International
Adidas cuts ties with Kanye West over anti-Semitic remarks
| By AFP | Sebastien Ash with Huw Griffith in Los Angeles |
German sportswear giant Adidas said Tuesday it was ending its partnership with Kanye West after a series of anti-Semitic outbursts by the controversial rapper.
Recent comments by West — now known formally as Ye — were “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous”, Adidas said in a statement.
“After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately”.
Adidas said it would “end production” of the highly successful “Yeezy” line designed together with West and “stop all payments to Ye and his companies”.
The abrupt end to the collaboration between the sports outfitter and rapper would slash Adidas’s net income in 2022 by “up to 250 million euros ($246 million)”, the company estimated.
Adidas’s decision to dump the artist was “overdue”, said Josef Schuster of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.
“For weeks, West has caused worldwide furore with his anti-Semitic remarks,” Schuster said, adding that the rapper’s comments had become “intolerable”.
T-shirt statement
Adidas began a review of its relationship with West earlier this month after he appeared at a Paris fashion show wearing a shirt emblazoned with “White Lives Matter”, a slogan created as a backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Days later he was locked out of Twitter and Instagram for threatening to “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE”, using a reference to US military readiness.
Comments made by West “violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness”, Adidas said Tuesday.
The artist was associated with rival sportswear company Nike for years but broke away in 2013, lending his name to Adidas as they launched their first Yeezy shoe together in 2015 — a partnership that went on to make him a billionaire.
Along with Beyonce, Stella McCartney and Pharrell Williams, West’s has been one of the top names used by Adidas to boost sales, especially online.
Adidas’s announcement was followed later Tuesday by US company Gap, which said it was taking “immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap product from our stores” in addition to shutting down YeezyGap.com.
West and Gap had announced in September that they planned to end their partnership, although Gap said at the time it planned to release several co-branded products already in development.
Paris-based fashion house Balenciaga also ended ties with the rapper last week, saying it “no longer (has) any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist”.
One of Hollywood’s biggest talent agencies, CAA, said on Monday it was dropping West, while film and TV producer MRC said it was shelving an already-finished documentary about the artist.
Inflammatory remarks
Adidas’s decision would stop West from “using the company’s immense platform to amplify his hateful ideology about Jews”, the World Jewish Congress said in a statement.
The German group’s “delayed move” in response to the anti-Semitic comments had come after “massive public outcry”, the WJC said.
Rights campaigners and entertainment world figures had heaped pressure on Adidas to stop working with the rapper.
“Those who continue to do business with West are giving his misguided hate an audience”, wrote Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel in the Financial Times.
“There should be no tolerance anywhere for West’s anti-Semitism.”
West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian also appeared to join the pile-on, without mentioning the father of her children by name.
“Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” she wrote Monday on Twitter and Instagram.
“I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”
Adidas fell on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange following its announcement, finishing 3.2 percent lower.
International
Two fans killed in gate collapse outside Chile’s Estadio Monumental
Two people lost their lives near the Estadio Monumental in Santiago, Chile, following a chaotic incident that occurred before the Copa Libertadores match between Colo Colo and Brazil’s Fortaleza on April 10. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the victims were crushed after a fence on the stadium perimeter collapsed, though authorities are investigating whether a police armored vehicle may have played a role.
It was a black Thursday at Chile’s Estadio Monumental. Two local fans died outside the stadium after a yet-unclarified incident caused a metal gate to fall on them, leading to fatal asphyxiation.
Local media reports indicate that a group of fans attempted to force their way into the stadium before kickoff. In response, local police allegedly deployed armored vehicles to block the breach.
Preliminary reports cited by local newspapers and news agencies like EFE identify the victims as two young individuals—one 18 years old and the other just 13.
International
Dominican Republic mourns over 200 dead in Jet Set nightclub collapse
On Thursday, April 10, 2025, the Dominican Republic began mourning the more than 200 victims of the collapse of Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, although many families are still desperately waiting for the remains of their loved ones.
The roof of the Jet Set club collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday, April 8, during a live performance by iconic merengue singer Rubby Pérez.
Rescue workers were completing the recovery of human remains from beneath the rubble of corrugated metal and steel beams, as search efforts ended with no further hope of finding survivors.
