J-pop boy band Arashi to emerge from hiatus for final concert tour before disbandment in 2026
Fans of popular Japanese boy band Arashi have been hit with bittersweet news from their idols.
The quintet - comprising Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya and Jun Matsumoto - have been on an indefinite hiatus since end-2020, after leader Ohno expressed his desire to take a break from the entertainment industry.
On May 6, the five members appeared together in one frame for the first time since 2020 in a video message uploaded to Arashi's official online fan club.
In it, they announced that they will be reviving their activities as a group and will kick off a concert tour in the spring of 2026, which in Japan generally refers to the months between March and May. And following the end of the tour, Arashi will disband in May 2026.
The announcement was also posted to their social media accounts on the same day, complete with an English translation.
The fan club video marked the first time Ohno, 44, made an official onscreen appearance since his hiatus. The rest of the members have continued to be active in show business as solo artistes.
Arashi announced their indefinite hiatus in 2019, and were going to go on tour in 2020. But their plans were thwarted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which halted live entertainment activities that year.
In the three-minute video, Aiba, 42, said: 'It has been almost four-and-a-half years since we went on hiatus, and we sincerely regret we were unable to perform for all of you during that last year of activities due to the pandemic.
'So in order to express our deep gratitude to all our fans, we have gathered together once again and have begun planning a concert tour to be held next spring.'
Sakurai, 43, referenced the group's setting up of their own company, Arashi Inc, in 2024 in conjunction with their management agency Starto Entertainment.
He said they have been talking about a revival for over a year, but it was not easy to decide how to go about it with each member facing different commitments and circumstances in life.
He added: 'With the establishment of Arashi Inc... (we decided to bring this tour) to life together with the many people who have helped and supported us over the past 20 years. And upon conclusion of this tour, we will end our activities as Arashi.'
While details surrounding the farewell concerts have not been finalised, Matsumoto, 41, said that the fan club will suspend applications for the time being so that existing members can be prioritised for concert tickets. Typically, a ballot system has been used within Arashi's fan club for concert ticket sales.
The group did not specify if their tour would venture beyond Japan, as their 2020 plans had included concerts at the Beijing National Stadium and in the United States.
Ninomiya, 41, said: 'With the end of Arashi's activities, our (fan club) will also close in May 2026, but we will continue to deliver as much content as possible throughout this next year for your fun and enjoyment, and will resume accepting new (fan club) memberships as soon as possible so that even those who are not yet members can enjoy the videos and more.'
Prior to their hiatus, Arashi, which debuted in 1999, were one of Japan's most successful boy bands. Their 20th anniversary compilation album, 5×20 All the Best!! 1999-2019, was the top-selling album globally in 2019, beating out even American superstar Taylor Swift's Lover.
While Ohno was completely away from the limelight during the hiatus, his bandmates have grown in their professional and personal capacities.
Singer-actor Ninomiya started his own YouTube channel, which now has close to five million subscribers, and will release his second solo cover album, OO To Ninomiya To 2, in July. He also starred in Japanese drama Vivant (2023). He married former television presenter Ayako Ito in 2019 and now has two daughters, aged four and two.
Sakurai continues to be active as an actor, variety show host and weekly anchor on news programme News Zero. He and Aiba both announced their marriages to non-celebrity women on the same day in 2021.
Sakurai has a two-year-old, but has not revealed the child's gender. Aiba, also active in hosting as well as stage plays, welcomed his firstborn, a boy, in 2022.
Matsumoto, 41, has largely focused on acting and behind-the-scenes concert production. He starred in the Japanese historical epic What Will You Do, Ieyasu? (2023) playing famed Japanese military general Tokugawa Ieyasu, and also recently acted as adviser for the production of J-pop boy band Snow Man's concert at the Japan National Stadium in April.
