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Michael Jackson’s biopic leaves tough questions unanswered

The late Michael Jackson’s biopic ‘Michael’ is now out to harsh reviews from critics, yet very favourable ones from the fans.

The movie, officially announced as a work in progress on January 30, 2023, has been one of the most anticipated films of 2026. The buzz was further fueled by fans making a challenge to show up at the movies in their favourite ‘MJ’ look.

On Wednesday, I made my way to the cinemas to watch this film, in a replica Thriller jacket that I bought more than two months ago because I wasn’t sure about the shipping time, which had caused a rift between the experts of film and super fans who had caught the international premieres in Berlin and London.

But even before that, in the Jackson clan itself, there was some tension. Janet Jackson gave no input in the movie and refused to be portrayed.

She termed the film dishonest to Michael’s legacy after the initial drafts. And then at a private screening for the family last month, it is reported that she and brother Jermaine Jackson had a heated exchange in which he accused her of being jealous. Jermaine is Jafaar Jackson’s father, the actor who portrays Michael in the movie.

Michael’s daughter, Paris Jackson, didn’t approve of the film either. She said the biopic will make a lot of her father’s fans happy, saying ‘it panders to a specific section of her father’s fandom that still lives in a fantasy.’ She had sent some notes to the producers after reading the draft and they were ignored completely.

‘The thing about these biopics is, it’s fantasy world. They’re not real,’ she said in a story she put up in September 2025, adding, ‘The narrative is being controlled and there’s a lot of inaccuracies and full blown lies. At the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me. I don’t like dishonesty.’

Most of the critics’ argument for their low rating is that the film doesn’t even touch on the allegations of Michael Jackson’s abuse of children. To be fair, the timelines didn’t make any sense to bring that up.

The film Michael is a warm story about a boy who had insane vocal talent in the beginning. He truly loved to sing and perform, but his father, Joe Jackson, identified the talent of Michael and his siblings as a way out of his job as a crane operator in a steel mill trying to take care of nine children.

His method ended up working, but the beatings and hardline stances he took with his family meant that he pushed especially a sensitive Michael away from having a relationship with him.

At the first chance he could, Michael fired Joe as his manager. However, his father would find one more way to manipulate Michael into doing his bidding that would have an adverse and long-term effect on Michael’s life, up to his death.

I won’t be spoiling anything if I say this first part, the ending definitely indicates there will be a part two coming up. His story ends in 1988, just after the release of Bad album.

What stood out for me is Colman Domingo’s portrayal of Joe Jackson. Coleman acted with his eyes, his breathing and posture before he even said a word.

I had heard and read the stories about Joe being a sort of disciplinarian and very authoritative father to the Jackson siblings, but the way Colman played the character, I doubt there is anyone who walks out of that movie not believing that Joe Jackson was the devil himself.

It seems he got what he wanted in the end, creating a legacy for the Jackson name, but he was cruel, manipulative and also went behind the back of, especially Michael, to get to the dollar.

For all the praise that’s been heaped on Jafaar, I have to agree that he did play Michael really well. Let’s talk physical appearance first. There are points in the move when the lighting plays a trick on you for a split second. It’s like you see Michael Jackson and then it’s Jafaar playing him again.

The voice is spot on. And the constant rubbing of the knees that Michael would do during interviews to show his anxiety is shown in everyday situations, especially where he had to make impactful decisions. But he also shows the other side of a stern, sad and contemplative Michael.

The film also explores Michael’s relationship with his mother, Katherine. She is portrayed by actress Nia Long. She’s his comfort and encouragement. They watch a lot of TV together.

And that brings me to the criticism of the film. Her arc is interesting. There is a huge shift from who she is at the start and middle of the film, and then who she is in the third act when it pertains to her and Joe Jackson. But they say life is stranger than fiction.

Also, the film doesn’t really delve into the relationship of Michael and his siblings, except for a little bit with Latoya. Yes, the film is called Michael, but a lot more time was spent on the relationship with longtime security guard and close confidant Bill Bray (played by actor KeiLyn Durrel Jones) than the people he spent the first 40 minutes of the movie with.

Also, his quirks are not fully explained. The need to buy animals or toys are behaviours whose psychological basis are not well addressed. But then there are certain things, like philanthropy and speaking out for the marginalised, that we get to see.

But my biggest peeve with the film is the time it took when the music came on. Giving two minutes to a musical performance, in my opinion, took away time to flesh out a stronger storyline and more development of characters and the relationships. It felt excessive.

