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Wartime Beckmann portrait poised for auction record
A remarkable wartime self-portrait of painter Max Beckmann will be auctioned in Germany next week, valued at a record-setting estimate of up to 30 million euros.
Twitter aims to diversify beyond advertising, but can it be done?
Is it a pipe dream or possibility? Elon Musk wants to diversify Twitter's revenue stream beyond advertising, a feat none of the biggest social networks have yet pulled off.
Musk announces 'amnesty' for banned Twitter accounts after poll
Elon Musk said Thursday many previously suspended Twitter accounts would be allowed back on the platform after a landslide of users responding to an informal poll by the new owner voted in favor of the move.
Musk poll shows respondents want to reinstate suspended Twitter accounts
A landslide of Twitter users responding to an informal poll by new owner Elon Musk voted in favor of a general amnesty for suspended accounts on the platform.
Afropop star Aya Nakamura's domestic violence trial adjourned
The domestic violence trial of Franco-Malian superstar singer Aya Nakamura and her former partner was adjourned on Thursday with neither defendant appearing in court in Paris.
For political activists, Twitter packs a vital punch
From the Arab Spring uprisings to the MeToo movement in which women spoke up about sexual assaults, Twitter has proven itself a formidable ally for political activists and opposition groups, one whose reach and impact would be difficult to replace.
Afropop star Aya Nakamura faces court over domestic violence
Franco-Malian singer Aya Nakamura will appear in court on Thursday in Paris along with her former partner after they were charged with domestic violence following a row at their home in August.
UK retailer Boohoo denies 'slave' labour claims
British online fashion retailer Boohoo on Wednesday denied allegations that staff in a UK warehouse worked in harrowing and health-threatening conditions and regarded themselves as "slaves".
Musicians in French-speaking Africa eye global market through streaming
The wildfire popularity of streaming platforms has hoisted Nigerian and other artists from English-speaking Africa to unprecedented popularity around the world.
Rebel dancer suddenly quits Paris Opera: statement
One of the best-known male dancers at the Paris Opera, who has won a big following outside ballet for working as a judge on the French equivalent of "Strictly Come Dancing", on Wednesday quit the company after months of tension.
Blanchett and Yeoh films top indie Spirit Award nominations
Michelle Yeoh's "Everything Everywhere All At Once" and Cate Blanchett's "Tar" led the Spirit Awards nominations Tuesday, underlining their credentials as the indie films to watch this awards season.
'As Time Goes By': Casablanca bar celebrates film classic, 80 years on
Tourists are flocking to a bar in Morocco searching for the spirit of Humphrey Bogart's iconic, fictional nightclub, 80 years after the classic wartime film "Casablanca" hit the silver screen.
Cuban singer Pablo Milanes dies in Madrid at 79
Acclaimed Cuban singer, songwriter and guitarist Pablo Milanes died early Tuesday in Spain, where he had been hospitalized in recent days, his agent said. He was 79.
Six staffers from Hong Kong's Apple Daily plead guilty to foreign collusion
Six senior staffers from Hong Kong's shuttered pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily pleaded guilty to colluding with foreign forces on Tuesday, and could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Star soprano Renee Fleming returns to Met opera with 'The Hours'
A powerhouse trio of American song will interpret the voice of Virginia Woolf on New York's prestigious Metropolitan Opera stage, as the highly anticipated run of "The Hours" makes its world premiere Tuesday.
To strengthen ties, ancient Maya gifted neighbors a spider monkey
Seventeen hundred years ago, a female spider monkey was presented as a treasured gift -- and later brutally sacrificed -- to strengthen ties between two major powers of pre-Hispanic America, according to a new study.
Horseman and hero: Who is Argentina's 21st century gaucho?
Riders in berets, espadrilles and traditional neck scarves stand out against a dust cloud enveloping a melee of hundreds of horses as they expertly herd the animals.
'Wakanda' extends its box-office reign in N.American theaters
Disney and Marvel's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" dominated the North American box office for a second straight weekend, taking in an estimated $67.3 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
Museum of London packs up for £250 mn move
King Charles I's execution vest and 20,000 human remains are among the objects that need to be packed up as the Museum of London makes a daunting £250 million ($260 million) move.
