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Louise Gluck, US poet and 2020 Nobel laureate, dies at 80
American poet Louise Gluck, winner of the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes for her distinctively austere writing, has died, a Yale University spokeswoman told AFP on Friday.
Swiftonomics and Beyonce bump: how stars power economies
Three years after the pandemic wiped out the live music scene, fans are flocking again to see their favourite stars on stage, with Taylor Swift and Beyonce raking it in with tours that are giving local economies a boost.
'Swifties' flock to movie theaters for record-breaking 'Eras' film
Taylor Swift fans sporting friendship bracelets and glittery cowboy boots packed into early screenings of the pop megastar's concert film at movie theaters across the United States on Thursday.
Talks to end Hollywood actors' strike collapse
Talks between Hollywood actors and studios over an ongoing strike have collapsed, in a blow to hopes for a swift end to a crisis that has crippled the entertainment industry.
'Helpless': How a massacre unfolded at Israel music festival
Osher and Michael Waknin wanted to celebrate friendship, love and freedom. The twins in their 30s "organised parties all over Israel... They were always happy kids," their sister said.
Talks to end Hollywood actors' strike suspended
Talks between Hollywood actors and studios over an ongoing strike were suspended Wednesday, both parties said, in a blow to hopes for a swift end to a crisis that has crippled the entertainment industry.
Misinformation mires Australia's Indigenous rights referendum
Holed up in a makeshift studio in Sydney's Russian consulate, a pro-Putin activist on the run from Australian police is using the country's upcoming Indigenous rights referendum to push the Kremlin's agenda.
Ecuador journalists under fire as drug war escalates
To do their work of reporting the news -- a crucial job ahead of Sunday's looming presidential election -- many journalists in Ecuador now don bulletproof vests and helmets.
Frieze London celebrates 20th year of fairs in UK capital
Emerging artists and big names in contemporary art will both feature as Frieze London, one of the world's biggest and most prestigious contemporary art fairs, opens to the public on Thursday.
Jada Pinkett Smith says separated from Will Smith since 2016
Actor Jada Pinkett Smith has been separated from husband Will Smith since 2016 -- six years before the infamous "Oscars Slap" -- she revealed in an interview that aired Wednesday.
Rushdie to release book on near-fatal stabbing
British author Salman Rushdie is to release a memoir about the stabbing attack that nearly killed him last year when a knife-wielding assailant jumped on stage at an arts event in New York state.
French court sentences Russian artist to six months in sextape scandal
A French court on Wednesday sentenced the controversial Russian performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky to six months in prison for his role in a sex tape scandal which ended a campaign by an ally of President Emmanuel Macron to become Paris mayor.
Italian football investigating Juve starlet for betting
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) are investigating Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli over possible sports betting.
In Colombian jungle, digging up the Americas' colonial past
With brushes and trowels, Indigenous Colombians are unearthing traces in the jungle of a tragic period in history, when their ancestors were violently supplanted by colonists from Spain.
Nice pick up: Guitars owned by Clapton, Cobain hit auction block
Guitars played by music legends Eric Clapton and Kurt Cobain are going under the hammer in the United States next month with an estimated price tag of up to $2 million each.
EU warns Musk's X spreading 'illegal' disinfo after Hamas attack
The EU's digital chief Thierry Breton warned Elon Musk on Tuesday that his platform X, formerly Twitter, is spreading "illegal content and disinformation", in a letter seen by AFP.
'Dear Jinri' bears witness to late K-pop singer's truth
A new documentary featuring a late K-pop star's final interview unveils complex truths about South Korea's notoriously brutal music industry while highlighting her defiance of pressure to conform to societal norms.
Tech firms struggle as Israel-Gaza falsehoods explode
From fake accounts impersonating journalists to war-themed video games fueling false narratives, tech platforms are struggling to contain a tsunami of misinformation around Palestinian-Israeli hostilities after rolling back content moderation policies.
Hollywood writers sign off on new deal
Hollywood writers overwhelmingly voted to approve a hard-fought new deal with studios, their union said Monday, officially ending one of the industry's longest ever strikes.
