Entertainment
Nepal’s rapper-led centrist party heads for poll landslide
Nepal’s centrist RSP party of rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah had secured a majority in the direct parliamentary elections, partial official results showed Sunday, and was heading for a landslide according to official trends.
The 35-year-old’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was also leading in the proportional representation vote, according to results declared and election commission trends.
The vote was the first since the deadly September 2025 youth anti-corruption protests toppled the government.
Shah himself had on Saturday defeated the veteran four-time prime minister KP Sharma Oli — whose Marxist-led government was ousted in the violence last year — in his own seat.
His victory over the 74-year-old Oli, and his rise from the capital’s mayor to potential prime minister, marks one of the most dramatic results in recent Nepali politics.
The September 2025 youth-led demonstrations, under a loose Gen Z banner, began over a brief social media ban but quickly tapped into broader grievances over corruption and a struggling economy.
Elections on Thursday chose a new 275-member House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, with 185 seats chosen directly, and 110 by a proportional representation vote.
Poll monitors, The Asian Network for Free Elections, said Sunday that voting had been “peaceful and orderly and reflected continued public engagement with democratic processes despite recent political instability”.
‘Necessary action’
On Sunday afternoon, 153 of the direct elections had been declared: RSP dominating with 117, Nepali Congress 17, and the Marxists of now-defeated Oli trailing with seven.
Former Maoist guerrilla commander Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a three-time prime minister, won his seat, with his party holding seven in total.
Trends showed Shah’s RSP was also leading in eight of the remaining 12 constituencies in the direct elections.
In the proportional representation vote, RSP was leading with nearly half of the counted votes — but final results could take several more days.
Nepali Congress, the largest party in the past coalition government, also saw its new leader, Gagan Thapa, defeated by RSP.
“Counting is moving forward smoothly in all remaining constituencies,” Election Commission spokesman Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told AFP.
“Results of all direct votes are expected by the end of today, the PR (proportional representation) votes will take a few days more.”
The first-time parliamentary lawmaker Shah toured the streets of his new constituency on Saturday evening, wearing his signature dark sunglasses and waving from the sunroof of a car in a victory parade through cheering crowds who chanted “Balen” —as he is better known.
Shah, who did not make a speech, won more than three times more votes than Oli, who congratulated the winner, wishing him “a smooth and successful five-year tenure”.
Nepal’s government-formed investigation commission to probe the deadly September 2025 violence also submitted its report Sunday.
No one has been held accountable for the deaths as yet.
Its findings have not yet been made public, but it was handed to Sushila Karki, the interim prime minister,
Commission member Bigyan Raj Sharma told reporters the team had questioned more than 200 people, and had submitted a 900-page report — with more than 8,000 additional pages.
“We tried to conduct fact-finding for September 8 and 9,” he said.
“Based on what we saw, understood, and verified through the evidence, we have provided our opinions and recommendations. This is now the government’s property, and the government will take the necessary action.”
Oli has denied ordering security forces to open fire on protesters, and has told AFP that he blames “infiltrators” for the violence.
Entertainment
‘The Voice’ star Dylan Carter died at 24: Cause of death revealed
Dylan Carter, the singer who captivated all four judges with his audition on The Voice season 24, has died at the age of 24 following a car crash in Colleton County, South Carolina.
The Colleton County coroner has ruled his death accidental, caused by blunt force injuries sustained in the collision.
According to TMZ, Carter was driving a 2026 Tesla sedan alone just after 11pm when the vehicle veered off the road, struck a pole and a fence, and rolled.
He was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash. He was taken to hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Carter made a lasting impression on The Voice in 2023 when, at just 20 years old, he auditioned with a rendition of Whitney Houston’s I Look to You, a performance he dedicated to his late mother.
It prompted all four coaches to turn their chairs: Gwen Stefani, John Legend, Reba McEntire and Niall Horan.
Carter chose McEntire as his coach but was eliminated during the Battle Rounds.
His family confirmed the news of his passing on Sunday in a Facebook statement, describing their grief and celebrating the mark he had left on his community.
