Featured
Last news
Florence mosaics renovation reveals devilish details
Restorers launched a ground-breaking project in Florence's historic Baptistery Wednesday, allowing visitors a unique view of magnificent mosaics, including a three-headed devil which inspired Italian poet Dante.
Ten deadliest quakes of the 21st century
With the death toll rising by the hour, the massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 5 is already among the ten deadliest of the 21st century.
Swiss give 2,500-year-old stone sculpture back to Peru
The Swiss on Wednesday handed a large stone-carved head back to Peru, where it was sculpted around 2,500 years ago by one of the country's earliest civilisations, the culture office said.
Biden accuses social media companies of exploiting children
President Joe Biden called on US lawmakers Tuesday to restrict how social media companies lure children and collect their data, as he accused Big Tech of conducting a "for profit" experiment on the nation's youth.
Deepfake 'news anchors' in pro-China footage: research
The "news broadcasters" appear stunningly real, but they are AI-generated deepfakes in first-of-their-kind propaganda videos that a research report published Tuesday attributed to Chinese state-aligned actors.
Fakery and fraud: Energy scammers cast 'wide net' on Facebook
A Filipino consumer fumes as she rips open a portable charger to discover she has been conned -- the batteries are choked with sand, making her yet another victim of scammers on Facebook.
Codebreakers find, decipher lost letters of Mary, Queen of Scots
An international team of codebreakers said Wednesday they have found and deciphered the long lost secret letters of 16th-century monarch Mary, Queen of Scots, one of the most argued-over figures in British history.
Conductor Dudamel to lead New York Philharmonic from 2026
Acclaimed conductor Gustavo Dudamel will lead the New York Philharmonic for five years from 2026, the orchestra announced Tuesday.
Do mention the reboot: 'Fawlty Towers' to return
"Fawlty Towers", named Britain's greatest sitcom in a 2019 poll, is set to return with John Cleese reprising his role as the world's most irascible hotelier, US producers said Tuesday.
Microsoft says 'new day' for search as AI-powered Bing challenges Google
Microsoft's long-struggling Bing search engine will integrate the powerful capabilities of language-based artificial intelligence, CEO Satya Nadella said on Tuesday, declaring what he called a new era for online search.
AI supercharges battle of web search titans
A new generation of AI chatbots has unleashed a titanic battle between Microsoft and Google for the eyeballs of billions of web users, and the dollars they bring.
10-year-old becomes first official dual-national kabuki actor
A 10-year-old French-Japanese boy will become the first officially recognised dual-national kabuki actor, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, a star of the traditional art form.
Vermeer shines at 'once in history' Amsterdam show
The Dutch master Johannes Vermeer himself never got the chance to see so many of his paintings in the same place.
Vermeer in five masterpieces
As the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam unveils the largest ever retrospective of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, we look at five highlights from the show.
George Clooney to remake hit French spy show 'The Bureau'
Hollywood star George Clooney is to direct an English-language remake of hit French spy series "The Bureau".
Marvel superheroes return to Chinese cinemas after nearly four years
Marvel's superheroes began their return to China's massive movie market after an apparent ban of nearly four years on Tuesday, with fans streaming into cinemas to watch "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever".
Google to release ChatGPT rival named Bard
Google said Monday it will release a conversational chatbot named Bard, setting up an artificial intelligence showdown with Microsoft which has invested billions in the creators of ChatGPT, the hugely popular language app that convincingly mimics human writing.
Rushdie says 'very difficult' to write after stabbing
British author Salman Rushdie has said he finds it "very difficult" to write after being stabbed in New York last year, in his first interview since the attack.
From reggaeton to Iran, five key moments on Grammys night
Music's biggest stars turned out in force at the Grammys on Sunday in Los Angeles -- and a LOT happened.
Beyonce: music's golden girl
Beyonce, the music royal whose art has shifted the culture time and again, long ago cemented herself as one of the world's seminal stars.
