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With Elton John, Britney Spears releases first new song since 2016
Britney Spears released her first new song in six years on Friday with the debut of "Hold Me Closer", a duet with British music legend Elton John.
Traditional beauty pageant battles to keep pace in modern Ireland
As the Rose of Tralee beauty pageant concluded this week, the contestants in colourful ball gowns and silk sashes swayed as they sang the 19th-century ballad that inspired the competition.
'The cultural front': Ukraine theatre goes underground
It's an opening night like no other at Mykolaiv's theatre, with the audience ushered down into an underground shelter this week for the first performance since war broke out.
Twitter ordered to give Musk additional bot account data
A US judge told Twitter on Thursday to surrender more data to Elon Musk on fake accounts, a key issue the billionaire is using to try to cancel his buyout bid.
Thousands throng to Iran museum with Western art masterpieces
More than 20,000 people have flocked to an Iranian museum showcasing renowned Western artists' works, some for the first time -- part of a treasure trove amassed before the Islamic Revolution.
Court clash shows Musk battle plan in Twitter fight
Attorneys for Elon Musk and Twitter squared off in court Wednesday over the key issue of fake accounts, showing potential battle lines for the trial over whether the Tesla boss can be forced to conclude his $44 billion buyout bid.
US regulator queried Twitter on false accounts
Twitter faced scrutiny from US market regulators over how the platform calculates the number of false or spam accounts, a topic at the heart of the firm's legal battle with Elon Musk.
'Star Wars' spy thriller 'Andor' explores galaxy's murky underworld
Following a glut of flashy, lightsaber-whirring "Star Wars" television series, spy thriller "Andor" aims to stand apart with its grounded and morally ambiguous origin story of the galaxy's brave rebels, said star Diego Luna.
Indian tycoon's bid for broadcaster stokes media freedom worries
An Indian billionaire close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to buy a broadcaster seen as the last major critical voice on television, stoking fears about media freedom in the world's largest democracy.
Whistleblower accuses Twitter of hiding major flaws
Twitter misled users and US regulators about "extreme, egregious" gaps in its online protections, the platform's ex-security chief claimed in whistleblower testimony that could impact the court fight over Elon Musk's buyout bid.
'House of the Dragon' ratings boost as 'Rings of Power' nears
As "House of the Dragon" debuted to nearly 10 million US viewers this weekend, HBO appears to have claimed first blood in its much-hyped TV fantasy epic showdown with Amazon's upcoming "Lord of the Rings" prequel.
Israel unveils 1,200 year-old desert mansion
Israeli archaeologists unveiled a 1,200 year-old mansion on Tuesday, broadening knowledge of the southern desert region where a mosque was recently discovered.
Belgian magician's paper dance casts a spell
A crumpled ball of paper that takes on a life of its own and leads the apparently perplexed magician on a playful dance -- it's a simple but poetic and engaging scene.
Ex-security chief accuses Twitter of hiding major flaws
Twitter misled users and federal regulators about glaring weaknesses in its ability to protect personal data, the platform's former security chief claimed in whistleblower testimony likely to impact the company's bitter legal battle over Elon Musk's takeover bid.
Elon Musk subpoenas former Twitter chief Jack Dorsey
Elon Musk has served former Twitter boss Jack Dorsey with a subpoena in a hunt for material to help him get out of buying the giant social media platform for $44 billion as agreed.
Bad guys turn good in China 'Minions' movie ending
What's small, yellow, loves bananas and promotes the rule of law? A Minion, at least according to an edited version of the latest animated film featuring supervillain Gru and his army of tiny sidekicks being screened in China.
Myanmar grandfather on mission to revive juggling art
Han Myint Mo kicks up a gold-coloured metal ball, pirouettes and catches it on the blade of a knife held in her teeth -- keeping up a Myanmar juggling tradition on the edge of extinction.
Once-close royal brothers William and Harry now estranged
A quarter-century on from the death of their mother, Princess Diana, Princes William and Harry are struggling to maintain their once-close relationship.
Crises threaten UK monarchy's image 25 years after Diana's death
The royal family's perceived botched response to Diana's death sparked a gradual and largely successful shift in its image management, but recent crises have renewed questions about that modernisation effort.