Twitter turmoil, staff exodus aggravate security concerns
Twitter's owner Elon Musk has pledged the platform will not become a "hellscape," but experts fear a staff exodus following mass layoffs may have devastated its ability to combat misinformation, impersonation and data theft.
French-speaking bloc to focus on development at Tunisia summit
The world's club of French-speaking countries will meet in Tunisia from Saturday for talks focused on economic cooperation, more than a year after President Kais Saied began an internationally criticised power grab.
Amid Twitter chaos, Musk reveals new vision for hate content
After turning Twitter upside down, Elon Musk on Tuesday tried to clarify his plans for content moderation, a key issue for the future of the influential platform after the departure of advertisers and top executives.
Will any music stars perform in Qatar?
Several global stars have refused to take part in the opening ceremony of the Qatar World Cup, and with two days to go, it is still not clear who will perform.
Taylor Swift hits out at 'excruciating' Ticketmaster tour chaos
Taylor Swift on Friday lashed out at Ticketmaster over the botched sale of her upcoming tour, saying it was "excruciating" to learn that thousands of her fans had struggled to buy tickets.
Superhero turned soccer club owner Ryan Reynolds honored by Hollywood
From subversive superheroes to sports documentaries, Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds said he is focused on exploring new forms of storytelling, as he received a prestigious film industry honor.
Uruguay's Jorge Drexler eclipses Bad Bunny at Latin Grammys
Uruguay's top musical export Jorge Drexler overshadowed megastar Bad Bunny's hype at Thursday's Latin Grammys, scoring seven trophies including Best Record during the gala that saw Spain's Rosalia take home the coveted top album award.
Film 'flips the angle' on iconic Thelonious Monk interview
Half a century after jazz great Thelonious Monk appeared on a French television program, a new documentary revisits outtakes from the 1969 interview to cast light on the racism and exploitation of black musicians.
Ticketmaster cancels public sale of Taylor Swift tickets
After days of glitches and long waits frustrated fans trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets during presale windows, Ticketmaster on Thursday said they were cancelling tomorrow's slated public sale.
Charlize Theron under fire over Afrikaans 'a dying language' comments
Oscar-winning actor Charlize Theron has sparked a firestorm in her native South Africa for suggesting that Afrikaans, a language descended from Dutch settlers, was heading for oblivion.
Axed Australian TV soap 'Neighbours' set for revival
Cult Australian soap opera "Neighbours" is to return to television screens next year after being cancelled by Britain's Channel 5, streaming site Amazon Freevee said Thursday.
Freud centenary exhibit reunites artist with closest friends
British artists Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon were friends for decades before a bitter falling out.
'Hardcore' or bust: Musk gives ultimatum to Twitter staff
Twitter's new boss Elon Musk has asked staff to choose by Thursday between being "extremely hardcore" and working intense, long hours, or losing their jobs, according to an internal memo seen by AFP.
Taylor Swift tour chaos spurs calls to probe ticketing industry
When Taylor Swift announced her first tour in five years, Jacob Landry couldn't wait to jump in line to see his favorite artist take the stage.
Jay Leno needed skin grafts after car fire: doctor
US talk show host Jay Leno required skin grafts for significant burns to his face and hands from an explosion involving a vintage car, and will undergo further surgery this week, his doctor said Wednesday.
Warhol nephew auctions two early works by pop art visionary
Two early Andy Warhol paintings were sold at auction in New York on Tuesday by the family of the pop art visionary, the first in a series of little-known works that will reach the art market, his nephew told AFP.
Praised abroad, controversial Pakistani movie 'Joyland' banned at home
The local screening of a Pakistan-produced movie portraying a love affair between a married man and a transgender woman hangs in the balance after the film was cleared by censors, then banned by the government under pressure from Islamists.
A bluffer's guide to Proust 100 years after his death
France's Marcel Proust, who died 100 years ago on Friday, is regarded as one of the greatest novelists of all time -- but few can truthfully claim to have read his 2,400-page masterpiece "In Search of Lost Time".
Billion youth risk hearing loss from headphones, venues: study
Around one billion young people worldwide could be at risk of hearing loss from listening to headphones or attending loud music venues, a large review of the available research estimated on Wednesday.
Spanish activists protest 'grotesque' fire bull festival
Writhing and grunting, a bull with burning balls of tar attached to its horns charged in the darkness in a small town in northern Spain.