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Candles and radios in demand in Spain as blackout lessons sink in

Madrid residents returned to work Tuesday a day after a crippling nationwide blackout in Spain with a renewed sense of the necessity of candles, cash and battery-powered radios for emergencies.

French right-wing TV host fans talk of presidential bid

Provocative French radio and television host Cyril Hanouna has the country guessing Tuesday over whether he will run to be president in 2027.

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Spotify posts record profit in first quarter

Music streaming giant Spotify on Tuesday reported a 12-percent rise in paying subscribers in the first quarter to 268 million, along with a record operating profit.

Cardinals run the media gauntlet ahead of conclave

Catholic cardinals will be locked up for the papal conclave but for preparatory meetings this week they must run the gauntlet of journalists desperate for insights into who will be the next pope.

ChatGPT adds shopping help, intensifying Google rivalry

OpenAI announced Monday that ChatGPT is now helping users find products online, enhancing its challenge to Google amid regulatory pressure on the search giant's market dominance.

Lost to history: Myanmar heritage falls victim to quake

When a massive earthquake hit Myanmar last month, centuries of sacred history tumbled down -- towering Buddha idols, sky-scraping stupas and the pure-white pagoda where 83-year-old Khin Sein has prayed for most of her life.

'Godfather' director Coppola bags lifetime achievement award

Multiple Oscar-winner Francis Ford Coppola picked up a lifetime achievement award on Saturday at a star-studded ceremony which praised his "fearless" attitude to filmmaking.

Wikileaks founder Assange joins crowds for pope funeral

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange joined the crowds in Rome for Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday, the whistle-blowing website said on X, quoting his wife Stella Assange.

Remains of 5,000-year-old noblewoman found in Peru dig

Archaeologists in Peru said Thursday they found the 5,000-year-old remains of a noblewoman at the sacred city of Caral, revealing the important role played by women in the oldest center of civilization in the Americas.

Sri Lanka Buddhists overwhelm city in bid to see sacred tooth

Buddhist devotees flocking to see a sacred tooth in Sri Lanka were urged to stay clear by police on Thursday after hundreds of people queuing fell sick and a woman died.

Cannes film festival says to 'honour' slain Gaza photojournalist

The Cannes film festival said Wednesday that the screening of a documentary about Gaza photojournalist Fatima Hassouna at the event next month would honour her work after the "horror" of her death in an Israeli air strike last week.

Set of Shakespeare folios to be sold in rare London auction

A set of four Shakespeare folios estimated to be worth more than £3.5 million ($4.7 million) will go on sale in London next month, auction house Sotheby's said Wednesday.

Pianist to perform London musical marathon

Classical Russian-German pianist Igor Levit takes to a London stage this week for an epic musical endurance test directed by the world-famous Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovic.

Zurab Tsereteli, whose monumental works won over Russian elites, dies aged 91

Georgian-Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, a politically connected artist known for his monumental yet sometimes divisive works, has died aged 91, Russian news agencies reported Tuesday.

Taliban change tune towards Afghan heritage sites

In March 2001, the Taliban shocked the world by dynamiting the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan. Two decades later, they are back in power and claim to be making strides to preserve Afghanistan's millennia-old heritage, including pre-Islamic relics.

Oscar voters required to view all films before casting ballots

Oscar voters will be required to demonstrate that they have watched all the films in each category before they cast their final ballots, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday.

Francis, a pope for the internet age

As an at-times unwitting star on social media, Pope Francis knew how to exploit the internet to preach the gospel, broadening the Church's appeal while modernising its communications.

N.America moviegoers embrace 'Sinners' on Easter weekend

North American moviegoers feasted on Warner Bros.' vampire thriller "Sinners" as it debuted to an estimated $45.6 million over the Easter holiday weekend, analysts said Sunday.

Sri Lanka police probe photo of Buddha tooth relic

Sri Lanka police launched an investigation Sunday into a photo circulated on social media claiming to show a Buddha tooth relic, which has gone on display under tight security.

Star Wars series 'Andor' back for final season

If "Andor" -- which returns from Tuesday for its second and final season -- has been received as one of the very best "Star Wars" TV series, that is largely thanks to the grittier, more adult approach taken by its creator Tony Gilroy.

Analysts warn US could be handing chip market to China

As the Trump administration attempts to choke off exports of strategically important computer chips to China, experts say the effort might well backfire, fueling innovation at Chinese firms that could help them seize the world semiconductor market.

Ryan Gosling to star in new 'Star Wars' film

After his scene-stealing turn as Ken in the 2023 blockbuster hit "Barbie", Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling is taking on another huge pop culture franchise: the "Star Wars" universe.

Chinese vent anger at Trump's trade war with memes, mockery

While China's leaders use their economic and political might to fight Donald Trump's trade war "to the end", its army of social media soldiers are embarking on a more humorous campaign online.

Gustavo Dudamel: the superstar conductor building bridges to pop

As the full moon rose, conductor Gustavo Dudamel's signature theatrics were projected with a front-facing view to a spellbound audience, his baton whipping his orchestra into Richard Wagner's legendary "Ride of The Valkyries."

US judge rules against Google in online ad tech antitrust case

A US judge on Thursday ruled that Google illegally wielded monopoly power in the online ad technology market, in a legal blow that could rattle the tech giant's revenue engine.

Afrobeats star Davido sees Nigeria's star rising

The way Davido sees it, Nigerian culture is having a moment.

Sweden goes into Eurovision as punters' favourite

Eurovision is the world's biggest talent show, featuring 37 national entries, but one country seems to regularly dominate the conversation and the winners' podium: Sweden.

Eurovision promises glitz -- and controversy over Israel

Signature flamboyance is on the menu when the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest opens next month in Basel -- but looming large over the festivities is Israel's participation in the event.

Zuckerberg denies Meta bought rivals to conquer them

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday denied in court that his company bought rival services Instagram and WhatsApp to neutralize them, as his testimony in a landmark antitrust case came to a close.

Weinstein asks to sleep in hospital, citing prison 'mistreatment'

Harvey Weinstein's lawyers asked Wednesday he be allowed to spend the night in the hospital during his retrial on rape charges, saying the movie mogul's health was deteriorating rapidly because of "mistreatment" in New York's notorious Rikers prison.

Nate Bargatze to host Emmys: organizers

Comedian Nate Bargatze, one of the United States' most successful stand-ups, will host this year's Emmy Awards, organizers said Wednesday.

TikTok tests letting users add informative 'Footnotes'

TikTok on Wednesday said it is testing a feature that would let people add "Footnotes" providing informative context to videos that might be misleading.

Russia jails four journalists who covered Navalny

Russia on Tuesday sentenced four journalists it said were associated with late opposition leader Alexei Navalny to five and a half years in a penal colony, intensifying a crackdown on press freedom and Kremlin critics.

Journalist recalls night Mario Vargas Llosa punched Gabriel Garcia Marquez

When journalist and novelist Elena Poniatowska headed to a film premiere in Mexico City, she had no idea she was about to witness the literary feud of the century as two future Nobel laureates came to blows.

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