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LONDON (AP) — A teen charged with killing three girls and wounding 10 other people in a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England this summer remained silent in court Wednesday as not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, who has refused to speak in each court appearance, was read the charges of three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and additional charges related to possessing the poison ricin and for having an al-Qaida manual.
Justice Julian Goose ordered a clerk to enter the pleas in Liverpool Crown Court as Rudakubana stayed mum during a video appearance from a London prison where he is held.
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His trial is scheduled for Jan. 20.
It was the first time in a court appearance that the teen did not pull his sweatshirt collar over his nose to obscure his face.
He appeared to smile as an officer confirmed that the court proceeding could be heard at the prison. The judge noted that Rudakubana was not responding. He swayed from side to side as the charges were read and bent forward at one point.
Rudakubana was charged in August with murdering three girls — Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6 — and stabbing 10 other people on July 29 in the seaside town of Southport in northern England.
The attack at a small dance and yoga studio on the first day of summer vacation sparked rioting across England and Northern Ireland fueled by far-right activists that lasted a week.
The violence, which injured more than 300 police officers and led to fiery attacks on hotels housing migrants, began after Rudakubana — then unnamed –- was falsely identified as an asylum seeker who had recently arrived in Britain by boat.
Rudakubana was born in Wales to Rwandan immigrants.
More than 1,200 people were arrested for the disorder that lasted a week and hundreds have been jailed for up to nine years in prison.
A report released Wednesday was critical of police for failing to recognize the threat of violent disorder after a number of smaller incidents across the U.K. in the previous two years.
The report from the Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said there were also lapses in gathering intelligence from social media and the dark web.
Rudakubana was charged in October with additional counts for production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism for having the manual in a document on his computer.
Police have said the stabbings have not been classified as acts of terrorism because the motive is not yet known.
Cardi B and Offset’s relationship drama played out publicly on Wednesday (Dec. 18) as the former couple aired their dirty laundry with a heated social media spat. After being spotted in the same nightclub in Miami over the weekend as Offset celebrated his 33rd birthday, the latest argument seemed to be sparked by Cardi accusing […]
With “Luther,” Lamar notches his seventh No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Here’s a review of his chart-topping collection:
“HUMBLE.,” two weeks at No. 1, beginning May 22, 2017“Mona Lisa,” Lil Wayne featuring Kendrick Lamar, one, Oct. 13, 2018“Like That,” with Future and Metro Boomin, five, April 6, 2024“Not Like Us,” 21, May 1, 2024“Squabble Up,” one, Dec. 7, 2024“TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay, one, Dec. 14, 2024“Luther,” with SZA, one (to date), Dec. 21, 2024
For SZA, “Luther” gives the singer-songwriter her fourth champ. Her roster is now:
“I Hate U,” one week, Dec. 18, 2021“Kill Bill,” 21, beginning Dec. 24, 2022“Slime You Out,” Drake featuring SZA, Sept. 30, 2023“Luther,” with Kendrick Lamar, one (to date), Dec. 21, 2024
Notably, the “Luther” performers share custody of one of the most impressive distinctions on the chart. Both “Kill Bill” and “Not Like Us” reigned for 21 weeks, the most of any title in the chart’s history, dating to its consolidation into an all-encompassing genre chart in 1958.
Rich the Kid talked “Carnival” going to No. 1 on the Hot 100, his ideal NBA starting five, wanting to live in a Missy Elliott music video, what’s coming up for him next year and more at Rolling Loud Miami.
Rich the Kid What’s up Billboard, it’s Rich the Kid and I’m at Rolling Loud.
Interviewer You’re building a starting five with athletes or rappers. NBA, who are the five people you’re picking on your team fantasy league?
Rich the Kid In the NBA?
Interviewer Yup. Starting five.
Rich the Kid Kobe, LeBron, Shaq, Jordan, myself — I’m on the team.
Interviewer I like that. OK, if you could live in any hip-hop music music video from the past, which one would you pick?
Rich the Kid One of Missy Elliott videos.
Interviewer Why?
Rich the Kid Because that sh– was crazy. That sh– was fire.
Interviewer OK, what is the craziest thing a fan has done to get your attention?
Rich the Kid Damn, sh–, wait at the airport when I got there.
Interviewer Just waiting?
Rich the Kid Yeah.
Interviewer Just standing there. Like, like, that’s crazy. How do they know when your plane got there?
Rich the Kid I don’t know.
Interviewer That’s wild.
Rich the Kid I don’t know either.
Interviewer OK, what do you think is the most exciting trend in hip-hop right now?
Rich the Kid Exciting trend, damn. That’s a hard one. Exciting trend in hip-hop. I don’t know. I don’t really follow the trends, I guess.
Interviewer You make your own trends.