In normally tranquil New York town, shock over Rushdie attack persists
When Emily Sack saw a young man leap at Salman Rushdie on the stage of a cultural center in western New York state, it happened so suddenly that she barely realized she was witnessing an attack on the author's life.
Thousands fete South Africa's new Zulu king
Thousands of people gathered at the Zulu royal palace in South Africa on Saturday to witness the crowning of a new king in the country's richest and most influential traditional monarchy.
Truly tasteless: Japan's plastic food artists get creative
From the "leaning tower of pizza" to a fish slicing and cooking itself and a dragon emerging from a dragon fruit, Japanese artisans' quirky plastic food sculptures went on display this week at an exhibition in Tokyo.
Literature world holds New York rally for Rushdie
Prominent literary figures including Paul Auster and Gay Talese gathered in Manhattan on Friday for a reading of Salman Rushdie's works, in solidarity with the author seriously injured in a stabbing attack.
Dressing the dead: Indonesian villagers clean corpses in afterlife ritual
A family on an Indonesian island poses for a photo with an elderly relative no longer able to smile, while another clan tries to dress one of their eldest forebears in khakis and a shirt.
Brazil's Bolsonaro gets in spat with heckler
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro got into an altercation Thursday with a social media personality who questioned and insulted him, grabbing the man by the shirt and arm after he called the leader a "bum."
Rushdie stabbing suspect pleads not guilty to attempted murder
The suspected assailant of Salman Rushdie pleaded not guilty on Thursday to attempted murder and assault charges at a brief court hearing in upstate New York.
Ethiopian girls break taboos and find joy in skateboarding
Dressed in jeans, sweatpants and abayas, dozens of Ethiopian schoolgirls practise the art of nailing a landing and finding their balance -- and their confidence -- as they zip across a skatepark in Addis Ababa.
Fashion designer Hanae Mori dies at 96: Japanese media
Japanese fashion designer Hanae Mori, who cracked the elite world of Parisian haute couture, has died at her home in Tokyo aged 96, Japanese media reported Thursday.
Japanese fashion designer Hanae Mori dies aged 96: Kyodo
Japanese fashion designer Hanae Mori, who cracked the elite world of Parisian haute couture, has died at her home in Tokyo aged 96, Japanese media reported Thursday.
TikTok girds for US election misinformation threat
TikTok on Wednesday rolled out its battle plan against the deluge of misinformation expected to accompany the upcoming US midterm elections, a problem tech firms largely decide themselves how to handle.
US rapper A$AP Rocky pleads not guilty to gun charges
US rapper A$AP Rocky pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to two charges of assault with a firearm over a confrontation with a former friend in Hollywood last year.
'Das Boot' director Wolfgang Petersen dead at 81
German director Wolfgang Petersen, who achieved international fame with films "Das Boot," "Outbreak" and "Air Force One," has died from pancreatic cancer, a spokeswoman said. He was 81.
Amazon's Bezos attends premiere for $1bn 'Lord of the Rings' prequel
It has been dubbed the most expensive show ever made, but producers of Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" described its $1 billion price tag as a "bargain" at a lavish world premiere in Los Angeles Monday.
US rapper A$AP Rocky charged over shooting
US rapper A$AP Rocky was charged Monday over an alleged shooting in Hollywood last year.
Nipsey Hussle gets posthumous Hollywood star
Slain rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was shot in Los Angeles, was honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on Monday.
R. Kelly back in court to face further sex crimes charges
Disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly, who is serving a 30-year sentence for sex offenses, is back in court this week facing further charges.
Greek phone-hacking scandal: investigative media's key role
Investigative journalism has emerged as a powerful force during Greece's phone-hacking scandal, rocking a government that tries to "control" the media landscape, experts say.
China's Taiwan drills accompanied by wave of misinformation
Taiwan saw a spike in online misinformation as China hosted huge military drills this month, much of it aimed at undermining the democratic island's morale and pushing Beijing's narrative.
Agent says Rushdie on 'road to recovery' after stabbing
Salman Rushdie is on the "road to recovery," his agent said Sunday, two days after a shocking assault at a literary event left the British author hospitalized on a ventilator with multiple stab wounds.