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Italian artist Pistoletto's 'Venus of the Rags' destroyed in fire
One of Italian contemporary artist Michelangelo Pistoletto's most famous works, "Venus of the Rags", has been burnt to cinders in a suspected arson attack in Naples, authorities said Wednesday.
Czech-French writer Milan Kundera dies at 94
Czech-French writer Milan Kundera, author of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", has died aged 94, the Milan Kundera Library said Wednesday.
Philippines allows Barbie film but wants 'child-like' map lines blurred
Philippine censors said Wednesday they have allowed the Barbie film to be shown in cinemas, after asking its Hollywood distributor to blur lines on a brightly-coloured world map drawing allegedly showing China's claims to the disputed South China Sea.
Hollywood on edge for latest actor strike deadline
Hollywood actors on Wednesday anxiously awaited their union's decision on whether to strike, right at the peak of the film industry's key summer blockbuster season.
Philippines allows Barbie film but wants controversial map blurred
Philippine censors said Wednesday they have allowed the upcoming Barbie film to be shown in cinemas, after asking its Hollywood distributor to blur a map allegedly showing China's claims to the disputed South China Sea.
France to pay bonus for shoe, clothes repairs to cut waste
From October, France will pay a bonus to encourage people to have their clothes and shoes repaired rather than throwing them away, the government said.
Jury declares Aretha Franklin will found in couch valid
A handwritten document found in Aretha Franklin's couch cushion is a valid will determining the late Queen of Soul's wishes, a Michigan jury found Tuesday, according to the local Detroit Free Press newspaper.
Doubt cast over BBC presenter 'explicit photos' claims
BBC representatives met police in London on Monday over allegations that one of the broadcaster's top presenters paid a teenager thousands of pounds for sexual images.
UK broadcaster under pressure after presenter accused over 'explicit' pictures
The BBC was on Monday facing questions after a high-profile presenter was accused by a newspaper of paying a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for "sexually explicit" photos.
BBC suspends presenter after explicit images allegations
The BBC said Sunday it had contacted the authorities and suspended a presenter following allegations that he had paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos.
K-pop megastars BTS release memoir
K-pop megastars BTS released their hotly anticipated memoir in South Korea on Sunday, marking their 10th anniversary as a group.
AI can't replace Mickey Mouse, says voice of Disney mascot
Aw, gee! The technology driving artificial intelligence sure is swell, but it could never capture the essence of Mickey Mouse, according to the man who voices Disney's mascot.
Summer time is circus time in Montreal
Trampolines and trapezes are out on the asphalt in Montreal, with colorful acrobats twirling near skyscrapers in breathtaking feats.
African-born director's new vision for Berlin cultural magnet
One of the rare African-born figures to head a German cultural institution, Bonaventure Ndikung is aiming to highlight post-colonial multiculturalism at a Berlin arts centre with its roots in Western hegemony.
Philippine 'Swifties' flock to Taylor Sheesh show
Thousands of diehard Taylor Swift fans erupted in screams Friday as a Philippine drag queen impersonating the American music megastar strutted on stage in a Manila shopping centre.
'Four Weddings' star lambasts UK theatres for trigger warnings
British actor Simon Callow, who starred in the 1990s hit film "Four Weddings and a Funeral", on Friday took aim at theatres for their growing use of trigger warnings.
Facebook alters fact-checking controls for US users
Meta-owned Facebook has handed US users the controls over fact-checked content, in a potentially significant move that the platform says will give them more power over its algorithm but some analysts insist could benefit purveyors of misinformation.
Not 'another cruel summer': Trudeau beckons Taylor Swift to Canada
When US superstar Taylor Swift announced yet more dates for her much-hyped world tour -- but once again skipped Canada -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could not shake it off.
Checking out, when they like: Eagles announce farewell tour
Chart-topping rock band the Eagles on Thursday announced a final tour after more than half a century in music, with the kickoff set for New York in September.
Fashion house Aelis upcycling tutus for Paris Opera
Ecology-focused couture brand Aelis announced a partnership with the Paris Opera to upcycle tutus into bespoke dresses and new costumes at its fashion week show on Thursday.
