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Veteran British actor Maggie Smith dies aged 89: family
Oscar-winning British actor Maggie Smith, a star of stage and screen for more than seven decades, died in hospital in London on Friday, her sons announced.
Climate activists jailed for throwing soup at Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'
A UK judge on Friday jailed two climate activists who threw soup at Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" at London's National Gallery in 2022 for terms of two years and 20 months respectively.
Maneskin's Damiano David releases first solo song
Damiano David, lead singer of Italian rock band and Eurovision winner Maneskin, released his first solo track Friday, sparking fears among fans that the group might be about to split.
UK watchdog bans Naomi Campbell from running charity over 'misconduct'
Former supermodel Naomi Campbell has been barred from running a charity after an inquiry found funds raised by an organisation she founded had been spent on spa treatment and room service charges.
X says complied with Brazil court orders, should be reinstated: source
Elon Musk's X social media platform has complied with orders from Brazil's Supreme Court and is asking for its suspension in the country to be lifted, a source close to the case told AFP on Thursday.
Macron, Trudeau pledge common front on economy, language
French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday expressed their shared vision, from working towards "open and decarbonized" economies, and promoting the French language, to calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Emotional Almodovar wins lifetime award at San Sebastian festival
Oscar-winning Spanish director Pedro Almodovar received a lifetime achievement award at Spain's San Sebastian film festival Thursday, getting teary-eyed as he was given a prolonged standing ovation.
Monet's odes to London's 'beautiful' smog appear in city
Claude Monet was enchanted by the mysterious light generated by London's famous "smog", and the city he loved is now hosting a new exhibition recognising his strange fascination with the industrial pollution.
Van Gogh painting falls short of expectations in Hong Kong auction
A Vincent van Gogh painting displaying the artist's shift from dark realism to vibrant impressionism sold for US$32.2 million at a Hong Kong auction on Thursday, falling short of expectations that it would fetch a record-breaking price.
Radiohead reworks Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' for new stage production
Shakespeare will meet Radiohead in a new stage production of "Hamlet" due to premiere next year, set to a reworked version of the band's "Hail to the Thief" album.
'Barbie' director Gerwig honored by 'terrifying' movie industry
"Barbie" director Greta Gerwig paid tribute to risk-takers in the "terrifying" entertainment industry as she was honored for her pioneering filmmaking at a prestigious Hollywood gala on Wednesday.
Van Gogh painting set to break Asia record in Hong Kong auction
A Vincent van Gogh painting displaying the artist's shift from dark realism to vibrant impressionism could become the most expensive Western painting sold in Asia if it fetches its top estimated value of $50 million at a Hong Kong auction on Thursday.
Hong Kong cheongsam master in the mood to retire after 75 years
Bent over a magenta chiffon fabric, an elderly Hong Kong tailor wearing thick glasses meticulously stitched on embroidered butterflies, working to transform the shimmering material into an elegant, high-collared Chinese dress known as a cheongsam.
OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati leaving company
OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati on Wednesday said she is leaving the company behind ChatGPT, adding to a growing list of high-level departures.
Facing backlash online, pop star Chappell Roan clarifies she's voting Harris
Breakout US pop star Chappell Roan said Wednesday she will vote for Kamala Harris, after coming under criticism when she said she didn't feel "pressured to endorse someone."
Atletico Madrid president splits time between football and film
Enrique Cerezo is best known in Spain as the longtime president of Atletico Madrid football club, the less glamorous cross-town rivals of Real Madrid.
The EU vs X: How big could the fines be for Musk?
Elon Musk's X is in hot water with the EU for allegedly breaking new content rules -- and the world's richest man risks multibillion-dollar fines even he might find prohibitive.
In election, Hollywood is about cash not endorsements
Stars from Taylor Swift to George Clooney are flocking to endorse Kamala Harris, but celebrities are unlikely to move the needle when it comes to voters and are seen by insiders as more effective at fundraising.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs sued for alleged 2001 rape
A woman who alleges Sean "Diddy" Combs drugged and violently raped her, filming the assault so he could sell it for the titillation of others, said Tuesday she was suing the rapper.
Alberta Ferretti quits as creative director at brand she founded
Italian desiger Alberta Ferretti, who counts Taylor Swift among her clients, has given up her post of creative director of the fashion brand that she founded in the 1980s, the Aeffe group owners said Tuesday.
Met Opera opens season with tech-heavy 'Grounded'
New York's prestigious Metropolitan Opera will open its season Monday with "Grounded," a work that explores technological evolutions of war against the backdrop of motherhood.
Bottega Veneta goes for 'E.T.' chic as Madonna pops into D&G
Milan Fashion Week came to a close on Saturday with its share of surprises, not least an unlikely source of inspiration for Bottega Veneta's much-anticipated evening show.
Bottega Veneta holds investors' aces as Madonna pops into D&G
As Milan Fashion Week nears its end, fashionistas are eagerly awaiting Bottega Veneta's Saturday show -- as are investors seeing the brand's sales rise each year.
Germany's Oktoberfest opens under tight security after attacks
Munich's Oktoberfest, the world's biggest beer festival, opened Saturday under heightened security following a string of attacks in Germany attributed to jihadists.
From TikTok to Hollywood, the irresistible rise of Italy's Khaby Lame
Compared by some to Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, the most followed TikToker in the world, Khaby Lame, is preparing to launch a film career in Hollywood following his dizzying global success on social media.
Christie's expands Hong Kong footprint in hope of art market 'pickup'
Auction house Christie's opened its regional headquarters in Hong Kong on Friday as its Asia Pacific chief predicted a sales "pickup" despite a global art market weighed down by wary sellers.
Fake celebrity endorsements, snubs plague US presidential race
Taylor Swift did not endorse Donald Trump. Nor did Lady Gaga or Morgan Freeman. And Bruce Springsteen was not photographed in a "Keep America Trumpless" shirt. Fake celebrity endorsements and snubs are roiling the US presidential race.
Documentary brings Argentine 'death flights' to the big screen
With tears in their eyes, a packed cinema of Argentines were confronted this week, some not for the first time, with the horrors of the so-called "death flights" carried out by the country's 1976-1983 military dictatorship.
Unknown Mozart string trio discovered in Germany
A previously unknown piece of music composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he was probably in his early teens has been uncovered at a library in Germany, researchers said Thursday.
Kyiv 'outraged' at Swiss showing of Russian war film
The controversial documentary "Russians at War" will be shown at the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) next month despite harsh criticism from Kyiv, the event's director said Thursday.
Meta and Spotify blast EU decisions on AI
A group of companies including Meta and Spotify blasted the European Union Thursday for its "fragmented and inconsistent" decision-making on data privacy and artificial intelligence (AI).
X says Brazil service restoration 'inadvertent' and 'temporary'
Elon Musk's X social network said on Wednesday that the restoration of its services in Brazil, where it had been shut down, was "inadvertent and temporary."