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Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Frederick Forsyth, Day Of The Jackal author, dies at 86
British novelist Frederick Forsyth wrote the best-selling thriller The Day Of The Jackal in just 35 days. PHOTO: AFP LONDON – British novelist Frederick Forsyth, who authored best-selling thrillers such as The Day Of The Jackal and The Dogs Of War , has died aged 86, his publisher said. A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for Britain's MI6 foreign spy agency, Forsyth made his name by using his experiences as a reporter in Paris to pen the story of a failed assassination plot on French president Charles de Gaulle. The Day Of The Jackal, in which an English assassin is hired by French paramilitaries angry at de Gaulle's withdrawal from Algeria, was published in 1971 after Forsyth found himself penniless in London. The 1973 film starred English actor Edward Fox. Written in just 35 days, the book was rejected by a host of publishers who worried that the story was flawed and would not sell as de Gaulle had not been assassinated. De Gaulle died in 1970 from a ruptured aorta. But Forsyth's hurricane-paced thriller – complete with journalistic-style detail and brutal sub-plots of lust, betrayal and murder – was an instant hit. The once-poor journalist became a wealthy writer of fiction. 'I never intended to be a writer at all,' Forsyth later wrote in his memoir, The Outsider: My Life In Intrigue. 'After all, writers are odd creatures, and if they try to make a living at it, even more so.' So influential was the novel that Venezuelan militant revolutionary Ilich Ramirez Sanchez was dubbed Carlos the Jackal. Forsyth presented himself as a cross between Ernest Hemingway and John le Carre – both action man and Cold War spy – but delighted in turning around the insult that he was a literary lightweight. 'I am lightweight but popular. My books sell,' he once said. 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The reporter Impressing Reuters' editors with his languages and knowledge that Bujumbura was a city in Burundi, he was offered a job at the news agency in 1961 and sent to Paris and then East Berlin, where the Stasi secret police kept close tabs on him. He left Reuters for the BBC, but soon became disillusioned by its bureaucracy and what he saw as the corporation's failure to cover Nigeria properly due to the government's incompetent post-colonial views on Africa. It was in 1968 that Forsyth was approached by the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, and asked by an officer named 'Ronnie' to inform on what was really going on in Biafra. By his own account, he would keep contacts with the MI6, which he called 'the Firm', for many years. His novels showed extensive knowledge of the world of spies and he even edited out bits of The Fourth Protocol (1984), he said, so that militants would not know how to detonate an atomic bomb. His writing was sometimes cruel, such as when the Jackal kills his lover after she discovers he is an assassin. 'He looked down at her, and for the first time she noticed that the grey flecks in his eyes had spread and clouded over the whole expression, which had become dead and lifeless like a machine staring down at her.' The writer After finally finding a publisher for The Day Of The Jackal, he was offered a three-novel contract by Harold Harris of Hutchinson. Next came The Odessa File in 1972, the story of a young German freelance journalist who tries to track down SS man Eduard Roschmann, or The Butcher of Riga. After that, The Dogs Of War in 1974 is about a group of white mercenaries hired by a British mining magnate to kill the mad dictator of an African republic – based on Equatorial Guinea's Francisco Macias Nguema – and replace him with a puppet. 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AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Jacky Cheung, Ayumi Hamasaki, CL: Singapore concert calendar for 2025, Entertainment News