French MPs urge TikTok ban ultimatum
French MPs on Thursday called on the government to ban video-sharing platform TikTok unless it clarifies its links to China, days after the government blamed social media for fuelling recent riots.
Revealing debut for first Saudi in Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week welcomed its first Saudi designer into the fold on Thursday, with a haute couture show full of daringly revealing looks.
Spain worried by rise in sexual attacks by minors
The rise in sexual assaults by minors in Spain, including several recent gang rapes, has worried officials and experts, who warn about the impact of ever-younger children being exposed to pornography.
Disney cracks open vast archive for centennial celebrations
From princess costumes and cute character sketches to century-old toys, photos and documents, Disney's backrooms and warehouses are stacked to the rafters with "hundreds of millions" of filmmaking treasures, its archivists say.
Meta launches Twitter rival Threads -- but not in Europe
Facebook behemoth Meta officially will launch Threads, its text-based rival to Twitter, on Wednesday -- but its release in Europe has been delayed over regulatory concerns.
Russia launches criminal probe after award-winning reporter attacked
Russian investigators on Wednesday said they had launched a criminal investigation after award-winning journalist Elena Milashina was badly beaten in Chechnya.
Meta's Twitter-like Threads app will not launch in Europe
Facebook owner Meta's new Threads app, meant to rival Twitter, will not be available in the European Union when it launches Thursday because of regulatory concerns, a source close to the company said.
Spacey grabbed man 'like a cobra', UK court hears
A man claiming to have been sexually assaulted by Kevin Spacey said the Hollywood actor grabbed him "like a cobra", a London court heard on Wednesday.
Hello? Don't throw stuff at us, Adele urges fans
Adele warned her Las Vegas residency audience not to throw things onstage, addressing the spate of recent incidents that saw fans chuck items at artists including Bebe Rexha.
Assaulted Russian reporter back in Moscow, condition 'difficult'
Award-winning Russian investigative journalist Elena Milashina, who was badly beaten in the restive republic of Chechnya, is in a "difficult" condition in a Moscow hospital, her editor told AFP Wednesday.
TV satire series is safety valve in troubled Burkina
Your country is one of the poorest in the world, battered by a bloody jihadist insurgency and last year underwent two military coups.
India's headhunter warriors sever past, fret over future
Once, the way to get ahead among India's Konyak warriors was by chopping off an enemy's skull. Today, the last survivors of a past age mourn the changing times -- and a new generation they see as soft.
Fashion and film merge as Paris shows its opulent side
From an absurdly opulent film shoot at the Opera Garnier to a Chanel catwalk along the Seine, fashion week offered a very different view of Paris on Tuesday from the riots of recent days.
'Angry, shocked' stage stars fear for future of British arts
As a wealth of British theatre and opera maestros cross the Channel to perform at French festivals this summer, many are worried about the state of live arts back home.
Turkey seeks severed head of ancient statue from Danish museum
A bronze head of Emperor Septimius Severus on display at a Copenhagen museum has become a bone of contention between the Danish museum and Turkey, which claims it was looted during an archaeological dig in the 1960s and wants it back.
Greek goddesses at Dior couture show
There were no frills or heels for Christian Dior as the label took over the Rodin Museum in Paris on Monday, putting on a fitting homage to Greek goddesses for the opening day of haute couture week.
'Well known' that Kevin Spacey was 'up to no good', UK court told
A man who claims that Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted him said the Hollywood actor was an aggressive "predator" uncomfortable with his sexuality, a London court was told on Monday.
Paris couture week brushes off riots with Surrealist start
An artist-inspired show from Schiaparelli opened Paris haute couture week Monday, easing fears that fashion shows would have to be cancelled due to five nights of rioting across France.
'I was crazy': 50 Cent on 20 years of 'Get Rich or Die Tryin'
As 50 Cent heads out on a world tour marking the 20th anniversary of hip-hop classic "Get Rich or Die Tryin'", he told AFP it's probably his last on this scale.