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To fight its war, Russia closing digital doors
Russia's blocking of Facebook is a symptom of its broader effort to cut itself off from sources of information that could imperil its internationally condemned invasion of Ukraine, experts say.
Facebook blocked as Russia backs jail time for 'fake news'
Russia on Friday blocked Facebook and moved to impose harsh jail terms for publishing "fake news" about the army as part of efforts to muffle dissent over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
McCartney, Eilish, Lamar to headline Glastonbury
Paul McCartney and US rapper Kendrick Lamar will join Billie Eilish to headline the UK's Glastonbury festival when it returns in June after a two-year Covid-induced hiatus, organisers said on Friday.
Russia backs jail time for 'fake' army news, restricts media
Russian lawmakers approved legislation Friday to impose fines and harsh jail terms for publishing "fake news" about the army -- the latest move to silence dissent one week after Moscow launched the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia says 'limiting' sites of BBC, Deutsche Welle, Meduza
Russia's media watchdog said Friday it had restricted access to the BBC and other independent media websites, tightening controls over the internet more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine.
'Woven air': Bangladesh revives elite forgotten fabric
With wooden spinning wheels and hand-drawn looms, Bangladesh is painstakingly resurrecting a fabric once worn by Marie Antoinette and Jane Austen but long thought forever lost to history.
Google Maps and Tripadvisor nix war news in reviews
Google on Thursday said it has stopped allowing reviews to be added to its online Maps service in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine to prevent them from being used for war news.
Courtney Love settles Kurt Cobain guitar murder plot lawsuit
US singer Courtney Love has settled a lawsuit with her ex-son-in-law over claims she planned to kill or kidnap him in a dispute about one of Kurt Cobain's guitars.
Marilyn Manson accuses Rachel Evan Wood of conspiracy after rape claim
Marilyn Manson on Wednesday filed court proceedings against his ex-fiancee US actress Rachel Even Wood -- who has accused the goth rocker of raping her -- for engaging in conspiracy, fraud and defamation to destroy his career, according to the complaint.
Auctioneer Sotheby's sees double benefit to crypto wave
Sotheby's auction house is almost three centuries old but its top brass want to embrace the cutting edge of technology and all of its buzzwords -- metaverse, NFT and crypto among them.
Cairo's newspaper vendors go silent as sales collapse
Newspaper sellers were once a dime a dozen on Cairo's bustling streets, but now the vendors hawking hot-off-the-press editions have fallen almost silent.
Ukraine official Twitter-shaming firms to action over invasion
Ukraine's vice prime minister has been calling out big tech companies by name on Twitter to push them to penalize Russia over its invasion -- and it's having an impact.
Collective of US states investigate TikTok's impact on children
A consortium of US states announced on Wednesday an investigation into TikTok's possible harms to young users of the platform, which has boomed in popularity especially among children.
Kim Kardashian divorce from Kanye West finalized
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian officially became single again on Wednesday, after a Los Angeles judge finalized her divorce from rapper Ye, whom she married in 2014.
Record sale for Magritte at London auction: Sotheby's
"L'Empire des lumieres" was sold for £59.4 million ($79.4 million, 71.4 million euros) in London on Wednesday, shattering the record for a work by Belgian artist Rene Magritte.
Amazon opens Luna video game streaming to anyone in US
Amazon launched its Luna video game streaming service for the general public on Tuesday in the United States, aiming to expand its multi-pronged empire into the booming gaming industry.
Dior unveils 'protective' clothing for a time of crisis
Dior's show at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday struck a sombre tone, with designer Maria Grazia Chiuri telling AFP her focus on combining "beauty and protection" was apt for a time of war.
UK's 'festival of Brexit' begins, without nationalism
A creativity festival to celebrate British ingenuity after Brexit, conceived before the pandemic, kicks off on Tuesday with project leaders insisting the show has nothing to do with nationalism.
Putin-friendly French actor Depardieu objects to 'fratricidal' war
French actor Gerard Depardieu, a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday came out against the war in Ukraine and called for negotiations.
Music world shuns Russian maestro Gergiev over Putin ties
One of Germany's top orchestras fired Russian maestro and Kremlin loyalist, Valery Gergiev, as its chief conductor on Tuesday after he failed to denounce Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, capping a stunning fall from grace for the classical music superstar.
Japan's Maezawa to sell Basquiat estimated at $70 million
Japanese billionaire space tourist Yusaku Maezawa is putting one of his Basquiat artworks up for sale, an auction house has said, hoping for around $13 million profit on the piece.
A yak at the Oscars: first nomination for Bhutanese film
Filmed in one of the remotest corners in one of the world's most inaccessible countries, "Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom", is the first Bhutanese film ever nominated for an Academy Award.
At Met Opera, a balancing act between the traditional and cutting-edge
The Metropolitan Opera in recent years has taken steps to draw in new opera-goers with more modern works, this year launching its season with its first piece by a Black composer.
Twitter to label tweets linking to Russian state media
Twitter will put warnings on tweets sharing links to Russian state-affiliated media, the platform said Monday, as Kremlin-tied outlets are accused of spreading misinformation on Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
TikTok videos get longer in challenge to YouTube
TikTok on Monday began letting users upload videos as long as 10 minutes, ramping up the young platform's challenge to veteran titan YouTube.
Paris Fashion Week kicks off in glamorous but 'solemn' wartime mood
The stars came out for the opening night of Paris Fashion Week on Monday, which looked set for a return to pre-pandemic normality until the war in Ukraine forced organisers to strike a sombre tone.
Paris Fashion Week kicks off in 'solemn' wartime mood
Two years on from France's first pandemic lockdown, Paris Fashion Week is almost back to full attendance, but the war in Ukraine led organisers to strike a sombre tone as shows got underway on Monday.
Neil Diamond sells complete catalog to Universal
Neil Diamond, the hitmaker behind "Sweet Caroline" and "Red Red Wine," sold his complete publishing and master recordings catalogs to Universal Music Group, the company said Monday.
Paris concert hall cancels star Russian conductor
The prestigious Philharmonie concert hall in Paris became the latest arts institution to bar star Russian conductor Valery Gergiev on Monday over his close ties to President Vladimir Putin.
French art star Messager opens Tel Aviv retrospective
French artist Annette Messager, a global star whose retrospective opens in Israel on Tuesday, says her work has been changed by the Covid pandemic, "the masks we wear and all the death".
How a pensioner made Spanish banks rethink counter services
It was his bank's limited counter service and indifference to his struggles with ATMs and apps that forced a Spanish pensioner to act, highlighting the panic the digital revolution is causing many older people.
Fake social media accounts aimed at Ukraine, says Meta
Pro-Russia groups are orchestrating misinformation campaigns on social media, using fake profiles or hacked accounts to paint Ukraine as a feeble pawn of Western duplicity, Meta said Sunday.