PUBLISHED ON June 10, 2025 4:45 AM By Drima ChakrabortySyarifah Nadhirah 2024 came and went with some amazing acts visiting Singapore, from American songstress Taylor Swift, classic rockers Deep Purple, Cantopop king Andy Lau and Mandopop's Jay Chou, to Blackpink's Lisa and K-pop group Stray Kids. Here's how 2025's concert calendar is shaping up. This article was first published on Dec 14, 2024, and updated on June 10, 2025. June The Music of Studio Ghibli – Original Singers Symphony makes its Singapore debut at The Star Theatre on June 11. Tickets start at $88 on Ticketmaster. Alan Tam performs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 14. Tickets start at $88 on Sistic. Malaysian singer Nicholas Teo also performs that same night at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention to commemorate 21 years in showbiz. Tickets start at $98 at Sistic. Exo's Kai performs at The Star Theatre as part of his solo tour Kaion on June 21. Tickets start at $148 with presales beginning April 7 on Ticketmaster. [embed] That same night, Mandopop singer Zhao Chuan performs at Marina Bay Sands. Tickets start at $118 on Sistic. Also on June 21, 30 local singers such as Roy Li, Jiang Hu, Xu Nansheng, Mavis Hee, Chua Lee Lian and Joanna Dong will stage the Xinyao 43th Reunion Concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Tickets start at $50 at Ticketmaster. Hong Kong singer William So will be in Singapore on June 22 for his concert at Esplanade Concert Hall. Tickets start from $88 at Sistic. American singer Jason Derulo's concert has been rescheduled from March 20 to June 25, and the venue will instead be The Star Theatre. Tickets start from $148 on Sistic. All tickets sold remain valid. For more information, please refer to LAMC Productions' website. Grammy Award-winning The Chainsmokers perform on June 27 at Arena @ Expo. Tickets cost $148 on Ticketmaster. Malaysian pop trio Kru performs at The Star Theatre on June 28. Tickets start at $208 on Sistic. July Abba tribute act Bjorn Again performs at the Marina Bay Sands Theatre on July 4 and 5. Tickets start at $69 on Sistic. Irene and Seulgi from K-pop girl group Red Velvet will stage their concert at The Star Theatre on July 4. Further details will be released soon. Seven-member Japanese boy band Be:First will be on their first world tour, performing in Capitol Theatre on July 5. Tickets are sold out. On the same day, J-pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki will perform at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets start at $188 and will go on sale May 26 at 12pm on Ticketmaster. On July 13, Japanese rock band My First Story — who performed the opening and ending theme songs of the latest season of Demon Slayer — performs in Singapore for the first time at Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands. Ticket presales start on April 28 with general sales on April 30. Prices begin from $108 on Sistic. Korean-Canadian R&B singer Slchld also performs at The Gateway Theatre on July 13. Tickets start at $118 on Ticketmaster. NCT's Doyoung is bringing his solo tour Doors to Singapore on July 16 at The Star Theatre. Ticketing details to be released. English singer-songwriter Fred Again performs at Pasir Panjang Power Station on July 18. Tickets start at $208. Presales begin June 4, and general sales on June 5 via Ticketmaster. R&B and hip-hop star Jay Park returns to Singapore on July 19 for his Serenades & Body Rolls concert at Capitol Theatre. Tickets start at $148 and presales begin April 21 with public sales on April 23 on Ticketmaster. James Blake performs at The Star Theatre on July 22. Tickets start at $148 on Sistic. After their inaugural concert here in March 2024, Korean rock band Xdinary Heroes will be back for another show on July 26 at The Star Theatre for their Beautiful Minds world tour. Tickets start from $158 on Ticketmaster. [embed] August Chinese singer Zhang Bichen makes her debut performance in Singapore on Aug 1 at The Star Theatre. Tickets are sold out. BigBang's Daesung will perform in Singapore on Aug 2. Ticketing details have yet to be announced. Beabadoobee returns to Singapore on Aug 4 with a concert at The Star Theatre. Ticket presales start on May 5 and general sales May 8 on Ticketmaster. American rock band Beach Weather is set to perform in Singapore on Aug 8 at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets start at $88 on Ticketmaster. Elijah Woods performs at The Theatre at Mediacorp on Aug 10. Tickets start at $88 on Ticketmaster. Camila Cabello performs in Singapore on Aug 12 at The Star Theatre. The LiveNation presale starts on May 2 and general sales start May 5 on Ticketmaster. K-pop girl group StayC returns to Singapore to perform on Aug 16 at The Star Theatre. Tickets start at $138 on Ticketmaster. Show Lo brings his world tour to Singapore at Resorts World Ballroom on the same day. Tickets start at $128, with presales on May 21 and public sales on May 26 at Sistic. Australian indie-folk duo Hollow Coves brings their tour to Singapore on Aug 20 at Foo Chow Building. Tickets go for $68 on Eventbrite. Korean singer-actor Doh Kyung-soo from the boy group Exo will hold his solo concert in Singapore on Aug 23. Tickets start at $198 on Ticketmaster. [embed] K-pop