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New Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Brazil police foil Lady Gaga gig bomb plot
BRASÍLIA: Brazilian police said on Sunday they had arrested two people in connection with a foiled plot to bomb Lady Gaga's packed mega-concert in Rio de Janeiro. Rio's civil police force said that, together with the Ministry of Justice, it "prevented a bomb attack that would have occurred at Lady Gaga's concert in Copacabana" on Saturday night. Officials said the superstar's huge free gig on the beach, her first concert in Brazil since 2012, drew up to two million people. Writing on X, Rio police said it had arrested an adult who was "responsible for the plot" as well as a teenager in the operation codenamed "Fake Monster" – a reference to the US pop diva's pet name for her fans, "Little Monsters." It said they had recruited people online to "carry out attacks using improvised explosives" and Molotov cocktails as "a collective challenge" with the aim of "gaining notoriety on social media." The police added that the group behind the alleged plot "spread hate speech" and promoted radicalisation and self-harm online. Police carried out raids across Rio de Janeiro state as well as in the states of São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso. "The police acted silently and without creating panic... We acted surgically to prevent the crime from happening," Felipe Curi from Rio de Janeiro's Civil Police said in a statement. Lady Gaga's concert was the second million-strong show on Copacabana beach in a year after a huge concert last year by Madonna. Security was tight, with some 5,000 officers, drones, and both surveillance and facial recognition cameras deployed. The 39-year-old star's fans reacted with shock to the news of the foiled plot. "THANK GOD. This would have had an impact on over 2 million people," posted the LadyGagaFansTogether Instagram account, which has 307,000 followers. Writing on the same account, one fan said he was "scared sick about her (Gaga) being safe at all times." Lady Gaga on Sunday thanked her fans in Brazil on social media for "the biggest crowd for any woman in history." "Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you," she posted on X, formerly Twitter. The gig was part of a strategy by Rio to hold mega-concerts in May in an effort to boost tourism during what is considered the low season. All week, Gaga fans had flocked to Rio, a city famous for its annual Carnival that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world. Mayor Eduardo Paes has also hinted that he plans to bring in Irish rock band U2, although no date has been given. Lady Gaga had kicked off her show perched more than two metres (6.5 feet) above the stage in a massive scarlet hoop gown which opened to reveal a vertical cage from which her dancers exited to a rendition of her 2011 song "Bloody Mary." "Brazil, I missed you so much," screamed the pop star, who performed several tracks from her latest album, Mayhem, as well as favourites from throughout her career.
L'Orient-Le Jour
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Thwarted terror attack at Lady Gaga's concert in Rio
A bomb attack was thwarted during a mega concert by star Lady Gaga in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, and two people suspected of being involved have been arrested, authorities announced Sunday. About two million people swarmed the iconic Copacabana beach into the early hours to listen to the American diva, according to city officials, under the watch of an impressive security deployment. The civil police of Rio de Janeiro announced in a statement that, in collaboration with the Justice Ministry, they had 'prevented a bomb attack that was supposed to occur during Lady Gaga's show at Copacabana.' The attempted attack had been orchestrated by a group that 'spread hate speech' and promoted the radicalization of adolescents and self-harm on digital platforms, according to police. The assailants designed this plan as a 'collective challenge' to gain notoriety on social media, said the police. The project targeted children, adolescents, and the LGBTQ+ community, a group strongly represented among the hundreds of thousands of Lady Gaga fans in Rio. The 'leader of the group' and 'responsible for the plan' was arrested in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (south) while illegally carrying a firearm. A teenager is also in custody in Rio de Janeiro. As part of Operation 'Fake Monster,' police conducted 13 searches in several cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro, as well as in São Paulo (southeast), Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso (west). They had previously given the figure of 15. 'Those involved recruited participants to promote attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,' the police further stated. 'Sick with fear' The American singer posted on X after these revelations a message that does not mention the thwarted attack: 'Your heart shines so much, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historic moment with you.' Her fans, affectionately called 'little monsters,' took to social media to express their relief at the police's reaction. 'Thank god. This would have shocked more than two million people,' said the LadyGagaFansTogether account on Instagram. Another fan reacted: 'I am literally sick with fear for her (Lady Gaga) safety.' 'The police acted quietly and without creating panic ... We acted surgically to ensure the crime did not happen,' explained Felipe Curi, a Rio civil police official, as cited in a note from the institution. City authorities, who also hope for economic benefits exceeding $100 million, aim to establish this tradition of the free mega-concert in May to boost tourism during a period considered the low season. Lady Gaga kicked off the evening, perched more than six feet above the stage in a scarlet dress, singing her 2011 hit 'Bloody Mary' to a delirious crowd. The American pop diva, who hadn't performed in Brazil since a tour in 2012, followed with 'Abracadabra,' one of the main tracks from her latest album, 'Mayhem,' released in March. Mid-song, Lady Gaga removed her red dress to reveal another one in the colors of the Brazilian flag.