It is understandable why some people felt like they were more at a concert than the movie. Michael Jackson had done many documentary type productions on what went behind his moves, album creations and curation of performances that it didn’t really need that much delving into about how he would move on stage. Yes, many were iconic moments, but not all shots were essential to the story.

That said, Michael is still an enjoyable movie. It has scenes that will make you emotional, empathetic, want to hold your hand up at the screen and wring Joe’s neck, warm your heart up as Katherine and Michael interact, break out into dance or scream ‘woo!’ Or have you tensed.

Engineer linked to Turkish building collapse arrested in Pattaya

A Turkish engineer linked to the collapse of a building during a deadly earthquake in Adana, Turkey in February 2023 has been arrested at a hotel in this beach city in Chon Buri.

Abdullah Aybaba, 76, was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, according to investigators at the Chon Buri Immigration Bureau.

Police searched a hotel in Pattaya at 5pm on Wednesday after receiving a tip-off that a foreign national with an international arrest warrant was hiding there.

Mr Aybaba was taken into custody and brought to the provincial immigration office, where officials revoked his visa. He was handed over to investigators at the Nong Prue police station for further legal proceedings.

Turkish authorities had been seeking Mr Aybaba’s arrest in connection with a building collapse in the southern city of Adana following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that resulted in more than 60,000 deaths in Turkey and Syria on Feb 6, 2023.

Forty people were killed and two injured when the Sami Bey apartment building collapsed in Adana. A subsequent investigation found the building had been constructed with illegal, substandard materials, which contributed to the collapse.

Mr Aybaba, as the contractor and construction supervisor, is among four people facing trial for negligence causing death, with prosecutors seeking prison terms of up to 2 years.

Mr Aybaba’s daughter, who has lived in England since 2017, is also a defendant, according to the Turkish news site Haberler.com. She maintains her innocence, saying shares in her father’s company had been transferred to her without her knowledge and that she had nothing to do with the construction project.

Pundits buoyant given ceasefire

The indefinite extension of the ceasefire in the Iran war strengthens expectations that prolonged Middle East conflicts are in a de-escalation phase, even though the second round of peace talks is on hold, while the peak for global oil prices has passed, say analysts.

Suwat Sinsadok, managing director of Globlex Securities, said he hoped fighting in the Middle East could end in 1-2 months after US President Donald Trump said he would indefinitely extend the Iran ceasefire, although the Strait of Hormuz is still closed.

Trump’s announcement appeared to be unilateral, and it was not immediately clear whether Iran or US ally Israel would agree to extend the ceasefire, which began two weeks ago.

US Vice-President JD Vance cancelled his trip to Pakistan for a second round of peace negotiations, with US officials citing Tehran’s failure to respond to American positions.

Oil prices fluctuated slightly, with Brent crude dipping 0.3% to US$98.20 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 0.5% to $89.21 following the announcement.

“The ceasefire extension means no further attacks on Iran’s oil infrastructure,” said Natapon Khamthakrue, assistant managing director of securities analysis at Yuanta Securities (Thailand).

Mr Natapon expects Iran and the US could resume talks on a peace deal by the end of this week. In Yuanta’s view, Brent is projected to peak at around $100 per barrel for now, while WTI crude might trade at $90.

Mr Suwat ruled out the possibility of global oil prices returning to a record high near $150 a barrel thanks to increasing supplies from Middle Eastern and Russian producers.

The Middle East contributes around 30% of global oil supply, down from around half in the past, while Russia and Kazakhstan have pumped more oil.

“This shift lowers the risk of supply shortage. The latest price spike was mainly caused by disruption of oil shipments,” he said.

With no signs of a resumption in talks yet, Asian stocks rose on Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.5% after hitting a seven-week high on Tuesday, while Japan’s Nikkei surged to a record high.

With global sentiment supporting risk assets, the Stock Exchange of Thailand was lifted by Moody’s upgrade of Thailand’s credit rating outlook to stable, supported by improved political stability and recovering investment.

Krungsri Securities continues to assess the war as having passed its peak, but said further developments in negotiations must be monitored. Moody’s outlook upgrade reiterates that Thailand’s fiscal position remains “stable and resilient”, alleviating prior concerns of a potential downgrade amid speculation of rising public debt or debt ceiling adjustments, noted the brokerage.