Rich the Kid Yeah.
Interviewer OK, so you had a crazy year, obviously, beginning with “Carnival,” No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. What’s coming up in 2025?
Rich the Kid Yeah, new albums, more No. 1s, you know, stuff like that.
Interviewer What can we expect on your album?
Rich the Kid Fire, different production, different flows, different everything, new sh–.
Interviewer Amazing. Thank you so much. Have a good night.
This past Oct. 18-19 in Miami, III Points celebrated its 11th anniversary with a lineup that included Jamie xx, Justice, Rezz, Kaytranada, Sara Landry, DJ Koze and many other greats of the electronic genre.
“Each of the departments really locked in, and I feel like we did a really good job as a team,” III Points co-founder David Sinopoli tells Billboard of producing this year’s fest. “It was reflected right back at us with all the bands and the DJ’s in the community coming out and supporting… Everyone was locked in this year, mimicking that focus and energy to their craft.”
One of the many artists showing off their craft at III Points was Canadian producer Jacques Greene, who played a Saturday night set that got right to business, staring with Fonzo’s swaggery 2024 track “Ring Ring” then traversing 90 minutes of techno and experimental electronic music. Hear Greene’s complete set below.
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Sinopoli calls this year of III Points a “special one, because we had all the right people in their respective paths, working with absolute focus and doing an incredible job in their spots – they put on a masterclass with their work. From our sound, tech, lighting, to site operations, site flow, to the music side with [festival staff] Shailee Ben-David, Santi Vidal and Davide Danese’s office helping me put together the lineup. Everyone was really synced up, we have learned over the last few years in this footprint, how to make things flow so that the experience felt a little bit more controlled and comfortable.”
Founded in 2013, the festival puts a strong focus on Miami artists, typically booking more than 50% local acts and bringing in local food vendors and visual artists. This year, as in years past, the two-day fest happened at Miami’s Mana Wynwood event space.
Sinopoli adds that over the festival’s run at the venue, he and the team have “really mastered the site and understood how to lay it out better. Our marketing team helped us fill the space by driving ticket sales and making sure we sold the experience during our sales cycle to the new fan. Laura Kirkpatrick, Leo Piscioneri, Caterina Haddad and the whole team that worked on the marketing killed it. Alexis Sosa-Toro who basically kept it all together for me on every front throughout the year, helped keep all the chaos together with calm and clarity in her leadership.”
III Points partnered with electronic events company Insomniac Events in 2019, with Sinopoli also calling out Insomniac, along with the “OG production team at III Points” for “how well they helped us make this year’s experience so special.”
On Wednesday (Dec. 18), SZA unveiled the album artwork for Lana, the long-awaited deluxe edition of her blockbuster album SOS. On the cover, the superstar metamorphosed into a shimmering bug-eyed creature with a golden camouflage jacket and cargo pants in her natural outdoor habitat. SZA officially announced Monday that Lana would arrive Friday via Top […]
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Christmas and New Year’s aren’t the only reasons to celebrate this season; the NCAA College Football Playoff and NCAA Bowl Games are just around the corner too. And one of the best (and most affordable) ways to watch college football games is with a subscription to Sling TV — especially since YouTube TV just recently announced a price hike for their streaming service.
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The NCAA Bowl Games start on Wednesday, Dec. 18, with the Boca Raton Bowl: James Madison vs. Western Kentucky. The bowl game takes place at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida, with kickoff at 5:30 p.m./2:30 p.m. PT. You can watch the game on ESPN via Sling TV. Check out a complete schedule for all of the bowl games this season here.
How to Watch NCAA College Football Games on Sling TV
A subscription to Sling TV Orange + Blue — which comes with ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT and Fox for the NCAA Bowl Games and the NCAA College Football Playoff — gets you access to live TV and local and cable channels, starting at $30 for the first month of service ($60 per month afterwards). That’s right: You’ll get 50% off your first month of service for all of Sling TV‘s plans, which are considerably less than YouTube TV’s $82.99 per month starting price.
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You can watch local networks such as NBC, while you can also watch many cable networks, including NFL Network, FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, Cartoon Network, Fuse, CNN, Food Network and many others. (CBS and The CW aren’t available on Sling TV.)
Please note: If you subscribe after Friday, Dec. 20, the monthly price goes up starting at $45.99 per month for Sling Orange. Prices and channel availability depends on your local TV market. Learn more about Sling subscription prices here.
If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV, then start with Sling TV.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
Nick Jonas and Elon Musk might be at the start of a new bromance, with the singer/songwriter playfully reacting to the billionaire using an old Jonas Brothers meme on Tuesday.
