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Tory Lanez sentenced to 10 years for shooting Megan Thee Stallion
Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, convicted of shooting US artist Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during a drunken argument after a Hollywood party, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison.

Ireland bids farewell to singer Sinead O'Connor
Mourners and fans gathered Tuesday in the Irish town once home to singer Sinead O'Connor to pay their last respects ahead of her burial.

Scout jamboree SOS issued to BTS megastars
With national embarrassment building over the World Scout Jamboree evacuations, a South Korean lawmaker has issued an SOS to supergroup BTS.

Scores of horses suffer sunstroke at Japan samurai event
Organisers of an annual horse festival in Japan where riders dressed as samurai re-enact battles said Tuesday they were considering changing dates for the gathering next year, after sunstroke affected 111 animals, killing two of them.

Fading neon signs shine again in Hong Kong exhibit
A fuchsia sign for a bridal shop, the Chinese "double happiness" character, a cool-blue flying dragon -- luminous lights of dozens of neon signs removed from the streets of Hong Kong flickered on once again at a downtown exhibit.

From East to West to southern trap, 50 years of hip hop
From the disco samples of old school hip hop to the deadpan delivery of today's drill, American hip hop has morphed in every direction over its 50-year history, defying categorization.

Pioneering documentarian protects hip hop's memory box
In the basement of a suburban home on Long Island lives thousands of tapes of footage documenting the origins of hip hop, the dominant music genre of our time.

Born in New York's Bronx before dominating the globe, hip hop turns 50
A genre, a culture and a lifestyle all at once: hip hop has traveled from the block party to the billionaire's club, soundtracked protest and celebration, and asserted seismic influence over the course of pop.

PayPal debuts US dollar-backed stablecoin for payments
PayPal on Monday launched a stablecoin digital currency backed by US dollars to be used for transactions at its global online payments platform.

'The Exorcist' director William Friedkin dies aged 87
William Friedkin, the groundbreaking US director of "The Exorcist" and "The French Connection," died on Monday, a family friend told AFP. He was 87.

William Friedkin, incendiary director of 'The Exorcist'
US director William Friedkin, who died Monday, will forever be remembered for his Oscar-winning "The Exorcist" in 1973, one of the most controversial horror films of all time that still chills new generations of moviegoers.

Third BTS member to enlist in South Korean military service
A third member of K-pop megastars BTS has begun the process of enlisting in South Korea's mandatory military service, the band's agency said Monday.

Sublime! 'Barbie' tops $1bn globally in first for solo woman director
Hollywood's pink wave has yet to crest as Warner Bros.' "Barbie" dominated for a third straight weekend in North American theaters, pushing the film's global haul past $1 billion in a first for a woman director, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.

Ukraine puts trident in place of Soviet emblem on tallest statue
Ukraine's trident coat of arms glimmered on the shield of a gigantic statue overlooking Kyiv on Sunday, after construction workers winched it up to replace a Soviet hammer and sickle.

Pope winds up Portugal visit with big outdoor Mass
Pope Francis celebrated an open-air Mass before a huge crowd on Sunday at a riverside park near Lisbon to wrap up an international jamboree of Catholic youth.

China's village basketball league a slam dunk
Thousands of raucous Chinese basketball fans pack tightly into a floodlit stadium filled with swirling fog, eager to spur on the teams battling in the tournament final.

Icon Grandmaster Flash leads the Bronx in 70s-style hip-hop jam
As a teenager Grandmaster Flash began pioneering the turntable-as-instrument, playing the now iconic Bronx block parties that gave birth to hip-hop and revolutionized music.

'Breaking Bad' actor Mark Margolis dies at 83
Mark Margolis, who played the sinister, wheelchair-bound cartel don Hector Salamanca in acclaimed TV shows "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," has died aged 83, his family said Friday.

New Ukraine stamp shows F-16 jets 'rubbing out' Kremlin
Ukraine on Friday issued postage stamps featuring US F-16 fighter jets, which it says it urgently needs Western allies to deliver to protect it from Russian attacks.

