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Hollywood studios and unions call on Trump to offer tax breaks

Hollywood studios and unions representing movie workers joined forces Monday to urge US President Donald Trump to give tax breaks to US-made films.

Rapper Tory Lanez attacked in US prison: authorities

Rapper Tory Lanez, who was convicted over the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion, was hospitalized after getting attacked in a California prison, authorites said Monday.

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ChatGPT: the promises, pitfalls and panic

The excitement around ChatGPT - an easy to use AI chatbot that can deliver an essay or computer code upon request and within seconds - has sent schools into panic and turned Big Tech green with envy.

Welsh rugby ban choirs from singing 'Delilah' after sexism row

Choirs have been told they can no longer sing the Tom Jones hit 'Delilah' while performing during Wales rugby international matchdays at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

Romanian court denies bail request for influencer Andrew Tate

A Romanian appeals court rejected Wednesday a new bail request by Andrew Tate, the controversial influencer being investigated along with his brother for alleged human trafficking and rape.

Second top Italian minister takes reporter Saviano to trial

Just weeks after going on trial in a case brought by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Italian investigative journalist Roberto Saviano was back in court on Wednesday facing allegations of defamation lodged by Meloni's deputy.

Flat owners overlooked by Tate Modern win privacy appeal

Owners of luxury flats in London on Wednesday won a legal battle to force the adjacent Tate Modern gallery to stop visitors peeping into their homes from a public viewing platform.

Does Asterix have the magic potion to save French cinema?

"Asterix" returns to the big screen Wednesday as France tries to match Hollywood by weaponising nostalgia in the battle for box office success.

Clickbait or creativity? The art world wrestles with AI

Online tools that can create wonderful, absurd and sometimes horrifying images using artificial intelligence (AI) have exploded in popularity, sparking soul-searching over the nature of art.

Murakami to publish first new novel in six years

Celebrated Japanese author Haruki Murakami will release his first new novel in six years this April, publisher Shinchosha announced on Wednesday.

Snap shares dive on bad quarterly results

Shares in Snapchat's parent company plunged more than 14 percent on Tuesday after it reported a loss in the final three months of last year on seemingly stalled revenue.

Academy will not strip 'To Leslie' Oscar nod despite campaign concern

Andrea Riseborough will keep her controversial Oscar nomination for "To Leslie" even though a review of the indie film's unorthodox promotional campaign uncovered concerns, the Academy said Tuesday.

'Men only' rule finally lifted by Shetland Viking festival

Women and girls have finally been allowed to take part in a torchlit procession on Tuesday at a festival in Shetland celebrating the Scottish islands' Viking past.

Libraries offer novel 'warm space' for hard-up Britons

As Britain endures a cost-of-living crisis, public libraries and other community hubs are providing "warm spaces" for vulnerable members of society to stay safe and access free food this winter.

Jewish heirs sue Guggenheim over Picasso sold to flee Nazis

When Karl and Rosi Adler fled the Nazis in 1938 they sold a Pablo Picasso painting to fund their escape. Now, their descendants are suing to get it back.

Ai Weiwei launches new exhibit, says still trying to understand studio demolitions

Dissident artist Ai Weiwei on Monday said the Chinese state's razing of his studios still fails to make "any sense" to him, as he launched his first design-focused exhibition, due to open in London in April.

'Avatar' sequel now ranks fourth all-time in global sales

"Avatar: The Way of Water" continued to dominate the box-office charts, taking in an estimated $15.7 million this weekend in North American theaters to make it the fourth-leading global grosser of all time.

Ryan Reynolds says Wrexham football adventure is 'greatest experience'

Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds has hailed his involvement with non-league side Wrexham as the "greatest experience" of his life after he jetted in to watch his team in the FA Cup.

Swiss artist Panchaud wins best comics album prize at Angouleme

Swiss artist and writer Martin Panchaud won the Fauve d'Or for the best album of the year at France's prestigious Angouleme International Comics Festival on Saturday.

India rocks to Asia's first Lollapalooza festival

One of the world's longest-running festivals kicked off in Mumbai Saturday for the Indian financial hub's biggest music extravaganza since the end of the pandemic.

Italian De Sarno appointed Gucci creative director

Italian Sabato De Sarno has been appointed creative director at Gucci, the luxury label and parent group Kering announced on Saturday.

Actor Alan Cumming hands back UK medal in anti-empire protest

Scottish actor Alan Cumming said on Friday he had returned a UK state honour in protest at the "toxicity" of the British Empire, 14 years after receiving the award.

Hollywood has become 'completely dysfunctional': Shyamalan

From "The Sixth Sense" to "Old", director M. Night Shyamalan has had a unique string of hits, but these days he works outside the Hollywood studio system, which he says has grown "sick".

Hijabi 'indie mothers' embraced by young Indonesian music fans

At a packed festival in central Jakarta, hijab-clad sexagenarian singer Rien Djamain bursts into an upbeat track about nuclear destruction to a crowd of thousands, mostly young Indonesians.

French pop queen Aya Nakamura in court for domestic violence

French-Malian megastar Aya Nakamura appeared in court Thursday over allegations of mutual domestic violence with her ex Vladimir Boudnikoff, just a day before her new album is released.

UK's Royal Opera House ends 33-year BP funding deal

The UK's Royal Opera House announced on Wednesday that it had ended its 33-year sponsorship deal with energy giant BP following pressure and protests from environmentalists.

UNESCO lists Odessa historical centre as world heritage site

UNESCO on Wednesday added the historic centre of Ukraine's port city of Odessa, often described as "the pearl of the Black Sea", to its World Heritage List despite opposition from Russia.

UNESCO lists Yemen, Lebanon sites as world heritage in danger

The United Nations on Wednesday inscribed an ancient city and its dam in war-torn Yemen and a futurist park in cash-strapped Lebanon on its world heritage list.

Pritzker Prize-winning Indian architect Doshi dies at 95

Pioneering modernist architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, India's only winner of the prestigious Pritzker Prize and a staunch advocate of low-cost housing for the poor, has died at the age of 95.

Oscar nominations: five takeaways

The nominations for the Academy Awards were unveiled Tuesday, with "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leading the way with 11 nods.

Egypt archaeologists uncover 'complete' Roman city

Egyptian archaeologists said Tuesday they had discovered an 1,800-year-old "complete residential city from the Roman-era" in the heart of the southern city of Luxor.

'Everything Everywhere All at Once' tops Oscar noms with 11

Surreal sci-fi "Everything Everywhere All At Once" topped the Oscar nominations Tuesday with 11, as Hollywood formally kicked off the race to the all-important Academy Awards.

'Top Gun' among blockbuster sequels targeting Oscar noms

The Oscar nominations for a year in which the big-screen box office finally bounced back from the pandemic will be unveiled Tuesday, with Academy voters expected to reward blockbusters such as "Top Gun: Maverick" for helping to save movie theaters.

Indian designer evokes mysteries of the 'Cosmos' in Paris

For a man with seemingly infinite creative ambitions, it is fitting that Indian designer Rahul Mishra's latest Paris haute couture collection attempts to encapsulate the entire universe.

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