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Pope kicks off Christmas under shadow of war

Christmas revellers around the world donned red and white Santa hats, offered meals to the homeless and lit candles on Wednesday, as Pope Francis launched observation of the global holiday with a sombre mass in the Vatican.

As India's Bollywood shifts, stars and snappers click

From riding pillion on zooming motorbikes to round-the-clock airport stakeouts, India's celebrity-hunting paparazzi photographers have gone from "outcasts" to becoming a key part of Bollywood's vast film industry machine.

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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.

Deaf drama 'CODA' wins top prize at SAG awards

"CODA," a heartfelt indie drama about a struggling deaf family, won the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild awards Sunday, boosting its hopes as a potential dark horse for next month's Oscars.

Puffy and fluffy, with shoulders: Five trends from Milan Fashion Week

Milan Fashion Week wraps up Monday after six days of catwalk presentations showcasing the best of Fall/Winter 2022/2023, Italian-style.

Israeli spytech firm NSO sues newspaper for defamation

The embattled Israeli spytech firm NSO Group filed Sunday a defamation lawsuit against a newspaper that reported its Pegasus software had been used by police against dozens of prominent Israelis.

French ballet director quits Russia company over Ukraine invasion

French ballet master Laurent Hilaire has resigned from his position as director of the Stanilavski Theatre company in Moscow over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he told AFP on Sunday.

Musk activates Starlink internet service in Ukraine

Elon Musk said Saturday his company SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband service had been activated in Ukraine, after a Kyiv official urged the tech titan to provide his embattled country with stations.

Sidewalk is new catwalk outside Milan fashion shows

A cry goes up the from crowd, a sea of craning necks and suddenly hundreds of cellphones go up in the air clicking photos.

Facebook bans Russia state media from running ads, monetizing

Facebook on Friday restricted Russian state media's ability to earn money on the social media platform as Moscow's invasion of neighboring Ukraine reached the streets of Kyiv.

Pattinson suits up for macabre new 'Batman'

Robert Pattinson had never been interested in playing a superhero -- until Ben Affleck quit his role as Batman, leaving the famous cape unexpectedly up for grabs.

Nul points: Eurovision bars Russia over Ukraine conflict

No Russian entertainers will be permitted to take part in this year's Eurovision Song Contest following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the European Broadcasting Union said Friday.

Gucci and Adidas are BFF at Milan Fashion Week

Why have one logo when you can have two?

'Crime and catastrophe': Russian stars say no to war

A number of prominent Russians are echoing a chorus of global celebrities condemning Moscow's war on Ukraine, with some already beginning to suffer the consequences for defying the Kremlin line.

Kim Kardashian urges quick divorce from Kanye

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has urged a US court to expedite her divorce, saying it would help husband Ye to accept the relationship is over.

Putin supporter Gergiev axed from Carnegie Hall shows

In an extraordinary last-minute move, Manhattan's Carnegie Hall announced Thursday that acclaimed Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, a close supporter of Vladimir Putin, will no longer lead the Vienna Philharmonic in a concert series this weekend.

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