Daily Express
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Express
Brazil police foil Lady Gaga gig bomb plot
Published on: Monday, May 05, 2025 Published on: Mon, May 05, 2025 By: AFP Text Size: US pop star Lady Gaga performs during her concert at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 3, 2025. - Daniel RAMALHO / AFP BRASILIA: Brazilian police said Sunday they arrested two people in connection with a foiled plot to bomb Lady Gaga's packed mega-concert in Rio de Janeiro. Rio's civil police force said that together with the ministry of justice it 'prevented a bomb attack that would have occurred at Lady Gaga's concert in Copacabana' on Saturday night. Officials said the superstar's huge free gig on the beach, her first concert in Brazil since 2012, drew up to two million people. Writing on X, Rio police said it had arrested an adult who was 'responsible for the plot' as well as a teenager in the operation codenamed 'Fake Monster' -- a reference to the US pop diva's pet name for her fans, 'Little Monsters.' It said they had recruited people online to 'carry out attacks using improvised explosives' and Molotov cocktails as 'a collective challenge' with the aim of 'gaining notoriety on social media.' The police added that the group behind the alleged plot 'spread hate speech' and promoted radicalization and self-harm online. Police carried out raids across Rio de Janeiro state as well as in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso. 'The police acted silently and without creating panic... We acted surgically to prevent the crime from happening,' Felipe Curi from Rio De Janeiro's Civil Police said in a statement. 'Scared sick' Lady Gaga's concert was the second million-strong show on Copacabana beach in a year after a huge concert last year by Madonna. Security was tight, with some 5,000 officers, drones and both surveillance and facial recognition cameras deployed. The 39-year-old star's fans reacted with shock to the news of the foiled plot. 'THANK GOD. This would have had an impact on over 2 million people,' posted the LadyGagaFansTogether Instagram account, which has 307,000 followers. Writing on the same account one fan said he was 'scared sick about her (Gaga) being safe at all times.' Lady Gaga on Sunday thanked her fans in Brazil on social media for 'the biggest crowd for any woman in history.' 'Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you,' she posted on X, formerly Twitter. The gig was part of a strategy by Rio to hold mega-concerts in May in an effort to boost tourism during what is considered the low season. All week, Gaga fans had flocked to Rio, a city famous for its annual Carnival that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world. Mayor Eduardo Paes has also hinted that he plans to bring in Irish rock band U2, although no date has been given. Lady Gaga had kicked off her show perched more than two meters (6.5 feet) above the stage in a massive scarlet hoop gown which opened to reveal a vertical cage from which her dancers exited to a rendition of her 2011 song 'Bloody Mary.' 'Brazil, I missed you so much,' screamed the pop star, who performed several tracks from her latest album, 'Mayhem,' as well as favorites from throughout her career. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Brazil police foil Lady Gaga gig bomb plot
BRASILIA - Brazilian police said on May 4 they arrested two people in connection with a foiled plot to bomb Lady Gaga's packed mega-concert in Rio de Janeiro. Rio's civil police force said that together with the ministry of justice it 'prevented a bomb attack that would have occurred at Lady Gaga's concert in Copacabana' on night of May 3. Officials said the American superstar's huge free gig on the beach, her first concert in Brazil since 2012, drew up to two million people. Writing on X, Rio police said it had arrested an adult who was 'responsible for the plot' as well as a teenager in the operation codenamed 'Fake Monster' – a reference to the pop diva's pet name for her fans, 'Little Monsters'. It said they had recruited people online to 'carry out attacks using improvised explosives' and Molotov cocktails as 'a collective challenge' with the aim of 'gaining notoriety on social media'. The police added that the group behind the alleged plot 'spread hate speech' and promoted radicalisation and self-harm online. Police carried out raids across Rio de Janeiro state as well as in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso. 'The police acted silently and without creating panic... We acted surgically to prevent the crime from happening,' Mr Felipe Curi from Rio De Janeiro's Civil Police said in a statement. 'Scared sick' Security was tight at the concert on May 3, with some 5,000 officers, drones and both surveillance and facial recognition cameras deployed. The 39-year-old star's fans reacted with shock to the news of the foiled plot. 