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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.

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Kevin Spacey bailed in London sexual assault case

Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey "strenuously denies" claims that he sexually assaulted three men, his lawyer said on Thursday, as the actor appeared in a London court to face charges.

Israeli maestro woos fans in off-limits Iran

Mark Eliyahu sat and tuned his ancient Persian violin-like "kamanci" in a yurt in northern Israel -- but many of his biggest fans are in Iran, a country he cannot visit.

YouTube Shorts touts 1.5 bn users, taking on TikTok

YouTube on Wednesday said that more than 1.5 billion people monthly tune into its Shorts video service, which competes with global sensation TikTok.

Saudi embassy in Washington now on 'Jamal Khashoggi Way'

The street in front of Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington was renamed Wednesday for Jamal Khashoggi as activists vowed never to forget the slain journalist despite President Joe Biden's planned visit to the kingdom.

Police take suspect to search site in Amazon missing case: reports

Police investigating the disappearance of a British journalist and Brazilian Indigenous expert in the Amazon brought the latest suspect arrested in the case to the search site Wednesday, media reports said.

Twitter holds firm on completing Musk buyout: board chairman

Twitter remains committed to closing Elon Musk's $44 billion buyout bid, the firm's board chairman said Wednesday, as doubts swirl about the billionaire's intentions for the troubled deal.

K-pop legends and kings of 'soft power': South Korea's BTS

Popstars, diplomats, activists: South Korean megastars BTS are like modern day Renaissance men, dominating the charts even as they represent their country and campaign for causes close to their heart, analysts say.

No way around BTS break as military service looms: analysts

Why would K-pop titans BTS decide to step back from their supergroup and focus on solo careers while at the pinnacle of their success? South Korea's mandatory military service, analysts say.

Nine years at the top: the unstoppable rise of BTS

At the peak of their success, K-pop megastars BTS made an emotional announcement to fans: they were taking a break from the supergroup to focus on their solo careers.

Emotional BTS tell fans they're taking a break to 'figure things out'

K-pop megastars BTS told fans they were taking a break from the supergroup to focus on their solo careers, citing exhaustion and the pressures of stratospheric success in an emotional video appearance.

Second arrest over missing British journalist, indigenous expert in Brazil

Police in Brazil said Tuesday they had arrested a second suspect in the disappearance earlier this month of British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous specialist Bruno Pereira.

'Lightyear' banned in 14 markets after same-sex kiss controversy

Disney's latest animation "Lightyear," which features a same-sex kiss, has been denied release in more than a dozen mainly Muslim countries, a source close to the company told AFP on Tuesday.

BTS taking a break as group members pursue solo work

K-pop supergroup BTS announced Tuesday they were taking an indefinite break from one of the world's most popular acts to focus on solo pursuits.

BTS going on 'hiatus' as band members pursue solo work

K-pop supergroup BTS on Tuesday announced they were taking an indefinite "hiatus" from one of the world's most popular acts to focus on solo pursuits.

Revisiting trauma with a child-refugee-turned artist

Petrit Halilaj knows something about how art can help pull children out of the horror of war -- but also the dangers of them being used as a propaganda tool.

Hollywood stars pen letter calling for responsible gun depictions

Hollywood stars including Amy Schumer, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo signed a letter published on Monday calling for movies and television shows to depict responsible gun ownership and to limit scenes involving children with firearms.

'How to murder your husband' writer jailed for life over spouse killing

A US writer who penned a tract entitled "How to Murder Your Husband" was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for fatally shooting her spouse.

Amazon to start delivering by drone in California town

Amazon plans to start flying some purchases to customers later this year, the e-commerce giant said Monday, announcing drone delivery that will debut in a California town.

'Lightyear', animated film with lesbian kiss, banned in UAE

Disney's animated movie "Lightyear", which contains a lesbian kiss, has been banned from cinemas in the United Arab Emirates, officials said Monday without giving details.

Def Leppard: we'll still be rocking in 2035

Def Leppard have been rocking out for 45 years and have more than 100 million album sales under their belts, but they are adamant that no farewell tours are on the horizon.

