VOUX MAG

Theglobal music titandelivered on his promise during his 13-minute halftime spectacle Sunday, Feb. 8, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, commanding the stage with swagger and unapologetic authenticity.

But Bad Bunny also pulled a few other tricks out of his metaphorical hat for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show.

Welcoming Lady Gaga for a salsa-fied version of "Die with a Smile" was perhaps the most surprising guest Bad Bunny could have enlisted as they danced feverishly and injected the performance with a feeling of family and fun.

Her lively appearance followed an energetic musical mélange – reggaeton, bomba, hip-hop and pop – as Bad Bunny worked his way through a backdrop of sugar cane, taco and jewelry stands with "Tití Me Preguntó."

The party continued with "Yo Perreo Solo" and a ribald verse from "Safaera." Standing atop a pink house (fans will recognize "La Casita" from his previous concerts) in his cream suit emblazoned with "Ocasio 64," Bad Bunny danced across the roof before crashing down through the ceiling, kicking the door open and joining his dancers for a nod to his mentor Daddy Yankee with "Gasolina."

His other high-profile singing guest, fellow Puerto Rican Ricky Martin, sang a verse of "Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii," while Cardi B – a singing friend on their hit "I Like It," which made her appearance but not contribution a bit odd – and actorPedro Pascaljoined a swarm of dancers.

Bad Bunny's invigorating performance, which, as expected, was performed entirely in Spanish, was filled with cultural references, numerous moving parts and even one of his new Grammys handed to a little boy.

He packed 14 songs into his set, including fan favorites "Nuevayol" and "EoO," while navigating power lines, set pieces and phalanxes of dancers.

"God Bless America!" Bad Bunny yelled, followed by his namechecking other countries as a multitude of flags from around the world followed him through the field for the closing "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos."

Advertisement

More:Bad Bunny Super Bowl setlist – Every song from his halftime show

Fresh off a historic win at the Grammys, Bad Bunny headlines the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Feb. 8, 2026. See the photos.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium on February 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium on February 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Bad Bunny headlines the Super Bowl 60 halftime show – Photos

Fresh off a historic win at the Grammys,Bad Bunnyheadlines the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Feb. 8, 2026. See the photos.

Bad Bunny wanted Super Bowl viewers to 'only worry about dancing'

Prior tohis vigorous performance, the Puerto Rican superstar born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio had a message for critics quick to dismiss his music performed primarily in his native language.

"People only have to worry about dancing. They don't even have to learn Spanish," he said at aSuper Bowl 60 press conferencelast week. "Better they learn to dance. There is no better dance than the one that comes from the heart."

The selection of Bad Bunny, 31, as the halftime headliner – one of the most enviable platforms for a career boost –ignited a firestorm of controversyas he became a symbol of the nation's culture wars.

Everything from his music – which landed him three more Grammy Awards last week,including a history-making album of the yearwin for "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" – to hisbold fashion choiceshave been dissected since his appointment was announced in September.

Much of the criticism lobbed at Bad Bunny stemmed from PresidentDonald Trumpand his followers, who took exception to the "King of Latin Trap" singing almost exclusively in Spanish.

Bad Bunny, a fierce protector of his Puerto Rican heritage, has been vocal withcriticism about Trump, starting with the administration's delayed relief efforts following Hurricane Maria in 2017, which devastated parts of the U.S. territory.

Bad Bunny also took exception to a comedian at a Trump election rally referring to his homeland as "a floating island of garbage" in 2024, leading the musician to endorse Kamala Harris.

Who is Bad Bunny?

But Bad Bunny, his nickname borne of a childhood photo wearing a bunny costume, achieved his massive stardom by retaining his artistry and always spotlighting his roots. It's a career path that has netted him 113 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 – both with artists such as Drake, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez and solo – as well as accolades includingSpotify's Global Top Artistfor four years this decade,six Grammysand 17 Latin Grammys.