“As a gifted singer, he frequently entertained our community with his performances at Town events. His kindness and charm earned him immense respect, and his absence will be deeply felt,” the statement read.
The family concluded simply: “He was much more to our family than an entertainer, he was our friend and we are deeply saddened.”
Entertainment
‘Euphoria’ star Jessica Blair Herman unveils truth about feud amongst cast
Euphoria star Jessica Blair Herman has officially dismissed long-standing rumours of a feud among the cast, insisting that the atmosphere on the set of the hit HBO show was actually pure bliss.
Speaking on the 27 April episode of Good Day NY, the 39-year-old actress, who joined the cast for season three, told host Rosanna Scotto that the actors genuinely got along and were focused on creating a professional environment.
She was particularly keen to shut down talk of a rift between the show’s biggest stars, Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, stating firmly that there was “no drama” and that everyone was simply there to do the job.
Herman, who plays the judgmental neighbour to Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi’s characters, explained that the perceived distance between some cast members likely comes down to the way the show is filmed rather than any personal animosity.
She admitted that Zendaya’s Rue and Sweeney’s Cassie don’t actually share many scenes, meaning their storylines are quite separate and they often shoot on entirely different days.
According to Herman, the cast has built a “beautiful working relationship” despite the fact that they aren’t always physically on set together at the same time.
The actress had nothing but praise for her own experience working with Sweeney, describing her as a “real artist” who is both generous and vulnerable as a performer.
Even when filming the more difficult and intense scenes that Euphoria is known for, Herman noted that she felt a beautiful and open heart from her co-star.
She also called working with the show’s creator, Sam Levinson, a “dream come true,” painting a picture of a set that was far more harmonious than the internet gossip would suggest.
However, this positive update stands in stark contrast to the recent and very public departure of the show’s composer, Labrinth.
The Emmy winner announced his exit in March and later took to social media to vent his frustrations with the creative team.
In a series of candid Instagram posts, Labrinth claimed that people in the industry “comfortably lie” and stated that he chose to remove his music because he refused to let people treat him poorly.
While he noted that he remains on good terms with HBO, he made it clear that while a director’s vision is paramount, he wouldn’t compromise his own self-respect to stay on the project.
Entertainment
Josh Duhamel provides relationship update with ex-wife Fergie
Josh Duhamel has confirmed that he and his ex-wife Fergie are in a fantastic place, describing their current relationship as being as good as it could possibly be.
Speaking on the Tomi Lahren Is Fearless podcast on Thursday, 23 April, the Ransom Canyon actor praised the singer for being a “good person” and an excellent mother.
Perhaps most importantly for their modern family dynamic, Duhamel shared that Fergie also gets on well with his wife, Audra Mari, ensuring there is no hostility between the households.
The 53-year-old actor, who was married to the former Black Eyed Peas star between 2009 and 2019, explained that keeping things civil is his main priority.
The pair share a 12-year-old son, Axl, and have worked hard to provide him with a comfortable upbringing that avoids the “awkward or uncomfortable” atmosphere they both experienced with their own parents’ divorces.
Duhamel noted that since their split was finalised with a 50-50 joint custody agreement, they have focused on being positive examples for their son, rather than falling into the traps of a contentious breakup.
Reflecting on their decade-long marriage, Duhamel admitted it took some time to adjust to Fergie’s level of fame, particularly when she was a “giant star” selling out stadiums across the globe.
He revealed that their eventual separation wasn’t due to a specific conflict, but rather a case of outgrowing one another as their interests shifted.
While Fergie’s career was rooted in the global pop scene, Duhamel felt a growing pull to return to his roots in North Dakota.
He insisted there are no hard feelings, remarking that they simply had different paths to follow as they got older.
Today, life looks quite different for the actor, who married Audra Mari in 2022.
The couple already shares a young son named Shepherd and recently announced they are expecting their second child together.
Despite the new additions to his family, Duhamel remains grateful that his relationship with Fergie has remained respectful and kind.
By prioritising a pressure-free environment for Axl and maintaining a friendship with his ex-wife, he believes they have successfully navigated the complexities of co-parenting in the public eye.
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