Revellers on cloud nine at cannabis festival as Thailand relaxes law

The pungent smell of smoke was unmistakable as revellers celebrated under the stars at a major Thai cannabis festival following the kingdom's decision to begin relaxing the laws around the drug.

Plays about Black artists and Wall St are big winners on Broadway

A musical about a Black and queer author won a top prize at the Broadway awards in New York on Sunday, while a play about Lehman Brothers and a Michael Jackson biopic also triumphed at the Oscars of the theater.

Theatre legend Kani turns eye to modern South Africa

When John Kani launched his acting career in the 1960s, the only stage he could find was an empty snake pit at a shuttered South African museum.

Meta's Quest VR gear to let people 'hang out' in fake worlds

Meta on Friday said that it is adding the ability to easily socialize in virtual reality with an update to its Quest 2 headsets in another step toward the metaverse.

Bob Marley brings common cause at Americas summit

Bob Marley famously sang "Africa Unite" but on Friday he was bringing unity to an Americas summit that was marked by disputes.

Lewis on Brad, Baku and Brazil

Lewis Hamilton was buzzing in Baku on Friday, not because of any magic fixes Mercedes had introduced to his struggling car ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but to matters off the circuit.

Morocco's gender-challenging artists take to the stage

Men in make-up and wigs twirl on stage in colourful robes to applause in Morocco, resurrecting the musical art of "Aita" and challenging gender stereotypes in the conservative Muslim-majority kingdom.

Johnny Depp, Jeff Beck to release album on July 15

Fresh off his highly publicized, controversial defamation suit, actor Johnny Depp is set to release an album with English rocker Jeff Beck on July 15, a statement released Thursday said.

Prince William spotted selling homeless magazine in London

The UK's Prince William was on Thursday snapped on the streets of London selling copies of homeless magazine The Big Issue, whipping out a card machine to lure potential buyers.

Visitors trickle back to Syria citadel used by jihadists

An ancient lake-side fortress once used by jihadists to launch attacks is slowly regaining its status as a key cultural destination, attracting visitors from across war-torn Syria.

Zuckerberg staying at Meta helm for years 'makes sense': Clegg

Mark Zuckerberg's presence at the helm of Facebook parent Meta for "many, many years" would be perfectly natural, his global affairs director has told AFP, even as the founders of many tech companies hand off to fresh blood.

Twitter to share data at heart of Musk deal dispute: report

Twitter will yield to Elon Musk's demand for internal data central to a standoff over his troubled $44 billion bid to buy the social media platform, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

Foo Fighters to play Taylor Hawkins tribute shows

Foo Fighters announced Wednesday they will play a pair of tribute concerts in honor of the band's late drummer Taylor Hawkins this fall.

Kashmir violence dampens celebrations at Hindu festival

The spectre of recent violence in Indian-administered Kashmir overshadowed celebrations for a Hindu festival on Wednesday, with crowds a fraction of their usual size despite heavy security to mollify fears of an attack.

British-Portuguese artist Paula Rego dies aged 87

The celebrated British-Portuguese artist Paula Rego has died aged 87 in London, her representative the Victoria Miro gallery said on Wednesday.

Disney pulls blockbuster from French cinemas in streaming row

Disney will not release blockbuster animation "Strange World" in French cinemas, it said Wednesday, in protest against the country's strict streaming rules.

Against Type: Russian print artist makes posters for peace

Before the launch of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, printer Sergei Besov was part of a burgeoning art scene centred around in a converted factory in northern Moscow.

Beloved Japanese manga 'One Piece' heads into final chapter

After 25 years and 490 million copies sold worldwide, the beloved Japanese manga "One Piece" is entering its final chapter, according to its creator Eiichiro Oda.

Blinken says US to fight disinformation in Latin America

Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged Tuesday to step up US government resources against disinformation in Spanish, warning of a spike in fictitious reporting -- and violence against journalists -- in Latin America.

The Fort Worth Press - Culture (English)