Bad Bunny's career continued its stratospheric trajectory when "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" was released in January 2025. The album sold nearly 48,000 copies on vinyl its first week, making it the single-largest vinyl sales week for a Latin album since 1991,according to Billboard."Debí Tirar Más Fotos," which focuses on traditional Puerto Rican music styles including plena and bomba, stayed at No. 1 for four weeks while singles "DTMF" and "Baile Inolvidable" launched into the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Bad Bunny accepts the album of the year award for "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" onstage during the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny poses with the album of the year, best música urbana album and best global music performance awards during the 68th Grammy Awards.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performs onstage during the first show of his 30-date (which ended up being 31 in total) concert residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 11, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny thanked his fans for "letting me sing in my home in front of my friends, my family and my people" on what was the final night of his residency in September 2025. "Thank you for that," he said. "I love you, thank you for being a part of this."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> On top of his Puerto Rico residency, Bad Bunny was also juggling life as a Hollywood actor attending the premiere of "Caught Stealing" on Aug. 26, 2025, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny starred alongside Austin Butler in the movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Earlier in summer 2025, Bad Bunny was spotted at Netflix's "Happy Gilmore 2" premiere on July 21, 2025, in New York City, which he starred alongside Adam Sandler.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny at the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2025. Bad Bunny gave a playful Puerto Rican twist to the Black dandy theme with a crisp espresso brown suit. He paired the custom-made Prada ensemble with a brimmed hat resembling a pava, a traditional straw hat made from leaves of the Puerto Rican hat palm.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny onstage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 17, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny onstage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 17, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny onstage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 17, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> In February 2025, Bad Bunny attended "SNL50: The Anniversary Special" in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny performs during his Most Wanted Tour at the Kaseya Center in Miami on May 24, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny attends the Dior Homme Menswear spring/summer 2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 21, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny performs at the Crypto.com Arena during his Most Wanted tour in Los Angeles, March 13, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />  Cardi B, Chencho Corleone, Ivy Queen and reggaeton duo Jowell y Randy." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> declaring Oct. 1 as the official Bad Bunny Day. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> two new wax figures at Orlando and New York's Madame Tussauds on April 19, 2022. The figure at Madame Tussauds New York is wearing the iconic all-silver look from the Grammy-winner's 2020 Super Bowl performance alongside Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and J Balvin, complete with the same silver jacket he wore. The wax figure in Orlando is wearing an outfit originally from his WWE Royal Rumble performance and is featured in his "Booker T" music video. For the figure, Bad Bunny donated his trenchcoat, vest, trousers, and pants. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny is set to portray the title role in "El Muerto," making history as Marvel's first Latino lead in a live-action film. He calls the film the "perfect role" for him.

Before suiting up as the super-powered wrestler, the Puerto Rican rapper will make his big-screen acting debut in the neon-drenched "Bullet Train" (in theaters July 29), doing battle with Brad Pitt. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> April 2021 at WWE's WrestleMania 37. In this photo, taken Jan. 29, 2022, Bad Bunny jumped into the ring again during the Royal Rumble match at The Dome at America's Center. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 22nd Latin Grammy Awards. That night he took home the award for best rap/hip hop song for "Booker T" and best urban music album for "El Último Tour del Mundo." " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Bad Bunny makes history at the Super Bowl. The Puerto Rican star's career in photos.

Bad Bunny accepts the album of the year award for "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" onstage during the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles

Given his sustained success, Bad Bunny has no reason to shift his approach to creating music.

As hetold Spin in 2021, "I'm pleased that we are in a time where I don't need to change anything about myself – not my musical style, not my language, not my culture – to go far. That doesn't mean I'll never sing in English. I already sang in Japanese, so maybe one day I'll sing in English. It feels great to do things my way."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Bad Bunny drops swagger on Super Bowl halftime performance

Paramount Pictures; Niko Tavernise/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment; Nintendo and Illumination

Super Bowl 2026again proves the NFL's yearly football battle royale remains a massive platform for movie trailers.