Around the morgue, the atmosphere was one of grief, anguish, and despair. A list of the deceased was posted on a canvas covering a nearby tent, where crowds gathered in distress. Health Minister Víctor Atallah stated that forensic teams are working at full capacity and urged patience. “No one will go unidentified, and no one will be left without answers,” he promised. “We will turn over every last stone if we have to.”
The tragic collapse also claimed the lives of several foreigners, including a significant number of Venezuelan nationals who were present at the club, according to local newspaper Listín Diario. The outlet reported the official death toll at 221, which included one Haitian, two French nationals, one Italian, and one Kenyan.
Meanwhile, relatives, friends, and fans of Rubby Pérez released white balloons outside the National Theater shortly before the hearse departed with the remains of the beloved singer, known for hits like “Enamorado de ella” and “Buscando tus besos.” Draped over his coffin were both the Dominican and Venezuelan flags, the latter symbolizing the country where his fame took off.
International
Venezuelan oil shipments resume after tariff-induced delays
Many buyers of Venezuelan oil have resumed loading tankers after a week of pauses and delays at the country’s ports, caused by tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on importers of crude from the OPEC member nation, according to shipping data and documents.
In March, the United States gave Chevron and other foreign partners and clients of Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, until May 27 to gradually wind down operations and cease crude exports from the country. Days later, Washington imposed tariffs on buyers of Venezuelan oil and gas.
The measures triggered the suspension of some shipments at the country’s main oil port, Jose, and caused delays at smaller terminals. Many vessels that had left the Jose port and moved away from the coast amid the announcement of the measures have since returned to complete their loadings. In recent days, tankers have begun departing Venezuelan waters en route to destinations such as India and China, according to data and internal documents from PDVSA.
“There was a moment of panic when ships pulled away, but they later received instructions to finish loading,” said a source at PDVSA.
Two fans killed in gate collapse outside Chile’s Estadio Monumental
Dominican Republic mourns over 200 dead in Jet Set nightclub collapse
Venezuelan oil shipments resume after tariff-induced delays
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 43 dead
-
Central America4 days agoHonduras Hosts CELAC Summit Amid Regional Concern Over U.S. Deportations
-
International3 days agoRussia and US to Meet in Istanbul for Diplomatic Talks on April 10
-
Central America3 days agoAudit Exposes Major Breaches in Panama Canal Port Concession, $300 Million Owed to State
-
Central America21 hours agoNicaragua seeks ICJ intervention in Gaza conflict amid escalating violations
-
International4 days agoTeachers in Southern Mexico Bring Education to Stranded Migrant Children
-
Central America4 days agoMulino and Orsi Highlight Shared Vision After Panama Joins Mercosur as Associate State
-
International10 hours agoDominican Republic mourns over 200 dead in Jet Set nightclub collapse
-
Central America2 days agoMexico’s president proposes regional economic summit at CELAC
-
Central America4 days agoTrump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Block Return of Deported Salvadoran
-
International2 days agoMerengue concert turns to mourning as Jet Set collapse claims 136 lives
-
Central America2 days agoColombia to host fourth EU-CELAC Summit in November
-
Sports3 days agoNeymar Returns to Santos Training After Month-Long Injury Layoff
-
Central America2 days agoCELAC condemns unilateral sanctions in ‘Tegucigalpa Declaration’
-
International3 days agoMaduro Announces Economic Emergency Decree Amid Growing Tensions with the U.S.
-
International3 days agoTransgender Student Arrested at Florida Capitol for Using Women’s Restroom Under New State Law
-
International21 hours agoItalian biologist found dead in Colombia; investigation underway
-
Central America21 hours agoU.S. Government says deported migrants should remain in El Salvador for life
-
International3 days agoScience Brings Back the Extinct Direwolf with Successful De-Extinction Project
-
International10 hours agoTwo fans killed in gate collapse outside Chile’s Estadio Monumental
-
International21 hours ago
Maduro signs Economic Emergency Decree to counter U.S. sanctions on Venezuela
-
International10 hours agoVenezuelan oil shipments resume after tariff-induced delays
-
International10 hours agoConstitutional Court Removes Yoon: Lee Jae-myung’s Rise Sparks Warnings of a Radical Shift