‘Sabah’ team reaches historic achievement in Azerbaijan Football Cup

“Sabah” has scored its 20th home goal in the Azerbaijan Football Cup, AzerNEWS reports.

The goal was scored by Velko Simic. He restored parity in the return leg of the semifinal against “Qarabag” (2:1).

The Baku club has become the 30th team in the history of the national cup to score 20 or more home goals.

After their 13th home match, “Sabah” has increased its tally to 21 goals, with an average scoring rate of 1.62 per game.

Note that “Qarabag” holds the record for the most home goals, having scored 193 times.

The Azerbaijan Football Cup is the country’s main annual knockout football competition. It was first introduced in 1936, with its modern format running since 1992.

Organized by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA), the tournament includes clubs from both the Premier League and lower divisions. The winner earns a place in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.

The 2025-26 edition features 34 teams. It begins with preliminary rounds involving clubs from League I and League II, after which the top-tier Premier League teams enter the competition.

Considered the second most prestigious football competition in Azerbaijan after the Azerbaijan Premier League, the cup often determines the country’s third European qualification spot.

As of 2026, Sabah FC is the reigning champion, having won the 2025 title, while Qarabag FC holds the record for the most tournament victories.

CWG eyes record $500m revenue as shareholders okay dividend payment

Shareholders of CWG Plc have approved a final dividend of 70 kobo per share for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, a 79 percent increase over the 39 kobo paid in the prior year, as the company outlined an ambitious growth agenda for the years ahead.

The approval came at CWG’s 21st Annual General Meeting held in Lagos, where the Board’s recommendation drew broad commendation from shareholders impressed by the group’s sustained profitability despite a challenging macroeconomic environment.

Phillip Obioha, chairman of the Board said the higher payout reflected both the strength of the year’s performance and the Board’s conviction about what lies ahead. ‘This recommendation reflects the Board’s confidence in the sustainability of CWG’s earnings trajectory and our commitment to delivering consistent and growing returns to our shareholders,’ he said.

The numbers behind that confidence are compelling. The group recorded a pre-tax profit of N7.8 billion for the year, a 78 percent increase from the N4.42 billion posted in 2024, while revenue rose 41.4 percent from N46.35 billion to N65.56 billion over the same period.

Obioha attributed the performance to a customer-centric approach that prioritises market responsiveness, underpinned by deliberate investments in operational efficiency. ‘You can grow your top line, but if your operations are inefficient, your bottom line will suffer. We have focused on optimising our processes to ensure we deliver value,’ he said.

Those efficiencies were built across CWG’s regional footprint, said Adewale Adeyipo, group managing director/CEO, pointing to strong performances across the company’s African markets as a key driver of results, with Nigeria remaining the largest and most strategic contributor to revenue. In Ghana, improved governance frameworks, enhanced compliance systems, and the relaunch of the CWG Academy, and an expansion of cybersecurity offerings helped the business win new customers and strengthen its position in regulated sectors.

Uganda delivered what Adeyipo described as a landmark year, with strategic partnerships secured and new markets entered, while Cameroon recorded renewed growth momentum across key business segments, reinforcing the effectiveness of CWG’s unified group strategy.

Underpinning the regional gains was a sharp focus on cost discipline. Rather than pursuing aggressive expansion in a volatile macroeconomic environment, Adeyipo said management prioritised sweating existing assets. ‘That process started some 24 months ago , identifying critical assets and getting better optimisation and utilisation of them. It has really helped to increase the profit lines,’ he said.

The company also maintained strict governance over its foreign exchange exposure through hedging strategies and internal controls. Afolabi Sobande, chief operating officer, commenting reinforced the philosophy driving the results. ‘Our mantra in CWG is that we solve real problems. This has enabled us to sustain our performance year on year,’ he said.

Sobande acknowledged the impact of inflation and rising operational costs, but noted that proactive cost management strategies have helped cushion the pressures. ‘The business is not immune to what is happening in the economy. However, management is taking proactive steps to ensure cost efficiency and sustainability,’ he added.

Looking beyond the current year, Obioha said CWG is targeting substantial growth over the next few years, with an ambition to build a $500 million business, benchmarking its finances internally against the US dollar as a hedge against naira inflation. The company also outlined plans to deepen its presence across Africa, with a structured expansion strategy in East Africa identified as a priority.

‘Digital transformation is not achieved in isolation, but is driven by ecosystems that connect infrastructure, skills, trust, and execution,’ Adeyipo said, a statement that perhaps best captures how CWG intends to get there.