This year, we all scream forScream 7, the latest entry in the long-running slasher film series, with many other big game spots carving out airtime. While the past couple years saw big pushes for Marvel's cinematic superheroes, the studio was not expected to do the same this year. Instead, it's more about Super Mario and the Minions.

Catch every movie trailer to air during Super Bowl 2026.Check back for updates throughout the game!

Scream 7

Ghostface is ready to burn it all down.

TheScreamfranchise slashed its way onto Super Bowl 2026 screens with a sneak peek at the seventh entry in the film series.Neve Campbellis back as Sidney Evans. Yes, the Prescott survivor is now married to Mark Evans (Joel McHale), and together they have a daughter, Tatum (Isabel May), who's now the same age Sidney was when the horrors began in the 1996 original.

Plot details are under wraps, but it involves the returning Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers; Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown as Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin; and a bunch ofpreviously dead characters, including Matthew Lillard, Scott Foley, and David Arquette.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Each new sneak peek at theSuper Mario Galaxy Moviereveals another addition to the sequel to Nintendo-based animated movie of 2023. First it was Captain Marvel herselfBrie Larson as Princess RosalinaandUncut Gemsdirector/Happy Gilmore 2actor Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr. Then it wasthe arrival of Yoshi, the tongue-whipping dinosaur-esque steed teased at the end of the first film.

For Super Bowl 2026, we get a brief scene of Yoshi, Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and baby Mario and Luigi running into a T. rex.

Chris Pratt is back as the voice of Mario, the human plumber who found himself warped to the world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Also returning are Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Jack Black as Bowser.

Supergirl

This one didn't technically air during the Super Bowl, but the Puppy Bowl is close enough.

A newSupergirlteaser centered on Krypto the superdog arrived Sunday, as shared by DC Studios co-head James Gunn on social media. The preview sees Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock), cousin of David Corenswet's Superman, meeting the Kryptonian canine for the first time following a tragedy on her home planet of Krypton.

Inspired by the popular comic bookSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the movie focuses on Kara, who debuted at the end of last summer'sSuperman. A boozer who parties around the galaxy to drown out her trauma, she is approached by an alien named Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley), who seeks Kara's help in bringing to justice those who destroyed her family.

Project Hail Mary

It'sRyan Goslingin space in this upcoming sci-fi picture coming to theaters this March. A nearly three-minute trailer released online Sunday (shown above), but a shorter TV spot is set to air during Super Bowl 2026.

Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. With the slow return of his memories comes the realization of his mission, which is to identify the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out.

The Super Bowl trailer confirms puppeteer James Ortiz is the voice behind Rocky, a spider-like alien creature whose galaxy's sun is also dying from this same unknown substance. The two meet in the depths of space and work together to solve the riddle.

Hoppers

Pixar'sHoppersis likeAvatarbut with beavers. That's according to dialogue from the film itself!

The animated movie follows animal lover Mabel (Piper Curda), who's determined to save her beloved glade from being destroyed by Mayor Jerry's (Jon Hamm) construction project. She learns about new technology to "hop" into the consciousness of a life-like robotic beaver in order to directly communicate with wildlife.

Saturday Night Livealum Bobby Moynihan voices King George, head beaver overseeing the glade. The cast is packed with all-star talent, including Meryl Streep as the voice of the Insect Queen.

Disclosure Day

Newly crowned EGOT winnerSteven Spielberg is revisiting UFOs as a concept — 44 years after the release ofE.T. the Extra-Terrestrialand 21 years afterWar of the Worlds.

So far, Universal Pictures has kept the specifics of the director's latest film cryptic. Based on the footage we've seen thus far, it involves alien contact with individuals on Earth. Emily Blunt plays a weatherwoman who experiences an unexplainable alien phenomenon live on air, captivating millions of viewers.

Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo also star inDisclosure Day, which is based on an original idea from Spielberg and written by David Koepp, the filmmaker's scribe onJurassic Park,The Lost World: Jurassic Park,War of the Worlds, andIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

The Mandalorian and Grogu

Baby Yoda is back! Someone get him snackies stat.

Pedro Pascal returns as the man behind the helmet of the Mandalorian known as Din Djarin, while he brings Grogu, his young apprentice, along for another intergalactic adventure. This time around we also have Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward, a former pilot for the Rebel Alliance and currently an officer in the New Republic; and Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt, the son of everyone's favorite belly-laughing gangster Jabba the Hutt.

Feeling less like a movie trailer and more like a commercial, the Super Bowl spot sees the dynamic duo sitting in a carriage pulled through a wintry scene by Tauntauns.

The Mandalorian and Groguis a big-screen continuation of the Disney+ streaming seriesThe Mandalorianand hails from that same team. It's directed by Jon Favreau and co-written by Favreau andnewly minted Lucasfilm President and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni.

Minions & Monsters

You can't keep those Minions down. Just prepare yourself for more movie theater social media trends, like when all those Gentleminions flooded screenings of 2022'sThe Rise of Gru.

Part of the offshoots toDespicable Me,Minions 3brings back those lovable, gabbering, yellow lifelike Twinkies as they get into more absurd shenanigans. Universal unveiled the official title during the Super Bowl ad break (shown above), which isMinions & Monsters, and then pointed fans to watch the full trailer online (shown below).

According to an official plot description, "This is the rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created."

The Adventures of Cliff Booth

Andrew Cooper/Sony

Though the streamer did not officially release the trailer online, bootleg versions and screengrabs ofthe first look atThe Adventures of Cliff Boothexist around social media.

David Fincher directs theOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodsequel, while original filmmaker Quentin Tarantino wrote the script. Pitt returns as stuntman Cliff Booth opposite Elizabeth Debicki, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Carla Gugino, Holt McCallany, Karren Karagulian, JB Tadena, and more.

In the footage, Debicki's character refers to the events ofOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood, which saw Cliff and his actor counterpart Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) crossing paths with the Manson Family. "I don't possess many talents," Cliff responds, "but I know better than to get in the way of a good story."

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

This article will be updated as more movie trailers debut.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Also on Monday, an Israeli drone struck a car in the southern Lebanese village of Yanouh, killing three people, including a child, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the strike.

According to the NNA agency, Atwi Atwi — a local official with the Sunni Islamist group al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, or the Islamic Group in English — was taken in the southern village of Hebbarieh, in the region of Hasbaya and close to the border with Israel.

A statement from the Israeli military said Israeli troops apprehended an Islamic Group official in a "targeted intelligence-based operation." It did not release the official's name.

The Islamic Group condemned the seizure, saying it was part of Israel's daily attacks and violations of Lebanon's sovereignty. It called on the Lebanese state to work for the release of Atwi.

The Islamic Group is Lebanon's branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, a pan-Islamist political group, with an armed wing in Lebanon known as Fajr Forces.

Advertisement

After the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, the Fajr Forces joined forces with the Lebanese Shiite militant Hezbollah group, launching rockets across the border into Israel that it said were in support of Hamas in Gaza.

The Brotherhood has been outlawed in much of the Middle East and labeled a terror group. Last month, theTrump administration designatedthe Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian branches of the Brotherhood as terrorist organizations.

Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya's leader, Mohammed Takkoush, said during the14-month war between Hezbollah and Israelthat his group and Hezbollah put aside their differences on conflicts in Syria and Yemen to join forces against Israel.

Hezbollah started attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, triggering the latest Israel-Hamas war. Israel later launched a widespread bombardment of Lebanon that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion.

The conflict ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024, and since then, Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes and ground incursions into Lebanon. Israel says it's carrying out the operations to remove Hezbollah strongholds and threats against Israel.

The Israel-Hezbollah war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians, and caused an estimated$11 billion in damage and destruction, according to the World Bank. In Israel, 127 people died, including 80 soldiers.