Beyonce breaks all-time Grammy record, Styles wins for best album
Pop queen Beyonce on Sunday reigned supreme at the Grammys, breaking the all-time record for wins with her 32nd prize and fourth of the night -- but the Album of the Year prize that's long eluded her slipped from her fingers once again, going instead to Brit Harry Styles.
In West Bank, last vinyl repairman preserves musical heritage
From Jamal Hemmou's ramshackle workshop in Nablus's Old City in the occupied West Bank, classic Arabic songs blare into the surrounding cobbled streets.
Beyonce breaks Grammy record for most wins ever
Beyonce on Sunday broke the record for the most Grammy wins of any artist, scoring her 32nd prize ever and fourth of the night to resounding applause.
Captain Tsubasa creator targets real-life football glory
Japanese cartoon hero Captain Tsubasa inspired Lionel Messi and countless other football stars worldwide. Now its creator is laying down his pen and aiming for the top with his own real-life team.
NY Youth Symphony wins Grammy for debut album
The New York Youth Symphony on Sunday won the Grammy for best orchestral performance -- the first youth orchestra to do so.
'Assassin's Creed' composer wins first ever video game music Grammy
"Assassin's Creed" composer Stephanie Economou won the first ever Grammy honoring video game scores at Sunday's gala in Los Angeles.
Viola Davis secures EGOT status with Grammy win
Actor Viola Davis on Sunday joined the rare firmament of showbiz luminaries to have won competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards -- the so-called EGOT -- after taking home the gramophone for best audio book, narration and storytelling.
Beyonce poised to break record for most Grammys by an artist
Pop superstar Beyonce on Sunday upped her chances to break the record for winning the most Grammys ever, scoring two early awards ahead of the main gala, where she appeared primed to shine.
Can Beyonce finally take home the top Grammy?
As music's elite gather in Los Angeles for the Grammy awards on Sunday, one question is playing on loop: Will Beyonce finally win the coveted Album of the Year prize?
Cult Soviet-nostalgia band Russkaja breaks up over safety fears
Cult Austrian ska-punk band Russkaja, surfing Soviet nostalgia in Vienna for two decades, announced its break-up Saturday over safety fears following the Ukraine war.
Motown's Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy celebrated at pre-Grammy gala
Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy, the visionary creative duo behind the revolutionary Motown genre, saw their legacy play out onstage Friday at a pre-Grammy gala honoring their life's work.
Musk found not liable in Tesla tweet trial
Jurors on Friday found Elon Musk not liable for investors' losses in a fraud trial over his 2018 tweets falsely claiming that he had funding in place to take Tesla private.
Jury mulls whether Musk's 2018 Tesla tweet was fraud
Jurors on Friday began deliberating whether Elon Musk committed fraud and should pay dearly for 2018 tweets falsely claiming that he had funding in place to take Tesla private.
Mixed response as UK's historic Jockey Club scraps dress code
Britain's Jockey Club has scrapped dress codes at its 15 courses, including some of horse racing's most illustrious venues, generating a mixed response in Friday's newspapers.
Child abuser Gary Glitter freed from UK jail
Convicted paedophile and former rocker Gary Glitter was released from a jail in Britain on Friday after serving half of a 16-year sentence.
Shah Rukh Khan: Indian heartthrob and King of Bollywood
Shah Rukh Khan is Bollywood's most popular star and at 57 still its biggest sex symbol, whose silver-screen repertoire of dance, romance and shoot-em-up heroics made him the cinematic avatar of a changing India.
Egyptians hope to bag bargains at book fair as crisis bites
Thousands of Egyptian bibliophiles weave through a labyrinthine display of books, reviving an annual tradition at the Arab world's largest book fair, but this year it comes at a steep cost.
Who are the best new artists? Check TikTok
After several years of Grammy ceremonies with clear frontrunners for Best New Artist, Sunday's race is wide open -- but no matter who wins, many of the nominees have TikTok to thank.
Seeing is believing? Global scramble to tackle deepfakes
Chatbots spouting falsehoods, face-swapping apps crafting porn videos and cloned voices defrauding companies of millions -- the scramble is on to rein in AI deepfakes that have become a misinformation super spreader.