Singer Natalie Cole died of a rare lung disease that was diagnosed five years ago and led to heart failure. In the first official comment on the cause of her death on December 31, at the age of 65, the family of the Grammy-winning jazz, pop and soul singer – daughter of late singing legend Nat King Cole – said that she was told she had idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension after a kidney transplant in 2009. Her family said drugs had helped her cope with the condition over the years, during which she performed worldwide, but Cole eventually succumbed to heart failure, a common outcome to the progressive disorder. – Reuters
Bowie’s birthday present to fans
David Bowie marked his 69th birthday on Friday with the release of a new album, Blackstar. It is his first album since 2013's chart topper The Next Day, which was released after a 10-year gap. Blackstar, co-produced by Bowie's long-time collaborator Tony Visconti, features only seven songs but has earned critics' praise. Britain's Guardian newspaper called it "a spellbinding break with his past". The album is part jazz but full of what NME described as "warped show tunes, skronking industrial rock, soulful balladeering, airy folk-pop, even hip-hop". Rolling Stone magazine wrote that the "arty, unsettling Blackstar is Bowie's best anti-pop masterpiece since the Seventies". Bowie has kept a low profile since undergoing emergency heart surgery in 2004. His last live performance was at a charity concert in New York in 2006. – Reuters
Leading men Bachchan and Singh share award
Amitabh Bachchan shared the Screen Awards 2016 Best Actor Award with Ranveer Singh on Friday in Mumbai. Big B was honoured for his role in Piku and Ranveer for Bajirao Mastani. The award for the Best Actress went to Deepika Padukone for her performance in Piku. Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor was given with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The winners for the Popular Choice in male and female categories went to Shah Rukh Khan, for Dilwale, and Padukone for Bajirao Mastani. Actor Irrfan Khan and Kalki Koechlin bagged the Jury Choice Best Actor awards. – IANS
Anushka Sharma joins Salman Khan in Sultan
Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma has been confirmed as the female lead opposite Salman Khan in Sultan, to be produced under the Yash Raj Films banner. Sharma, who made her Hindi cinema debut in 2008, shared a photograph of her hugging the Dabangg star on Twitter. Produced by Aditya Chopra and written-directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Sultan has been shot in Karjat in the state of Maharashtra and is based on the life of a wrestler. Khan has gone through intensive training in wrestling and martial arts. The movie is to be released in the summer. – IANS
Aamir Khan welcomes police security cutbacks
Actor-producer Aamir Khan welcomed the Mumbai Police’s reported move to reduce security for him and other Bollywood personalities. “I completely endorse the move by Mumbai Police to reduce the security around me,” Aamir posted on Facebook. “The police personnel can be put to better use in securing the city. If and when the Mumbai Police feel the need to increase my security, they will. I trust them completely.” Khan and Shah Rukh Khan are reportedly entitled to two armed constables in two shifts, down from the earlier round-the-clock security by four armed constables and an escort vehicle. Besides the Khans, the police provide security to up to 40 Bollywood personalities. – IANS
Justin Bieber ejected from Mexican archaeological site
Canadian pop star Justin Bieber and his entourage were told to leave the Mayan archaeological site of Tulum in Mexico after he allegedly tried to climb on the ruins, an official from the National Institute of Anthropology and History said. The incident happened on Thursday and Bieber was “asked to leave”, according to the official. Visitors can climb some of the pre-Hispanic pyramids in Mexico, but some ruins are considered too vulnerable or unstable. – AP
Kanye West reveals album release date
Rapper Kanye West announced on Twitter that his eagerly-anticipated album Swish will be released on February 11. According to a tweet from his wife, Kim Kardashian, the rap star will be releasing a new song every Friday in the lead-up to the albums' release, just as he did for 2010's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The rapper kicked off GOOD Fridays by dropping a track called Real Friends – only to briefly yank it because "he wasn't satisfied with the sound quality". He also had another treat for fans by teasing a collaboration with Kendrick Lamar called No More Parties in LA. – The National Staff
