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Pope calls for 'arms to be silenced' in Christmas appeal

Pope Francis called Wednesday for "arms to be silenced" around the world in his Christmas address, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan as he denounced the "extremely grave" humanitarian situation in Gaza.

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.

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Han Kang wins South Korea's first literature Nobel

Author Han Kang on Thursday became the first South Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for her work exploring the correspondence between mental and physical torment as well as historical events.

S. Korea's Nobel winner Han Kang a modest, thought-provoking writer

South Korean author Han Kang, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature Thursday, has vowed after receiving other top literary awards that she would continue writing "as if nothing had happened".

Musk's X returns in Brazil after 40-day showdown with judge

Elon Musk's social media platform X, which was banned in Brazil for 40 days in a legal tussle over disinformation, was available again in the country on Wednesday.

Lucian Freud 'masterpiece' fetches £13.9 million at London sale

A nude by Lucian Freud that took 16 months to paint sold for £13.9 million ($18.2 million) at a London auction on Wednesday, the first time the work, hailed as a "masterpiece," has come to market.

Musk's X available again in Brazil after 40-day ban

Elon Musk's social media platform X, which was banned in Brazil for 40 days in a legal tussle over disinformation, was available again in Latin America's biggest country on Wednesday.

Let 'Emily in Paris' remain in Paris, Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview published Wednesday he hoped that Netflix's hit series "Emily in Paris" would remain centred on the French capital rather than move to Rome.

Van Gogh museum to launch Impressionism show

The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam will this week unveil a new exhibition including works by Monet and Cezanne, to mark 150 years of Impressionism and its influence on the Dutch art scene.

Restoration experts piece together silent Sherlock Holmes mystery

Sherlock Holmes fans are being promised a most authentic depiction of the fictional detective, with the restoration of a century-old silent film series chronicling the London sleuth's adventures.

Trumpet star Marsalis says jazz creates 'balance' in divided world

Renowned American trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis believes the universal language of jazz can bridge divides with a common story of humanity.

China's Jia brings film spanning love, change over decades to Busan

Chinese director Jia Zhangke's ambitious latest, which utilises footage shot across two decades, offered a peek into the evolving nature of cinema as it unspooled at this year's Busan International Film Festival.

New stadium gives Real Madrid a headache

Real Madrid's revamp of its historic Santiago Bernabeu stadium has become a problem for the Spanish football club, with locals protesting against noise from concerts and the permanent construction works.

Harry's Bar in Paris drinks to US straw-poll centenary

A straw poll at Harry's Bar in Paris, famous for calling US elections with uncanny accuracy, celebrates its centenary this year as Americans again flock to the drinking hole ahead of the November vote.

Brazil lifts ban on Musk's X, ending standoff over disinformation

Brazil's Supreme Court said Tuesday it was lifting a ban on Elon Musk's social network X, which was blocked in its biggest Latin American market for over a month amid a row over disinformation.

'Diego Lives': Immersive Maradona exhibit hits Barcelona

Argentina football legend Diego Maradona comes to life in an immersive exhibit underway in Barcelona, featuring a hologram of the late player and a reconstruction of his childhood home.

Brazil Supreme Court lifts ban on Musk's X

Brazil's Supreme Court said Tuesday it was lifting a ban on Elon Musk's social network X, which was blocked in its biggest Latin American market for over a month amid a row over disinformation.

US states accuse TikTok of harming young users

A group of 14 US states on Tuesday filed lawsuits accusing TikTok of ensnaring young users with addictive features, then harming their minds and violating their privacy.

Gilded canopy restored at Vatican basilica

Experts conducting the first renovation in 250 years of a towering altar canopy in the Vatican provided a sneak peek of their progress on Tuesday, with centuries-old gilding glowing anew.

Hollywood star Idris Elba champions African cinema in Ghana

As Idris Elba strode the halls of the Africa Cinema Summit in Ghana's capital Accra, it was clear the Golden Globe-winning British actor was not just a guest.

'Appeals Centre' to referee EU social media disputes

An independent appeals panel was unveiled Tuesday to decide disputes between social media firms and their users in the European Union over content posted on their platforms.

Survivors wait for aid as Trump's lies help cloud Helene response

In the mountains of North Carolina, real frustrations over federal aid for victims of Hurricane Helene have been supercharged by a whirlwind of lies and misinformation -- fueled in part by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Jila Mossaed, from refugee poet to Swedish Academy

Jila Mossaed fled Iran for Sweden in 1986, a 38-year-old poet who spoke no Swedish. Three decades later, she became the first foreigner inducted into Sweden's highest language authority, the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize in Literature.

US judge orders Google to open Android to rival app stores

A US judge on Monday ordered Google to open its Android smartphone operating system to rival app stores, in a fresh legal setback for the tech giant.

Grammy-winning Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney, dies at 91

Cissy Houston, the Grammy-winning mother of the late Whitney Houston, has died, her daughter-in-law said in a statement Monday. She was 91 years old.

Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo

Japan's government admitted Monday manipulating an official photo of the new cabinet to make its members look less unkempt, after online mockery of their sagging trousers.

New 'Joker' film, a dark musical, tops N.America box office

Warner Bros.' "Joker: Folie a Deux," a dark new musical Batman spinoff, earned an estimated $40 million over the weekend to top the North American box office, industry watchers reported Sunday.

Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva

Archaeological treasures from the Gaza Strip are going on display in Geneva, with the Swiss city protecting the heritage of a territory devastated by a year of war.

South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF

Netflix's Korean cult-horror thriller "Hellbound" returned for its much anticipated second season with a world premiere at Busan International Film Festival, showcasing intense performances from the new cast members, particularly Moon Geun-young.

Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'

A Prague hospital said Friday it was treating five children who had swallowed magnets following a "piercing challenge" they had found on TikTok.

Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations

Garth Brooks denied rape accusations against him as he returned to his Las Vegas concert residency late Thursday in the wake of a sexual misconduct lawsuit against the country star.

S. Korean director brings fresh film adaptation to Busan festival

South Korean filmmaker Hur Jin-ho, known for his early romances, presented a fresh, entertaining adaptation of a celebrated Dutch crime novel at the Busan International Film Festival this week, ahead of its theatrical release.

Spoon scratching: Kenya's DIY DJ

A spoon, some towel hooks, a piece of kettle and a plastic cap -- that's all you'll need to make a mixing deck if you have the technical and musical skills of DJ Boboss.

AI bubble or 'revolution'? OpenAI's big payday fuels debate

Fear of missing out has rocketed the value of artificial intelligence companies, despite few signs as to when the technology will turn a profit, raising talk of AI overenthusiasm.

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