Rescue teams search for survivors after a building collapsed in Tripoli

Rescue workers in the ⁠northern city's ‌Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood have also assisted nine survivors, while the ‍search continued for others still believed to be trapped under the debris, NNA said.

Officials ​said on Sunday that two adjoining ‌buildings had collapsed.

Advertisement

Abdel Hamid Karameh, head of Tripoli's municipal council, said he could not confirm how many people remained missing. Earlier, the head of Lebanon's ⁠civil defence rescue service ​said the two ​buildings were home to 22 residents.

A number of aging residential buildings ‍have collapsed ⁠in Tripoli, Lebanon's second-largest city, in recent weeks, highlighting deteriorating infrastructure and ⁠years of neglect, state media reported, citing ‌municipal officials.

(Reporting by Jana Choukeir; Editing ‌by Kirsten Donovan)

Lai, a 78-year-old prominent democracy advocate, wassentencedto 20 years in prison after beingfound guiltyin December of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiring with others to publish seditious articles. His co-defendants, who entered guilty pleas to the collusion-related charge, received prison terms ranging between six years and three months, and 10 years.

Some foreign governments and rights groups called for the release of the British citizen. But China's Foreign Ministry said Lai is a Chinese citizen, and urged other countries to respect its sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

Here's what they said:

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her country's government is gravely concerned by the sentences handed down to Lai and his co-defendants, saying its thoughts are with their family members and supporters at this difficult time.

Wong said the prosecutions have had a chilling effect on free speech in Hong Kong. She called on China to stop suppression on freedom of expression, media and civil society, as well as repealing the security law, under which Lai was convicted.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Lai was sentenced for exercising his right to freedom of expression after a "politically motivated prosecution." She was concerned for Lai's health and called on the Hong Kong authorities to release him on humanitarian grounds so that he may be reunited with his family.

"For the 78-year-old, this is tantamount to a life sentence," she said, adding that her government will "rapidly engage further" on the case.

In Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters at a daily briefing that Lai is a Chinese citizen, calling him a major planner and participant in a series of anti-China destabilizing activities in Hong Kong.

Lin said the judicial cases are purely Hong Kong's internal affairs, urging "relevant countries" to avoid interfering in Hong Kong's judicial affairs or China's internal affairs.

Beijing's office in Hong Kong affairs said Lai's sentence reflected Hong Kong's determination in safeguarding national security and demonstrated the spirit of the rule of law.

Hong Kong leader John Lee said Lai's crimes are heinous and that he had used Apple Daily to "poison" residents and incite hatred. He said Lai deserved the sentence because he openly asked for foreign sanctions against China as well as Hong Kong and harmed their interests.

"His heavy sentence of 20 years in prison demonstrated the rule of law, upheld justice, and brought great satisfaction to the people," he said in a statement.

Taiwan's mainland affairs council condemned the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for suppressing human rights in the name of national security, urging for Lai's release. It reminded Taiwanese people to take Hong Kong's painful experience as a warning to safeguard its hard-won free way of life.

Rights groups

Amnesty International said the sentence marked "another grim milestone" for Hong Kong.

"Imprisoning a 78-year-old man for doing nothing more than exercising his rights shows a complete disregard for human dignity," Sarah Brooks, Amnesty's deputy regional director, said.

Reporters Without Borders' Director General Thibaut Bruttin said the court decision underscores the complete collapse of press freedom in Hong Kong and the authorities' contempt for independent journalism.

"We have already witnessed press freedom defender Liu Xiaobo die in prison due to insufficient international pressure. We cannot allow Jimmy Lai to suffer a similar fate," he said.

HONG KONG, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's most vocal China critic, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in jail, ending the city's biggest national security case which drew international concern about Beijing's clampdown on the city's freedoms and autonomy.

Lai's sentence on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign ​forces and one for publishing seditious materials ends a legal saga that has spanned nearly five years.

Lai, founder of the feisty but shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, was first arrested in August 2020 ‌and was convicted last year.