soloist Bibi's first world tour is also coming to Singapore on Aug 23 at The Star Theatre, with tickets starting at $148. Presales start May 19 with general sales on May 21 on Ticketmaster. Part of the lineup for Waterbomb Singapore 2025 has been announced. Festival-goers on Aug 30 will see South Korean acts Exid, BTOB's Minhyuk and Team Bebe. Anson Lo from the Hong Kong boy group Mirror, Got7's JayB and K-rapper Ash Island will perform on May 31. Presales for DBS and POSB cardholders have begun while general sales will start on May 16. Tickets start at $201.80 on Pelago. On Aug 25, Black Eyed Peas performs at Singapore Indoor Stadium, with tickets starting at $158 on Sistic. September Seventeen-time Grammy Award-winning artist Sting performs on Sept 23 at Arena @ Expo. Prices have yet to be announced. Presales begin April 17 with general sales on April 24 at Ticketmaster. October [embed] The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix this year will run from Oct 3 to 5. K-pop stars G-Dragon and CL, Indonesian singer Putri Ariani, Singapore band Oakë, New York-based artist collective Indo Warehouse and Latin DJ duo Le Twins will perform on Oct 3. Oct 4 will see American rock band Foo Fighters, Japanese metal band BabyMetal, Norwegian DJ Alan Walker, Australian-New Zealand rock band Crowded House, South Korean DJ Hanna and UK band and singer-songwriter The Lathums and Tom Grennan, as well as Le Twins and Indo Warehouse. UK icon Elton John, American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, English indie rock band The Wombats and Hanna will take the stage on Oct 5. Single-day tickets start from $148 on their website. NCT Dream will return with two shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Oct 18 and 19. Ticketing details have yet to be announced. November Exo's Baekhyun returns to Singapore on Nov 1. Ticketing details are yet to be announced. [embed] Hong Kong God of Songs Jacky Cheung will perform three nights, from Nov 21 to 23, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets start at $168, with presales on July 2 at Ticketmaster. South Korean rock band will be making a stop in Singapore on Nov 23 at The Theatre at Mediacorp. No other details have been revealed. Blackpink is bringing their Deadline world tour to the National Stadium on Nov 29 and 30. Presales start on June 10 while general sales begin on June 13 via Ticketmaster. December American rock band The Cab will perform at the Foo Chow Building on Dec 10. Presales begin May 30 while general sales starts on May 31 on Eventbrite. Past concerts January Malaysian Mandopop singer Firdhaus will be performing at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Ballroom on Jan 3 and 4. Tickets start at $98 and are available on Sistic. Known as the Father of Taiwanese hip-hop, MC HotDog will be visiting Singapore for a concert on Jan 4 at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets start at $108 and are available on Ticketmaster. Brazilian guitarist Mateus Asato will be holding an intimate fireside fan event at Swee Lee Clarke Quay on Jan 8 at 7pm. Tickets are sold out. Fifth-generation K-pop boy band Ampers&one holds a fan meeting at Gateway Theatre on Jan 10. Tickets start at $148 on Sistic. South African DJ-producer Black Coffee will perform at 27 Pasir Panjang on Jan 11. Tickets are sold out. Taiwanese band Mayday will be performing at the National Stadium on Jan 11 and 12. Tickets go from $168 on Ticketmaster. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 相信音樂 B'in Music (@ Pianist Richard Clayderman plays at The Theatre @ Mediacorp on Jan 14. Tickets go from $68 on Sistic. R&B group Boney M is in Singapore for their 50th anniversary tour! They perform at the Arena @ Expo (Hall 7) on Jan 15. Tickets start at $95 for children, $135 for seniors and $150 for standard and are available on Sistic. K-pop soloist BOL4 is performing at The Theatre at Mediacorp on Jan 18. Tickets start at $128 on Ticketmaster. Chinese singer-songwriter Leah Dou, Faye Wong's daughter, is also performing on Jan 18 at Marina Bay Sands Theatre. Tickets start at $128 on Sistic. Taiwanese singer Huang Pin-yuan is performing the same night at the Resorts World Ballroom. Tickets start at $88 on Sistic. Get Busy in Singapore with Jamaican dancehall singer Sean Paul on Jan 21 at The Star Theatre. Tickets start at $98 on Sistic. On the same night, J-pop idol group Phantom Siita performs at Capitol Theatre. Tickets start at $78 on Ticketmaster. K-pop band Seventeen is returning to Singapore for back-to-back concerts at the National Stadium on Jan 25 and 26. Tickets start at $168 and are available on Ticketmaster. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SEVENTEEN (@saythename_17) Singapore Mandarin pop-rock band Quis will showcase their new album We Are All Aliens on Jan 26, 5pm at the Esplanade Annexe Studio. Tickets are priced at $25 on Sistic. That same evening, Taiwanese actress-cellist Nana Ouyang will perform at the Esplanade Theatre at 7.30pm. Tickets start at $58 on Sistic. February American dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex is performing at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Feb 3. Tickets are sold out. Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora holds a concert at The Star Theatre on the same night. Tickets start at $108 on Sistic. K-pop pop group Infinite performs at The Star Theatre on Feb 7 for their 15th anniversary concert. Tickets start at $148 and are available on Ticketmaster. The Script plays at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Feb 8. Tickets start at $115 on Sistic. [embed] Taiwanese rock band Mixer is bringing their CircUs Tour to Capitol Theatre on the same day. Tickets start at $98 on Sistic. South Korean indie act Wave To Earth performs at The Star Theatre on Feb 11. Tickets are sold out. Irish family band The Corrs play at The Star Theatre on Feb 13. Tickets start at $125 and are available on Sistic. [embed] Spend your Valentine's Day with local singer Boon Hui Lu, who is performing at Esplanade Annex Studio on Feb 14. Tickets cost $68 on Sistic. Indian playback singer Sonu Nigam also performs at The Star Theatre on Feb 14. Tickets start at $90 on Sistic. Chinese singer-songwriter Joker Xue brings his tour to the National Stadium on Feb 14 and 15. Tickets start at $107 and are available on Ticketmaster. Composer-pianist Yiruma performs on Feb 15 at The Star Theatre. Tickets start at $138 on Ticketmaster. 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View this post on Instagram A post shared by YOASOBI (@yoasobi_staff_) Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Ros performs on Feb 25 and 26 at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets start at $128 on Ticketmaster. Super Junior's Yesung holds his first solo concert in Singapore on Feb 28 at The Theatre at Mediacorp. Tickets start at $168 on Ticketmaster. March Mandopop singer G.E.M performs at the National Stadium on March 1 as part of her I Am Gloria world tour. Ticket prices start at $168. Presales begin on Jan 16 for UOB cardholders while public sales start a day later on Ticketmaster, and Taiwanese indie band Sodagreen brings their 20th anniversary tour to Singapore on March 8 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets go from $168 on Ticketmaster. Thai actors Gemini and Fourth are bringing their Run The World concert to Singapore on March 8 at The Theatre at Mediacorp. The show is rated R18 at tickets start at $60 on Sistic. Thai boy band Lykn performs at The Theatre at Mediacorp on March 9. Tickets start at $45 on Sistic. American singer-songwriter Kehlani performs on March 13 at the Star Theatre. Tickets start at $108 on Ticketmaster. Rock fusion trio The Aristocrats performs at Phil's Studio on March 14. Tickets cost $158 on Sistic. K-pop boy band Boynextdoor performs at Arena @ Expo (Hall 7) on March 15. VIP and Cat 1 tickets are sold out. Remaining tickets, starting at $178, can be purchased on Ticketmaster. [embed] Indian playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan performs at The Star Theatre on March 15. Tickets start at $58 on Sistic. Hong Kong diva Liza Wang performs at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Ballroom on March 22 and 23. Tickets start at $28 on Sistic. Taiwanese band Bestards performs at Gateway Theatre on March are sold out. American singer Jason Derulo's concert has been rescheduled from March 20 to June 25, and the venue will instead be the Star Theatre. Tickets start from $148 on Sistic. All tickets sold remain valid. 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Malaysian singer Michael Wong and Indonesian singer Putri Ariani are holding a joint concert titled The Spring Symphony on March 30 at the Resorts World Ballroom. Tickets start at $118 on Sistic. Taiwanese singer Sam Lee performs at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Ballroom on March 31. Tickets start at $98 on Sistic. April Indie rock band Feeder returns to Singapore on April 2 at the Hard Rock Cafe. Tickets cost $148 on Sistic. American singer Gracie Abrams brings The Secret of Us Tour to The Star Theatre on April 3. Tickets are sold out. Chinese singer-songwriter Ryan.B performs at Capitol Theatre on April 5, with tickets starting at $89 on Ticketmaster. Singapore songstress Stefanie Sun performs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 5, 6, 12 and 13. Tickets are sold out. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sun Yanzi 孙燕姿 (@stefsunyanzi) Power Station returns to Singapore on April 19 at the Resorts World Ballroom. Tickets are sold out. Wu Bai and China Blue perform at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 19. Tickets start at $98 on Ticketmaster. Boyce Avenue is also performing with Daniel Sid on April 19 at the University Cultural Centre. Tickets start at $98 on Ticketmaster. Third time's the charm — K-pop girl group Kiss of Life will be back in Singapore to perform at Capitol Theatre on April 25 as part of their first world tour Kiss Road. Tickets, which go on sale on March 2 on start at $158. Malaysian singer Liza Hanim performs at The Star Theatre on April 26. Tickets start at $78 on Sistic. BTS' J-Hope will hold his first solo concerts in Singapore on April 26 and 27 at Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets start at $198. The Weverse presale begins on Feb 19 on Ticketmaster, the Live Nation presale on Feb 20 on their website while general sales begin the following day on Ticketmaster. May [CANCELLED] Korean stars including Joohoney and I.M of Monsta X, Jessi, Gray, Loco, Yungin, Holybang, Lil Cherry and Goldbuuda will be performing at festival Playground on May 3 at 27 Pasir Panjang. Tickets start at $188 on Ticketmaster. Taeyeon from K-pop group Girls' Generation will return to Singapore for her The Tense world tour, performing on May 3 and 4 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Details to be announced later. American pop-rock band The Click Five will be reuniting for a Southeast Asian tour this May. The band, which split in 2013, will perform at the Capitol Theatre on May 6. Due to scheduling conflicts, only Kyle Patrick, Joe Guese and Ethan Mentzer will be returning while Ben Romans and Joey Zehr will not be here. Tickets are sold out and a new show for the following night has been announced, with tickets going on sale from April 3 on Ticketmaster. Seems like May is for the rock enthusiasts, as another American rock band Boys Like Girls will be performing on May 7. 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Tickets start from $148 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster. Japanese vocalist Ado performs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on May 21. Tickets are sold out. Veteran vocal group Boyz II Men returns to Singapore on May 23 for a concert at The Star Theatre. Tickets start at $98 on Sistic. On May 25, Cantopop singer Frances Yip performs at Esplanade Concert Hall. Tickets start at $88 on Sistic. Alexander Stewart performs at the Esplanade Annexe Studio on May 26. Ticketing details will be released soon on Ticketmaster. June American rapper O.T. Genasis will perform at Avenue Singapore's Venus in Furs anniversary event on June 4. Held at Avenue Lounge in Marina Bay Sands, the cover charge will be $50 per person at the door. drimac@ syarifahsn@ No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne. concertsmusiccelebritiessingersK-popBTSJ-pop This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
Frederick Forsyth, 'Day of the Jackal' author, dies at 86
FILE PHOTO: British novelist Frederick Forsyth smiles during an interview with Reuters at his home near Hertford, England, July 26, 2006. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty (BRITAIN)/File Photo LONDON - British novelist Frederick Forsyth, who authored best-selling thrillers such as "The Day of the Jackal" and "The Dogs of War," has died aged 86, his publisher said. A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for Britain's MI6 foreign spy agency, Forsyth made his name by using his experiences as a reporter in Paris to pen the story of a failed assassination plot on Charles de Gaulle. "The Day of the Jackal", in which an English assassin, played in the film by Edward Fox, is hired by French paramilitaries angry at de Gaulle's withdrawal from Algeria, was published in 1971 after Forsyth found himself penniless in London. Written in just 35 days, the book was rejected by a host of publishers who worried that the story was flawed and would not sell as de Gaulle had not been assassinated. De Gaulle died in 1970 from a ruptured aorta while playing Solitaire. But Forsyth's hurricane-paced thriller complete with journalistic-style detail and brutal sub-plots of lust, betrayal and murder was an instant hit. The once poor journalist became a wealthy writer of fiction. "I never intended to be a writer at