US extends oil sanctions waivers amid supply concerns linked to Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced a 30-day extension of sanctions waivers on maritime shipments of oil products from Iran and Russia, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Bessent, the decision was made in response to requests from several countries facing rising risks of fuel shortages due to recent instability affecting shipping traffic in the region. He said the appeals were made by finance officials from around ten countries during recent meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.

The waivers temporarily allow certain maritime oil deliveries from Iran and Russia despite ongoing U.S. sanctions targeting both countries’ energy exports.

Bessent rejected claims that Iran had generated more than $14 billion in revenue from such exemptions, although he did not provide further details.

On April 15, during a White House briefing, Bessent said the administration would not renew general licenses for Russian or Iranian oil shipments, noting that existing exemptions applied only to cargo already at sea before March 11.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply is transported, has reportedly experienced increased disruptions in recent weeks.

More bookings, shorter trips: Chinese adjust to higher fuel prices for Labour Day break

The number of Chinese tourists deciding to travel during the five-day Labour Day holiday at the start of next month could rival or exceed last year’s headcount despite higher global fuel prices, analysts said, adding travellers were likely to prefer shorter trips to save on transport costs.

Domestic flight bookings were up about 8% year-on-year, and domestic package-tour reservations were about 10% higher ahead of the break, even after fuel prices shot up because of the war in Iran, according to a survey by travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk.

Rural and second-tier city destinations in China were popular this year, it found, as well as “short-haul” trips to perennial favourites in other parts of East Asia.

“The bigger change is how they travel, not whether they travel,” said China Trading Desk CEO Subramania Bhatt. “Economic factors are now the top travel influence in the survey, and travellers are still willing to go but are making more deliberate, value-checked choices rather than booking blindly.”

China is taking May 1 to 5 off this year for Labour Day, also called May Day. In some parts of China, school spring breaks overlapping with the holiday will give students up to eight days off.

Fuel prices began their precipitous rise after Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping route for some 20% of the world’s oil and gas exports, in response to US-Israeli military strikes which began on Feb 28. The United States later launched its own blockade of Iranian ports.

According to the International Air Transport Association, the global average jet fuel price for the week ending April 17 was UScopy84.63 a barrel – more than double the average for the previous year.

The price of diesel fuel – used by long-distance buses – has also risen sharply, with data provider Global Petrol Prices putting the global average on Monday at UScopy.55 a litre (US$5.87 per US gallon), up from UScopy.20 a litre before the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

Higher oil and jet fuel prices translated to a 5% to 10% increase in base air fares, Oxford Economics said in a research note released on April 16. It said that jump was unlikely to throw off an “otherwise positive” growth trajectory for global air passenger demand this year, except for in the Middle East and Africa.

China’s National Immigration Administration logged 163 million exits and entries, a year-on-year rise of 15.3%, in the first quarter of this year. That trend was expected to continue into the Labour Day break for both domestic and international travel, Bhatt said.

However, travel media outlets have reported multiple cancellations by Chinese and regional airlines flying to Bangkok, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

The 8% growth in domestic flight bookings was “modest”, Bhatt said, and the “clearest acceleration” ahead of the May break was in domestic short-distance, land-based travel, especially self-driven trips to nearby destinations.

China Travel Desk data shows that self-drive bookings were up more than 50% year on year for the May holiday, domestic hotel bookings were more than 10% higher and rural tourism was up some 40%.

Marketing firm Dragon Trail International said in a traveller sentiment report that most May holiday trips would be “intraregional”. It said Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea and Thailand were shaping up to be the top destinations of choice.

More than half of Chinese outbound travellers planned to increase spending on activities and experiences, and 49% anticipated more spending on dining, the report said, while also highlighting an overall “softening travel intention” to nearly all regions of the world this year.

Chiang Mai mall toilet spy cams linked to rich voyeur

An affluent businessman with a penchant for voyeurism has been arrested after secretly installing 11 hidden cameras inside women’s toilets at a shopping mall in central Chiang Mai, police said on Thursday.

Police said the suspect, identified only as Chris, 41, owns a luxury house worth more than 10 million baht in an upscale housing estate in tambon San Phi Suea of Muang district in the northern province.

His arrest followed a complaint on April 16 from an employee at a shopping mall under the jurisdiction of the Mae Ping police station. The staff discovered a concealed camera beneath a washbasin in a women’s restroom, aimed directly at a toilet bowl, said Pol Maj Gen Thawatchai Phongwiwatchai, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 5.