His 20-year sentence was within the harshest penalty "band" for offences of a "grave nature" and is the most severe punishment meted out yet, the three national security judges said.

Lai's sentence was enhanced by the fact that he was the "mastermind" and driving ‌force behind "persistent" foreign collusion conspiracies, the judges said.

They cited prosecution evidence that the conspiracies had sought sanctions, blockades and other hostile acts from the U.S. and other countries while involving a web of individuals including Apple Daily staff, activists and foreigners.

Besides Lai, six former senior Apple Daily staffers, an activist and a paralegal were sentenced to jail terms ranging between six and 10 years.

"In the present case, Lai was no doubt the mastermind of all three conspiracies charged and therefore he warrants a heavier sentence," the judges said. "As regards the others, it is difficult to distinguish their relative culpability."

The 78-year-old, a British citizen, has denied all the charges against him, saying in court he ⁠is a "political prisoner" facing persecution from Beijing.

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs ‌Office, under China's state council, said in a statement the sentence "is a solemn and powerful declaration that whoever dares to challenge the law on safeguarding national security will be severely punished".

Hong Kong's leader John Lee said it upholds the rule of law and gratified the public, saying "Jimmy Lai's crimes are heinous and utterly unforgivable".

Lai's plight has ‍been criticised by global leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, spotlighting a years-long national security crackdown in the China-ruled Asian financial hub, following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Those concerns reflected in part Lai's long-standing international profile as a pro-democracy critic of China's Communist Party leadership and his extensive political connections, particularly among U.S. Republicans - ties that prosecutors cited during the case.

At the height of the protests in July 2019, Lai met then-U.S. Vice President ​Mike Pence and then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington.

Beijing in 2020 imposed the national security law in Hong Kong, saying it was necessary to stabilise the city after months of sometimes violent unrest.

LIFE ‌IN PRISON?

Lai's friends and supporters say is in frail health with diabetes and high blood pressure, and should be freed.

Lai's son, Sebastien, said the sentence "is devastating for our family and life-threatening for my father" and marked the "total destruction" of the Hong Kong legal system.

"After more than five years of relentlessly persecuting my father, it is time for China to do the right thing and release him before it is too late," he said from outside Hong Kong.

Lai, one of Hong Kong's most prominent Roman Catholics, arrived at the court in a white jacket, with hands held together in a praying gesture as he smiled and waved at supporters.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said a "sentence of this magnitude is both cruel and profoundly unjust"

Hong Kong police played down concerns about Lai's health. The head of the force's national security department, Steve Li, said Lai's ⁠health concerns had been "exaggerated" and added that the tycoon deserved his sentence.

The judges said they were not inclined to give ​Lai any deduction for his medical condition, age and solitary confinement but acknowledged he would face a "more burdensome" time than other ​inmates. They cut a month off the sedition sentence and one year each for the collusion charges.

Beijing and Hong Kong officials have said that Lai has received a fair trial and all are treated equal under a national security law that they say has been vital to restoring order to the city.

Dozens of Lai's supporters queued for several ‍days to secure a spot in the courtroom, with ⁠scores of police officers, sniffer dogs and police vehicles - including an armoured truck and a bomb disposal van - deployed around the area.

"I feel that Mr. Lai is the conscience of Hong Kong," said a man named Sum, 64, who was in the queue.

Starmer raised the case of Lai, who holds British citizenship, during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month in Beijing, according ⁠to people briefed on the discussions, and called for his release.

Trump too raised Lai's case with Xi during a meeting in October. Several Western diplomats told Reuters that negotiations to free Lai would likely begin in earnest now that he has been sentenced.

Lai's ‌lawyer, Robert Pang, said he could not comment when asked whether Lai would appeal, saying he has 28 days to do so.

(Reporting by James Pomfret, Jessie Pang; Additional reporting by ‌Andrew MacAskill in London; Writing by Greg Torode; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree, Michael Perry and Thomas Derpinghaus)