Justin Bieber apologises for racial slur joke

Plus: Bollywood to remake The Intouchables; Sam Smith tops British charts; Kochadaiiyaan sequel in the works; Brady Bunch star Ann B Davis dies.

 Justin Bieber has apologised for his behaviour in a video, which was taken when was 15, that shows him telling a racist joke. Albert Gea / Reuters
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Justin Bieber is apologising after a five-year-old video surfaced showing the singer telling a racist joke with the N-word. "I'm very sorry," Bieber said in a statement. "I take all my friendships with people of all cultures very seriously and I apologise for offending or hurting anyone with my childish and inexcusable behaviour." The British tabloid The Sun first published the video. In it, a 15-year-old Bieber tells a joke about black people that has the racial epithet as the punchline. Before he says it, someone warns him not to – but he says it anyway amid laughter. In his statement, Bieber said that "ignorance has no place in our society and I hope the sharing of my faults can prevent others from making the same mistake in the future". – AP

Bollywood to remake The Intouchables

Karan Johar's Dharma Productions will co-produce a remake of the French film The Intouchables. Mohit Suri will direct the project. Johar made the announcement on Twitter: "Guneet Monga and Dharma Productions will co-produce the official remake of The Intouchables directed by Mohit Suri." The Intouchables, about an aristocratic quadriplegic who hires a former convict to be his caretaker, was released in 2011 and directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano. – IANS

Sam Smith tops British charts

On Sunday, Sam Smith went straight to the top of the British charts with his debut album In the Lonely Hour. The 22-year-old British singer's album also clinched the title of the fastest-selling debut album of the year so far. Coldplay's Ghost Stories settled for second place after a week at No 1. Paolo Nutini's Caustic Love placed third. In the singles chart, the Chicago-born house and techno producer SecondCity took the top spot with his debut track I Wanna Feel. – Reuters

Brady Bunch star Ann B Davis dies

Ann B Davis, who played the devoted housekeeper, Alice Nelson, on The Brady Bunch, died on Sunday in San Antonio, Texas. She was 88. Bill Frey, a long-time friend of Davis, said she suffered a fall on Saturday and never recovered. More than a decade before starring in The Brady Bunch, Davis was the razor-tongued secretary on another stalwart television sitcom, The Bob Cummings Show, which won her two Emmys. Over the years, she also appeared on Broadway and, occasionally, in movies. – AP

Kochadaiiyaan sequel in the works

Murali Manohar, the co-producer of the recently released film Kochadaiiyaan, has announced plans for a sequel. Despite having Rajinikanth in the lead role, Kochadaiiyaan was met with lukewarm reviews and low ticket sales when it was released last month. "I agree we could have done a lot better," said Manohar. "We will work much harder on the sequel." – IANS