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Oscar-hopeful 'Emilia Perez' star in row over Islam, George Floyd insults

Karla Sofia Gascon, the transgender actress and history-making Oscar nominee for musical film "Emilia Perez," has apologized after old social media posts resurfaced in which she denigrated Islam and George Floyd.

Centuries-old Algerian indigenous tradition champions sharing

In a village nestled in the mountains of northeastern Algeria, locals and visitors gathered under a cold winter sky to celebrate Tamechrit, a centuries-old Berber tradition rooted in sharing.

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'Gladiator II', 'Wicked' battle for N. American box office honors

Hollywood got respite from a slack few months as two much-anticipated new films -- Universal's "Wicked: Part I" and "Gladiator II" from Paramount -- roared to the top of the North American box office this weekend.

Breyten Breytenbach, writer who challenged apartheid, dies at 85

South African writer and anti-apartheid activist Breyten Breytenbach died on Sunday in Paris at the age of 85, his daughter told AFP.

Germany goes nuts for viral pistachio chocolate

When Ali Fakhro lays out a row of pistachio-filled chocolate bars in the morning at his bakery in Berlin, he knows they will be gone in a matter of hours.

Basel votes to stump up bucks to host Eurovision

Basel voters on Sunday overwhelmingly approved the city putting up nearly $40 million towards hosting next year's Eurovision Song Contest, meaning the glitzy annual TV extravaganza will go ahead with its full customary pomp.

Iran director in exile says 'bittersweet' to rep Germany at Oscars

Forced to flee Iran, dissident director Mohammad Rasoulof says it is bittersweet that his latest movie will contend at the Oscars -- under the banner of another country.

Chinese film about Covid-19 wins Taiwan's top Golden Horse prizes

A Chinese film set during the Covid-19 pandemic won the top prizes in Taiwan's prestigious Golden Horse Awards, which saw the highest number of entries from China in recent years despite political tensions.

Kendrick Lamar drops surprise new album

Rap superstar Kendrick Lamar surprised fans on Friday with the unannounced release of a 12-track album.

Alarm in France over fate of detained French-Algerian writer

Alarm grew in France on Friday over the fate of a prominent French-Algerian novelist detained in the country of his birth, with his publisher urging his immediate release and President Emmanuel Macron closely following the case.

Amazon invests another $4 bn in AI firm Anthropic

Amazon is doubling its investment in Anthropic to $8 billion in a deepened collaboration on artificial intelligence, the companies said Friday.

Rare Caravaggio shown to public for first time in Rome exhibition

A rarely seen painting by Italian master Caravaggio, part of a private collection, is going on display to the public for the first time in an exhibition in Rome.

Manchester attack survivors lose bid to sue intel agencies

More than 300 people affected by the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing on Friday lost their bid to sue Britain's domestic intelligence services for failing to take "appropriate measures" to prevent the attack.

Conductor Elim Chan wants to shake up 'dinosaur' orchestras

Since her first brush with fame a decade ago, Hong Kong-born conductor Elim Chan has fought a "long-term battle" against tired assumptions about herself, music and how orchestras should be run.

'Shrek' director tackles taboo in Netflix fairy tale 'Spellbound'

Animated films tackling parent separation and divorce are few and far between.

Fairuz, musical icon of war-torn Lebanon, turns 90

Legendary Arab singer Fairuz, whose ballads have told of love, her native Lebanon and the Palestinian cause, turned 90 on Thursday as her conflict-weary country is wracked by the Israel-Hezbollah war.

'World of Warcraft' still going strong as it celebrates 20 years

As it celebrates its 20th birthday, online video game "World of Warcraft" has demonstrated a rare longevity thanks to its loyal following and constant evolutions.

Australian eyes $30m fine for social media flouting under-16s ban

Social media companies could be fined more than US$30 million if they fail to keep children off their platforms, under new laws tabled before Australia's parliament Thursday.

Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone to headline Coachella 2025

Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone will headline 2025's Coachella music and arts festival, organizers said Wednesday, while Travis Scott will play a special guest slot.

Gl-icked? Movie theaters pin hopes on big 'Wicked,' 'Gladiator' weekend

US movie theaters are hoping the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of last year's "Barbenheimer" phenomenon can strike again this weekend, with the simultaneous release of two of 2024's most hyped films: "Wicked" and "Gladiator II."

One Direction stars attend Liam Payne's funeral in UK

Family and friends of One Direction star Liam Payne, who died last month after falling from a Buenos Aires hotel room, gathered for his funeral in Britain on Wednesday.

Star K-pop producer of NewJeans quits after legal spat with BTS agency

The South Korean superproducer behind the chart-topping girl band NewJeans resigned from her label Wednesday, following a protracted legal battle with BTS's agency HYBE that has rocked the country's K-pop industry.

Japan's manga powerhouse 'Dragon Ball' turns 40

"Dragon Ball" fans on Wednesday celebrated 40 years of the globally beloved Japanese manga, anime and video game franchise, just months after creator Akira Toriyama's unexpected death.

Lights, action, melodrama! Silent films get new reel at London haven

The black and white silent movie flickered into life as the pianist started up with a dramatic flourish. Cue the latest exploits of daring master criminal "Three-Fingered Kate".

'Rust' to premiere three years after on-set shooting

The Western "Rust" will get its world premiere on Wednesday at a Polish film festival, three years on from a shock on-set shooting that killed the cinematographer.

'Operation Night Watch': Rembrandt classic gets makeover

Shielded from the public by glass panels and staring intently through microscopes, a team of specialists has started work restoring Rembrandt's The Night Watch, one of the most iconic paintings of the Dutch golden age.

'Gladiator 3' already in works, say director and star

Ridley Scott's long-awaited "Gladiator" sequel has not even hit US theaters yet, but the veteran director is already hard at work on a third installment.

Composer of Piaf's 'Non, je ne regrette rien' dies aged 95

Songwriter and singer Charles Dumont, who composed the song "Non, je ne regrette rien" ("No, I do not regret anything") made world famous by Edith Piaf, has died aged 95, his partner told AFP Monday.

Quincy Jones awarded posthumous Oscar

The late Quincy Jones was posthumously awarded an honorary Oscar at an emotional and star-packed Hollywood gala on Sunday that also handed golden statuettes to the producers of the James Bond movie franchise.

Star power fails to perk up France's premiere wine auction

Hollywood stars including Eva Longoria and Dominic West on Sunday attended a centuries-old charity wine auction in the French town of Beaune, the capital of Burgundy wines, though the sums raised fell short of expectations.

Glastonbury 2025 tickets sell out in 35 minutes

Tickets for next year's Glastonbury Festival sold out within 35 minutes on Sunday, with more than 200,000 people expected to attend the world-renowned musical celebration in rural southwest England.

Denmark's Victoria Kjaer Theilvig crowned Miss Universe 2024

Victoria Kjaer Theilvig was crowned Miss Universe on Saturday, the first contestant from Denmark to achieve the honor.

New York auction records expected for a Magritte... and a banana

With a Magritte painting estimated to sell for nearly $100 million, drawings by pop artist Keith Haring and... a rather gnarly banana, New York's auction houses will try this week to shake up a stale market.

End of a love affair: news media quit X over 'disinformation'

News outlets have begun quitting X, formerly Twitter, once a favourite of global media but now accused of enabling the spread of disinformation under its owner, president-elect Donald Trump ally Elon Musk.

The Japan Times - Culture (English)