- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Prosecutors seek dismissal of rape charges against French rugby players
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- Bolivia's Morales says claims he raped a minor are a 'lie'
- MLB Reds hire two-time champion Francona as manager
- Daniel Maldini receives first Italy call-up for Nations League
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- Ancelotti points finger at Madrid's 'lack of intensity'
- Haiti reeling after 70 killed in gang attack
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- What happens next in Iran-Israel conflict?
- Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
- Stubbs hits maiden century as South Africa make 343-4 against Ireland
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Odegaard injury has forced Arsenal to be 'different', says Arteta
- Ratcliffe refuses to guarantee Ten Hag's Man Utd future
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
- Mauritius to hold legislative election on November 10
- Britain qualify for America's Cup final after 60-year wait
- IMF asks Sri Lanka to protect hard-won gains
- Morata returns to Spain Nations League squad after injury
- Irish regulator to probe Ryanair use of facial recognition
- Public allowed to see video evidence in France mass rape trial
- US hiring soars past expectations in sign of resilient market
- Under-fire Ten Hag 'together' with Man Utd hierarchy
- Guardiola talks of Man City love affair as financial hearing rumbles on
- De Bruyne out of Belgium Nations League squad
- Japanese trainer Yahagi hopes Shin Emperor achieves 50-year-old Arc dream
- UK's Starmer hails 'landmark' carbon capture funding
- As EU targets Chinese cars, European rivals sputter
- Bosnia floods kill 14 people
- Tennis world number one Swiatek splits with coach Wiktorowski
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- Top EU court finds against FIFA in key transfer market ruling
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Joe Rogan apologizes for his 'shameful' use of N word
US podcaster Joe Rogan apologized Saturday for his past use of racist language including the "N word" and said at least one offensive episode of his show has been deleted from streaming giant Spotify.
"My sincere and humble apologies," Rogan said in a nearly-six-minute Instagram post addressing what he called "the most regretful and shameful thing that I've ever had to talk about publicly."
Rogan's incendiary language is the latest explosive development to roil Spotify and its flagship star, who have both faced a popular backlash over Covid-19 misinformation on his shows.
The 54-year-old acknowledged he had a particular podcast episode removed which referred to his seeing a movie in a Black neighborhood where he said "it was like we were in 'Planet of the Apes'."
The New York Times reported Saturday that as many as 70 episodes of "The Joe Rogan Experience" show had been quietly taken off Spotify. The streaming service had yet to respond to queries from AFP.
Rogan said his use of the "N word" over a 12-year period -- highlighted in a recently uncovered compilation video of him using the term -- looks "horrible, even to me."
He said he believed at the time that as long as he was using the word in context that people would understand his actions.
"I never used it to be racist, because I'm not racist," he said.
But there is "no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that word, nevermind publicly on a podcast," he added.
"If a white person says that word it's racist and toxic, but a Black person can use it and it can be a punchline, it can be a term of endearment, it could be lyrics to a rap song, it could be a positive affirmation."
Rogan went on: "It's a very unusual word, but it's not my word to use. I'm well aware of that now."
- 'Teachable moment'? -
Spotify's stock fell sharply Thursday amid controversy over Rogan's show, which garners up to 11 million listeners per episode.
Music legends Neil Young and Joni Mitchell as well as other artists asked that their songs be removed from the platform in protest of Rogan, who has been accused of spouting misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccinations, either directly or through the guests he interviews on his show.
As for his racist language, Rogan said he aimed to do better.
"I can't go back in time and change what I said.... but I do hope that this can be a teachable moment for anybody that doesn't realize how offensive that word can be coming out of a white person's mouth -- in context or out of context," he said.
Rogan went into detailed description of his remarks on the removed episode from 11 years ago in which he spoke about seeing "Planet of the Apes" with friends in a neighborhood of Philadelphia.
"I did not, nor would I ever, say that Black people are apes, but it sure... sounded like that," he said on his Instagram post which already racked up 3.6 million views.
"And I immediately afterward said that's a racist thing to say. 'Planet of the Apes' wasn't even in Africa, I was just saying there were a lot of Black people there" in the neighborhood.
It sounded "terrible," he acknowledged. "You can have clunky stories about anything, but not about race."
B.Godinho--PC