Romania court lifts Andrew Tate's house arrest order
A Romanian court Friday lifted a house arrest order on controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother as the men await trial on human trafficking charges.

Pianist dedicates music to Indigenous people who inspired him
Romayne Wheeler sits at his grand piano overlooking Mexico's Copper Canyon and plays music inspired by the mountains and remote Indigenous communities that he now dedicates his life to helping.

US police drop Cardi B mic throw probe
Cardi B will not face criminal charges over an incident in which she threw her microphone at a member of her audience, police in Las Vegas said Thursday.

Taylor Swift adds Canada tour dates after Trudeau plea
US superstar Taylor Swift announced Thursday several Toronto dates for her much-hyped world tour after a plea from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau not to skip Canada.

Freddie Mercury's private collection goes on show in UK
Among the trove of items are Freddie Mercury's signature crown and cloak ensemble, worn throughout Queen's 1986 'Magic' TourFrom fanciful costumes and working drafts of "Bohemian Rhapsody" to ashtrays and art, hundreds of items Freddie Mercury owned go on show in Britain on Friday before being sold next month.

Hollywood A-listers donate millions to aid striking actors
A dozen of Hollywood's highest-earning stars, from George Clooney to Meryl Streep, have each donated $1 million or more to support out-of-work actors as their strike enters its fourth week, their union's charitable foundation said Wednesday.

Zimbabwe election disinformation spreads on WhatsApp
From doctored photos making small crowds big to posts praising government accomplishments that never were, WhatsApp has become the channel of choice for disinformation in Zimbabwe before this month's elections.

Captain Kirk to the holodeck: Shatner beams in to remote meeting
More than half a century after he materialized on far-flung planets as Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise, William Shatner has beamed into a distant land in a demonstration of hologram technology.

Hollywood writers to resume talks over strike
Hollywood studios will meet with writers this week to discuss reopening talks for the first time since a strike began nearly 100 days ago.

Tunisian singer says show cancelled over Palestinian concerts
A Tunisian singer who rose to prominence during the Arab Spring revolution in her homeland announced Wednesday an upcoming show in Tunisia had been cancelled for supposed "normalisation" with Israel.

Mud-struck German heavy metal bash slashes attendance
The world's biggest heavy metal music festival starting in northern Germany on Wednesday was forced to cap attendance after heavy rains turned its farmland venue into a muddy quagmire.

DR Congo's 'voodoo wrestling' provides spellbinding fun
There has been a power cut, and under moonlight in a poor quarter of DR Congo's capital, wrestler Maitresse Libondans explains how she invokes her ancestors to cast spells that rout her opponents.

Meta starts blocking news in Canada
Meta on Tuesday started blocking Canadians' access to news on Facebook and Instagram in response to a new law requiring digital giants to pay publishers for such content.

X sues hate speech tracker over Twitter reports
X is suing a nonprofit group in US federal court over reports that hate speech has flourished at the platform formerly known as Twitter.

US police probe Cardi B mic throw
Days after a video showed rapper Cardi B hurling a microphone at a member of her audience, US police said Monday they had begun a battery investigation.

'Pee-wee Herman' actor Paul Reubens dies aged 70
Paul Reubens, the US comic who became famous in the 1980s for playing eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman, and later infamous for his arrest at an adult theater, has died aged 70.

Lady Gaga recalls 'magical' partnership with crooner Bennett
Lady Gaga, who was Tony Bennett's friend and collaborator in the final years of the hitmaker's life, over the weekend hailed their "magical" relationship and urged others not to "discount your elders."

'Barbie' stays atop 'hill of cash' in N.America theaters
Warner Bros.' blockbuster "Barbie" earned an estimated $93 million in North American theaters this weekend as it continued "rolling down a hill of cash," industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

Rapper Cardi B, the target of a thrown liquid, retaliates
An eye for an eye, and a hurled microphone for a thrown drink.

Tuareg flock to Algerian desert oasis for ancient festival
In a riot of colour, music and dance, thousands of Tuareg have flocked to the Sebeiba festival that marks the end of an ancient tribal feud and which once a year transforms an oasis town deep in the Algerian Sahara.