The device was capable of transmitting video remotely and had been carefully hidden from view. An initial inspection uncovered four hidden cameras at different locations inside the women’s toilets at the mall. Technical analysis enabled police to trace the signal back to the suspect’s residence.

Officers from the Cyber Task Force and Mae Ping police station obtained a warrant from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court on Wednesday morning and searched the suspect’s home.

Police seized 11 small remote controlled surveillance cameras, two mobile phones – an iPhone 16 Pro and a Vivo Y29 – and an HP laptop, which was found to contain numerous videos and images of women recorded while using toilets. Mr Chris was charged with possession of obscene material for sexual gratification.

During questioning, the businessman admitted he had installed the cameras himself and had been doing so for about one month. He told investigators he learned how to do it from YouTube videos and bought the equipment online.

The suspect said he installed the devices when no one was around, concealing them inside air freshener containers or under sinks, and viewed the images remotely on his phone before saving them to his laptop.

He claimed the videos were not shared online and were for personal viewing only, describing his actions as reckless curiosity.

According to investigators, the suspect was well educated, financially secure and held a good job, but claimed he became interested in video voyeurism while following social media, which eventually led to his arrest.

Pol Maj Gen Thawatchai warned members of the public against engaging in similar acts, saying technology always leaves traces.

‘Everything leaves evidence. Police can trace and track offenders,’ he said.

He also urged women to remain vigilant when using public restrooms and to check their surroundings carefully before entering.

Thai EV sales set to be boosted by trade-in incentive

The Thai automotive industry is expected to benefit from the government’s proposed car trade-in policy, which Omoda and Jaecoo (Thailand) says will stimulate sales, strengthen supply chains, and accelerate the country’s push towards carbon neutrality.

The company, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker Chery Automobile, believes the measure will encourage consumers to replace internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with low- or zero-emission models, such as battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid EVs.

New cars under the scheme would have to be made in Thailand in order to stimulate employment and support auto parts suppliers, according to media reports.

Cedric Cui, president of Omoda and Jaecoo (Thailand), said the policy was timely.

“It’s the right moment to boost the automotive industry and supply chains. We expect this policy to speed up Thailand’s energy transition from ICE vehicles to new energy vehicles such as BEVs, hybrid EVs and plug-in hybrids,” he said.

Thailand’s automotive sector continues to face challenges from volatile global oil prices and rising logistics costs, exacerbated by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Mr Cui noted that raw material shortages, including plastics and helium, the latter of which is critical for semiconductor production, are adding pressure onto manufacturers.

Despite these hurdles, he pledged that the company would not raise car prices, saying it does not want to increase the burden on customers.

Bill Zhang, the company’s country director, described the trade-in scheme as a “new hope” policy that could revitalise the industry.

“We are waiting to see the government’s conditions, but this is really a good policy and a new hope for the industry,” he said.

Omoda and Jaecoo recently launched its BEV manufacturing plant in Nikhom Phatthana district in Rayong. Built on 104 rai with an investment of 5 billion baht, the facility has an annual production capacity of 80,000 units.

The company plans to produce 3,000-4,000 BEVs in the initial phase, with most destined for Thai customers before expanding exports to Malaysia.

A battery plant is also planned to support local BEV production.

The company currently uses 45% local content in its vehicles and aims to increase this share to meet government requirements.

Omoda and Jaecoo’s global operations are supported by eight R and D centres, 19 manufacturing bases, more than 300 suppliers, and a sales and service network spanning over 3,000 locations.

Chery Automobile, its parent company, has become the first Chinese automaker to surpass 6 million cumulative exports. In March, overseas shipments reached 148,777 units, marking a 72% year-on-year increase.

President: Tradition of eldership of Azerbaijani people is one of the most important pillars of our national heritage

“The tradition of eldership, rooted in the ancient moral and ethical values of the Azerbaijani people, is one of the most important pillars of our national heritage,” said President Ilham Aliyev in his address to the participants of the 9th Congress of the Council of Elders of Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.

“Respect for elders has always held a prominent place as a fundamental value both in Azerbaijani oral folk literature and in written literature. It is no coincidence that in the epic Book of Dede Korkut, which reflects the historical past and customs of our people, respect for the advice and words of elders is portrayed as the highest moral quality,” the head of state emphasized.