The interaction started with Musk retweeting a post from the Tesla Owners Silicon Valley account that claimed the automotive company is “up 100% since Donald Trump won” the 2024 presidential election. “My, how the tables have turned!” the X owner wrote in response, adding a GIF from a beloved old video of Nick and Kevin Jonas lifting up a brown coffee table and rotating it 180 degrees.
In the original clip, Joe Jonas then bursts into the room and announces: “Oh, how the tables have turned.”
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After seeing that Musk had used a GIF of him and his brothers, the “Jealous” singer retweeted the post with a photo of the businessman knowingly smiling and wrote, “Take us to the Year 3000.”
The exchange was enough to get some people talking, as Musk is one of the world’s most polarizing figures — in large part due to his partnership with the current president-elect. Shortly after beating out Kamala Harris in November, Trump appointed the tech titan as the co-head of a new U.S. government department of efficiency with Vivek Ramaswamy; now, some fans are interpreting Nick’s post as a subtle endorsement of Musk and, by extension, the twice-impeached ex-POTUS.
“Is this a trump post?!” one person commented, tagging Nick’s wife, actress Priyanka Chopra, and adding, “get your man.”
“tweeting at elon musk is definitely a choice,” another person replied, while a different upset fan wrote, “I DID NOT HAVE A CRUSH ON NICK JONAS FOR THIS TO HAPPEN OH MY GOD.”
Billboard has reached out to Nick’s reps for comment.
The Camp Rock alum is currently gearing up to star in The Last Five Years on Broadway, opening March 18. He also stars in Robert Schwartzman’s The Good Half, which premiered in theaters over the summer and became available for streaming on Hulu in November.
Nick hasn’t dropped a solo album since 2021’s Spaceman, but he and his brothers did release The Album in May 2023, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Two and a half months after wrapping their world tour in Poland, the Jonas Brothers are now slated to perform on this year’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
Billie Eilish celebrated her 23rd birthday a day early on Tuesday night (Dec. 17) when her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour made its way to the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. There were plenty of celebratory moments throughout the night, including the superstar’s older brother Finneas bringing out a cupcake onstage to lead the […]
Part of the new wave of Latin artists testing tropical waters, Rauw Alejandro is back on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart, as he wraps a four-year hiatus and returns with his second top 10 since 2020.
The classic salsa romantic “Tú Con Él” by the late Frankie Ruiz, covered by Rauw Alejandro, makes its top 10 entrance on the Tropical Airplay chart (dated Dec. 21) as the song flies 14-7 in its second week assisted by a robust 107% gain in audience impressions, to 2.6 million, on the Dec. 6-12 tracking week, according to Luminate.
While the late Ruiz placed 11 entries on Tropical Airplay, including seven top 10s and two No. 1s, the 1985-released “Tú Con Él” did not enter as the chart officially launched almost a decade later, in 1994. The cover by Rauw Alejandro takes the Puerto Rican to his second entrance and top 10 on the ranking, after “Fantasías,” with Farruko, sent both artists to No. 2 in 2020. (The Latin rhythmic tune arrived before Tropical Airplay changed from a station-based to a genre-based tally).
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It’s not the first time a song by Ruiz finds its way to a Billboard chart after his passing. Victor Manuelle incorporated excerpts from his 1989 hit “Deseándote” into “Otra Noche Más,” which added a new top 10 to both salsa singers’ Tropical Airplay careers in March. Further, it gave Ruiz his first entry since 2012 and first top 10 after the No. 7-peaking “Vuelvo a Nacer” in 1998. For Victor Manuelle, meanwhile, the time-traveling collaboration turned into a record-extending 65 top 10s.
Further, Charlie Cruz’s take of Ruiz’s “Tú Con Él” peaked at No. 19 on Tropical Airplay in 2018.
“Tú Con Él” also grants Rauw Alejandro a 32nd entry on the overall Latin Airplay chart, where it opens at No. 45. There, the song joins another Rauw track from his No. 1 album Cosa Nuestra: “Que Pasaría,” with Bad Bunny, surges 43-31 with 4 million audience impressions, up 28% from the week prior. Rauw’s fifth studio album debuted atop Top Latin Albums and Tropical Albums charts (Nov. 30) with the largest streaming week of 2024 for a Latin album.
In sum, “Tú Con Él” has translated into a profitable revival for Rauw Alejandro, with multiple entries across Billboard charts. Let’s look at those recaps:
Peak Position, ChartNo. 69, Billboard Hot 100No. 65, Billboard Global 200No. 98, Global Excl. U.S.No. 6, Hot Latin SongsNo. 45, Latin AirplayNo. 7, Tropical AirplayNo. 5, Latin Streaming SongsNo. 5, Latiin Digital Song Sales
Over on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, while radio airplay surges, streams for “Tú Con Él” drop by 1%, to 3.4 million, and sales rise by a 6%.