all," Forsyth later wrote in his memoire, "The Outsider - My Life in Intrigue". "After all, writers are odd creatures, and if they try to make a living at it, even more so." So influential was the novel that Venezuelan militant revolutionary Illich Ramirez Sanchez, was dubbed "Carlos the Jackal". Forsyth presented himself as a cross between Ernest Hemingway and John le Carre - both action man and Cold War spy - but delighted in turning around the insult that he was a literary lightweight. "I am lightweight but popular. My books sell," he once said. His books, fantastical plots that almost rejoiced in the cynicism of an underworld of spies, criminals, hackers and killers, sold more than 75 million copies. Behind the swashbuckling bravado, though, there were hints of sadness. He later spoke of turning inwards to his imagination as a lonely only child during and after World War Two. The isolated Forsyth discovered a talent for languages: he claimed to be a native French speaker by the age of 12 and a native German speaker by the age of 16, largely due to exchanges. He went to Tonbridge School, one of England's ancient fee-paying schools, and learned Russian from two emigre Georgian princesses in Paris. He added Spanish by the age of 18. He also learned to fly and did his national service in the Royal Air Force where he flew fighters such as a single seater version of the de Havilland Vampire. THE REPORTER Impressing Reuters' editors with his languages and knowledge that Bujumbura was a city in Burundi, he was offered a job at the news agency in 1961 and sent to Paris and then East Berlin where the Stasi secret police kept close tabs on him. He left Reuters for the BBC but soon became disillusioned by its bureaucracy and what he saw as the corporation's failure to cover Nigeria properly due to the government's incompetent post-colonial views on Africa. It was in 1968 that Forsyth was approached by the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, and asked by an officer named "Ronnie" to inform on what was really going on in Biafra. By his own account, he would keep contacts with the MI6, which he called "the Firm", for many years. His novels showed extensive knowledge of the world of spies and he even edited out bits of The Fourth Protocol (1984), he said, so that militants would not know how to detonate an atomic bomb. His writing was sometimes cruel, such as when the Jackal kills his lover after she discovers he is an assassin. "He looked down at her, and for the first time she noticed that the grey flecks in his eyes had spread and clouded over the whole expression, which had become dead and lifeless like a machine staring down at her." THE WRITER After finally finding a publisher for "The Day of the Jackal," he was offered a three-novel contract by Harold Harris of Hutchinson. Next came "The Odessa File" in 1972, the story of a young German freelance journalist who tries to track down SS man Eduard Roschmann, or "The Butcher of Riga". After that, "The Dogs of War" in 1974 is about a group of white mercenaries hired by a British mining magnate to kill the mad dictator of an African republic - based on Equatorial Guinea's Francisco Macias Nguema - and replace him with a puppet. The New York Times said at the time that the novel was "pitched at the level of a suburban Saturday night movie audience" and that it was "informed with a kind of post‐imperial condescension toward the black man". Divorced from Carole Cunningham in 1988, he married Sandy Molloy in 1994. But he lost a fortune in an investment scam and had to write more novels to support himself. He had two sons - Stuart and Shane - with his first wife. His later novels variously cast hackers, Russians, al Qaeda militants and cocaine smugglers against the forces of good - broadly Britain and the West. But the novels never quite reached the level of the Jackal. A supporter of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, Forsyth scolded Britain's elites for what he cast as their treachery and naivety. In columns for The Daily Express, he gave a host of withering assessments of the modern world from an intellectual right-wing perspective. The world, he said, worried too much about "the oriental pandemic" (known to most as COVID-19), Donald Trump was "deranged", Vladimir Putin "a tyrant" and "liberal luvvies of the West" were wrong on most things. He was, to the end, a reporter who wrote novels. "In a world that increasingly obsesses over the gods of power, money and fame, a journalist and a writer must remain detached," he wrote. "It is our job to hold power to account." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