'This would have had an impact on over 2 million people,' posted the LadyGagaFansTogether Instagram account, which has 307,000 followers. Writing on the same account, one fan said he was 'scared sick about her (Gaga) being safe at all times.' Lady Gaga's concert was the second million-strong show on Copacabana Beach in a year after a huge concert by American pop star Madonna in 2024. According to Variety magazine, Lady Gaga's concert on May 3 drew an estimated crowd of 2.5 million people, setting a new record for the highest-attended concert by a female artiste in history. The previous record was held by Madonna, who drew 1.6 million people to her free concert at Copacabana Beach in May 2024. Lady Gaga on May 4 thanked her fans in Brazil on social media for 'the biggest crowd for any woman in history'. 'Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you,' she posted on social media. The gig was part of a strategy by Rio to hold mega-concerts in May in an effort to boost tourism during what is considered the low season. All week, Gaga fans had flocked to Rio, a city famous for its annual Carnival that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world. Mayor Eduardo Paes has also hinted that he plans to bring in Irish rock band U2, although no date has been given. Lady Gaga had kicked off her show perched more than 2m above the stage in a massive scarlet hoop gown which opened to reveal a vertical cage from which her dancers exited to a rendition of her song Bloody Mary (2011). 'Brazil, I missed you so much,' screamed the pop star, who performed several tracks from her latest album, Mayhem (2025), as well as favourites from throughout her career. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Sun
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Brazil police foil Lady Gaga gig bomb plot
BRASÍLIA: Brazilian police said Sunday they arrested two people in connection with a foiled plot to bomb Lady Gaga's packed mega-concert in Rio de Janeiro. Rio's civil police force said that together with the ministry of justice it 'prevented a bomb attack that would have occurred at Lady Gaga's concert in Copacabana' on Saturday night. Officials said the superstar's huge free gig on the beach, her first concert in Brazil since 2012, drew up to two million people. Writing on X, Rio police said it had arrested an adult who was 'responsible for the plot' as well as a teenager in the operation codenamed 'Fake Monster' -- a reference to the US pop diva's pet name for her fans, 'Little Monsters.' It said they had recruited people online to 'carry out attacks using improvised explosives' and Molotov cocktails as 'a collective challenge' with the aim of 'gaining notoriety on social media.' The police added that the group behind the alleged plot 'spread hate speech' and promoted radicalization and self-harm online. Police carried out raids across Rio de Janeiro state as well as in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso. 'The police acted silently and without creating panic... We acted surgically to prevent the crime from happening,' Felipe Curi from Rio De Janeiro's Civil Police said in a statement. 'Scared sick' Lady Gaga's concert was the second million-strong show on Copacabana beach in a year after a huge concert last year by Madonna. Security was tight, with some 5,000 officers, drones and both surveillance and facial recognition cameras deployed. The 39-year-old star's fans reacted with shock to the news of the foiled plot. 'THANK GOD. This would have had an impact on over 2 million people,' posted the LadyGagaFansTogether Instagram account, which has 307,000 followers. Writing on the same account one fan said he was 'scared sick about her (Gaga) being safe at all times.' Lady Gaga on Sunday thanked her fans in Brazil on social media for 'the biggest crowd for any woman in history.' 'Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you,' she posted on X, formerly Twitter. The gig was part of a strategy by Rio to hold mega-concerts in May in an effort to boost tourism during what is considered the low season. All week, Gaga fans had flocked to Rio, a city famous for its annual Carnival that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world. Mayor Eduardo Paes has also hinted that he plans to bring in Irish rock band U2, although no date has been given. Lady Gaga had kicked off her show perched more than two meters (6.5 feet) above the stage in a massive scarlet hoop gown which opened to reveal a vertical cage from which her dancers exited to a rendition of her 2011 song 'Bloody Mary.' 'Brazil, I missed you so much,' screamed the pop star, who performed several tracks from her latest album, 'Mayhem,' as well as favorites from throughout her career.