Taiwan singers won't let curtain fall on Hakka opera
Dressed in a robe fringed with beaded tassels, traditional Taiwanese opera singer Jen Chieh-li applies the final touches to her heavily painted face as she prepares to take the stage.
Bulgaria's macho 'chalga' pop in dock over violence against women
"Punish me, grab my hair, tell me what you want," sang Bulgaria's raunchy folk-pop star Diona as she entertained a cheering crowd of mostly teenagers at a gig in the country's south.
Taylor Swift and the political needle
Another day, another Taylor Swift media circus: talk of the pop phenomenon is omnipresent, from her forthcoming concert film to her dating life to her wildly successful global tour.
Colombian artist Botero laid to rest in Tuscany
Renowned Latin-American artist Fernando Botero, one of Colombia's most famous sons, was interred on Saturday at his adopted home in Italy's Tuscany.
S. Korea's filmmaking diaspora: telling their 'own stories'
The rise of South Korean diasporic cinema -- characterised by films like Lee Isaac Chung's "Minari" and Justin Chon's "Jamojaya" -- has allowed the artists involved to feel less alone, one filmmaker told Busan International Film Festival attendees on Friday.
Mongolia's circus performers fight to preserve their craft
Mongolian circus performers fly through a cavernous hall inspectors have warned could collapse any time, one of the few places left to train if they hope to travel the world with their country's spectacular big top shows.
Advance ticket sales for Taylor Swift concert movie top $100 mn
Advance ticket sales for the movie of Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour have topped $100 million worldwide, theater operator AMC said Thursday, making it the best-selling feature-length concert film in history.
Artworks returned to heirs of Holocaust victim to be auctioned in US
Six artworks stolen by the Nazis and returned recently to the heirs of the Austrian Jew who owned them will be auctioned in New York next month, Christie's said Thursday.
Beckett to Pinter: Nobel-winning playwrights
Norway's Jon Fosse joins a select list of playwrights who have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature over the years.
In tune: Classical concert-goers' hearts, breathing synchronize
People who listen to music together often report feeling a powerful connection to each other as a result of their collective experience.
Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse wins Nobel literature prize
The Swedish Academy on Thursday awarded the Nobel literature prize to Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse, whose plays are among the most widely staged of any contemporary playwright in Europe.
Controversial or safer pick for Nobel literature prize?
The Nobel Prize in Literature to be announced Thursday could go to an overtly political author like a Kremlin critic, or crown a safer or lesser-known writer, experts say.
Chow Yun-fat laments Chinese censorship at BIFF
Hong Kong film legend Chow Yun-fat on Thursday lamented China's "difficult" censorship while conceding the mainland market's crucial financial importance for filmmakers.
Musk's X strips headlines from news links
Elon Musk's social media platform X has stripped headlines from news articles shared by users, in a move likely to further worsen relations with media groups.
S. Korean migrant's tale to open Asia's biggest film festival
A South Korean film about a disillusioned young woman who relocates to New Zealand will open Asia's largest film festival Wednesday as it looks to rally from a year marked by scandal and budget cutbacks.
San Francisco self-driving car involved in serious accident
A self-driving car operated by US company Cruise ran over a woman after she was first knocked in front of it by a hit-and-run driver in San Francisco late Monday, video showed.
Alexander McQueen appoints new designer Sean McGirr
British fashion house Alexander McQueen on Thursday announced the appointment of a new head designer, Sean McGirr, replacing Sarah Burton who had led the label since the death of its founder.
Nobel Literature Prize may laud freedom of expression: experts
Will the Swedish Academy make a political statement when it awards the Nobel Literature Prize on Thursday? If so, it could crown a writer standing up for freedom of expression, experts think.
Actor Tom Hanks warns of ad with AI imposter
Actor Tom Hanks and CBS talk show co-host Gayle King on Monday were warning fans about ads featuring imposters generated by artificial intelligence.
Not so black and white? Panda fibs fuel anti-US vibe in China
Chomping peacefully on a fruitsicle cake in her grassy Washington zoo enclosure Mei Xiang is blissfully unaware that she and a handful of other cute pandas are at the center of a ferocious misinformation campaign driving anti-US sentiment in China.