twitter had already been the subject of heavy criticism after he fired half of the company’s 7,500-strong staff and saw major advertisers suspend ad buys amid the chaos.

Firings this week continued at the platform, with one senior engineer dismissed via a tweet by Musk after he questioned his new policies. 

US media reports said about a dozen employees were let go in recent days after openly questioning decision-making by Musk, who has called himself a “free speech absolutist”.

Musk has radically changed the company’s culture since taking it over on October 27. 

He has scrapped a highly popular work from home policy, imposed long hours and centralized authority around a small group of confidantes, including his personal lawyer.