Tendo Yoshimi marks 30th performance at NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen
Japanese veteran singer Tendo Yoshimi will appear for the 30th time at this year’s NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, commonly known simply as Kōhaku, is an annual New Year’s Eve television special, sharing her excitement in a recent press interview. “This year feels special. I still feel a sense of tension as the day approaches, and this is what gives me the strength to do my best,” she said, adding with a smile, “I’ll sing until I’m 100!”
Tendo performed a special collaboration with Miyakumyaku, the official Osaka-Kansai Expo mascot, alongside FRUITS ZIPPER and CANDY TUNE in “Anata no Hanamichi ~ Miyakumyaku Dance SP ~,” impressing fans with dynamic dance routines. She praised her co-stars as “just as cute as candy.”
Reflecting on Hiromi Go’s final performance, Tendo expressed mixed emotions: sadness at his departure but admiration for his vitality.
The 76th edition of the New Year’s Eve show, themed “Connecting, Connecting, New Year’s Eve”, will air on NHK General TV from 7:20 PM to 11:45 PM. MISIA and Mrs. GREEN APPLE will close the Red and White teams, respectively, with Seiko Matsuda performing a special number.
Danny Ramirez exits 'The Last of Us' ahead of Season 3
Danny Ramirez, who portrayed Manny Alvarez in The Last of Us Season 2, will not return for the upcoming third season, the show’s creators confirmed. Ramirez played a former Firefly alongside Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby, joining her quest for revenge against Joel (Pedro Pascal) after the Firefly leader’s actions cost Abby her father. His departure is reportedly due to scheduling conflicts.
Ramirez is known for his role as Joaquin Torres/Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will next appear in Avengers: Doomsday and the Basquiat biopic Samo Lives.
Season 2 followed Joel and Ellie after the Firefly hospital escape, exploring Ellie's revenge journey and the tragic deaths of Jesse and potentially Tommy. Season 3 will shift focus to Abby’s perspective. Co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann continue to helm the series, with Druckmann stepping back from directing but remaining as co-creator and executive producer.
The show is produced by HBO, Sony Pictures Television, Naughty Dog, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and PlayStation Productions.
Beyonce declared a billionaire by Forbes
Beyonce has been declared a billionaire by Forbes, making her the fifth musician to join its list of the world's wealthiest people, BBC reported.
The American star has joined an elite group of musicians with 10-figure fortunes, Forbes reports, including Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen and her husband Jay-Z, who the business magazine lists as having a net worth of $2.5bn (£1.85bn).
Earlier this month, Forbes estimated Beyoncé's net worth of $800m (£593m) and predicted she would cross the billionaire threshold for the first time following years of success, according to BBC.
Actor Vijay announces retirement from acting
South Indian actor Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, known as Vijay, announced his retirement from acting. After a career of 33 years in the film industry. He started his career at a very young age as a child artist in the Tamil film at the age of 10 and at 18, he resumed acting with the film Nalaiya Theerpu (1992). He made the announcement on Saturday during the audio launch of director H. Vinod’s film ‘Jana Nayakan’ in Malaysia. He is currently 51 years old and ‘Jana Nayakan’ will be his last film.
He formed his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam last year and now his party is able to contest the Tamil Nadu assembly elections in 2026. Addressing the fans, Vijay said, “Only one thing is important to me. People come to the theatre and stand in line for me. So I want to stand for them for the next 30-33 years. I am retiring from cinema for these fans.”
He said that he had to face all kinds of criticism from the first day of his career. Despite this, his fans were always with him. He said that he would never forget the love and support he received in the last 33 years.
