Entertainment News; Beyonce storms to first UK no.1 in 14 years with ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’; Spiritual ‘Shambhala’ marks Nepal’s first shot at Berlinale top prize and more | Entertainment

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Beyonce storms to first UK no.1 in 14 years with ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’

U.S. music superstar Beyonce secured her first UK no.1 single in 14 years on Friday, when her new country hit “Texas Hold ‘Em” stormed straight to the top spot in the British charts. The song is one of two Beyonce released after making a surprise appearance in a Super Bowl commercial earlier this month in which the 32-time Grammy Award winner quipped about “breaking the internet” minutes before announcing a forthcoming album.

Spiritual ‘Shambhala’ marks Nepal’s first shot at Berlinale top prize

A wronged woman’s spiritual journey plays out amid the peaks and villages of the Himalayas in “Shambhala”, Nepal’s first film in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, which debuted Friday. “I feel very happy to be here at Berlinale,” director Min Bahadur Bham told Reuters, saying he was proud to represent not only his film, but also Nepal, his village and his community.

Indie cinema packs a Hollywood punch in unflinching Berlinale refugee drama

From an Aleppo operating theatre under bombardment to the sea off Greece, Brandt Andersen’s refugee drama “The Strangers’ Case” unfolds with the pulse and urgency of a Hollywood thriller. And that is no coincidence, said Palestinian-Lebanese actress Yasmine Al Massri, who plays the doctor in that operating theatre, saving one patient’s life as another pulls a gun on her.

Berlinale film explores opera director’s spiral into emotional turmoil

Having a child had a decisive impact on the career of actress Amanda Seyfried, the star of Berlinale film “Seven Veils”. “Once I popped out a baby, I was just playing mothers,” she said ahead of Thursday’s international premiere of the film, in which she plays an opera director juggling motherhood, a failing relationship and imposing her will on a cast of divas.

Night before ‘Rust’ shooting, armorer smoked ‘to get high,’ texts show

New Mexico prosecutors on Friday showed jurors texts in which “Rust” weapons handler Hannah Gutierrez said she smoked to “get high” the night before the movie’s cinematographer was fatally shot on set in October 2021. In court filings, prosecutors in the trial have alleged Gutierrez’s use of marijuana, cocaine and alcohol on evenings after filming may have led to her impairment at work on Oct. 21, 2021 when she mistakenly loaded a live round into a gun actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing with. The texts shown Friday, the second day of testimony in the trial, did not specify a drug.

London’s V&A museum seeks Taylor Swift superfan for advisory role

Calling all Taylor Swift superfans: your dream job has just been posted. Britain’s V&A museum is looking for a Taylor Swift superfan adviser, one of several advisory roles it is creating to help its curating teams learn more about niche subjects and cultural trends.

Korea’s wildly successful ‘Roundup’ series seeks wider audience at Berlinale

One of South Korea’s most popular crime action movie series is hoping to make the leap to international success at the Berlin Film Festival on Friday, where its fourth iteration, “The Roundup: Punishment”, will celebrate its world premiere. The film, which follows the rough-and-tumble detective Ma Seok-do as he takes down an illegal online gambling ring, joins a long list of South Korean films that have made their way to Western audience following the 2019 smash-hit “Parasite”.

Eurovision scrutinises Israel’s song lyrics amid Gaza furore

Eurovision Song Contest organisers are scrutinising the Israeli submission after lyrics leaked to the media appeared to refer to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that triggered the Gaza war.

Eurovision, which this year will take place on May 7-11 in the Swedish city of Malmo, bills itself as a non-political event and can disqualify contestents deemed to have breached that rule.

K-pop girl group TWICE aims for top of the Billboard

With an upbeat new album all about love and friendship and a world tour under way, K-pop girl band TWICE has set its sights on a new high on the Billboard main chart, the group told Reuters. The nine-member band has helped to drive the global K-pop phenomenon since its debut in 2015, propelled by cheerful songs, catchy hooks and choreography.

French movie awards overshadowed by underage sex abuse allegations

France’s annual movie awards ceremony took a somber turn Friday with a standing ovation for actress Judith Godreche who spoke out against sexual violence in the film industry. “Why accept that this art that we love so much, this art that unites us, be used as a cover for illicit trafficking of young women?” Godreche told the 49th Cesar Awards ceremony.

(With inputs from agencies.)