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Mellon Blue diamond sells for $25.6 million

The Mellon Blue, a 9.51-carat fancy vivid blue diamond formerly owned by the US art collector Bunny Mellon, sold for $25.6 million at auction on Tuesday.

Monumental art displayed in shade of Egypt's pyramids

Installations by renowned international artists including Italy's Michelangelo Pistoletto and Portugal's Alexandre Farto have been erected in the sand under the great pyramids of Giza outside Cairo.

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Glam rocker Simmons tells N.Ireland parties: KISS and make up!

KISS star Gene Simmons called Thursday for lawmakers in Northern Ireland to return to government, in an unlikely intervention in the UK province's dysfunctional politics.

France's ballet star on giving up the American Dream

He conquered the New York stage, married a Hollywood star and directed a daring new film version of "Carmen". But Benjamin Millepied says he had to give up the American Dream to return to France.

WhatsApp debuts one-to-many broadcasting 'Channels'

WhatsApp on Thursday began letting select organizations try a new feature called "Channels" that lets them broadcast to followers on the popular, Meta-owned messaging service.

The loneliness of one of Albania's last sworn virgins

For decades, Gjystina Grishaj chopped wood, drove tractors and tended livestock as the man of the house in a remote valley in northern Albania, only to find herself alone after years of sacrifice supporting her family.

$Nathaniel Mary Quinn's fractured portraits set off Paris show$

Nathaniel Mary Quinn's fractured portraits set off Paris show

Artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn discovered his unique cut-up style when he decided to produce an additional portrait for an exhibition with only five hours to spare.

In DR Congo's capital, homeless teens pin future on rap

Life on the streets is grim and desperate, says "Business," a homeless teen in DR Congo's capital Kinshasa.

California Love: Tupac honored with star in Hollywood

Slain rap legend Tupac Shakur was honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on Wednesday, almost three decades after the best-selling artist was gunned down in a drive-by shooting.

CNN chief Chris Licht ends turbulent run at network

Chris Licht, the embattled head of CNN, has stepped down "effective immediately," the network's parent company Warner Brothers Discovery announced Wednesday, as the global news outlet struggles to reverse a ratings decline.

Francoise Gilot, the woman who dumped Picasso, dies aged 101

France's Francoise Gilot, who died Tuesday aged 101, survived what she called the "hell" of being Spanish artist Pablo Picasso's mistress and muse to become a renowned artist in her own right.

Apple TV+ announces Messi documentary

Streaming platform Apple TV+ on Tuesday announced a four-part documentary series on Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi.

Deezer to detect AI-generated music clones

Music streaming app Deezer said Tuesday it was launching a tool to detect and tag songs with AI-generated vocal clones in a bid to protect the revenues of the real artists.

Papua New Guinea women weave their way to a living

Inside a compound in Papua New Guinea's capital, Betty Nabi is putting six decades of expertise to work, weaving traditional bags that can last a lifetime.

Apple unveils Vision Pro, its $3,500 headset

Apple on Monday unveiled its first-ever mixed reality headset, challenging Facebook-owner Meta in a market that has yet to tempt users beyond videogamers and tech geeks.

Apple unveils Vision Pro, its first mixed reality headset

Apple on Monday unveiled its first-ever virtual reality headset challenging Facebook-owner Meta in a market that has yet to tempt users beyond videogamers and tech geeks.

Saudi designer Ashi first from Gulf in French couture federation

Saudi fashion designer Mohammed Ashi announced Monday he had joined France's haute couture federation, becoming the first couturier from the Gulf region to join the prestigious roster.

Splendid isolation and shifting sands: France's Mont Saint-Michel

The Mont Saint-Michel, one of France's most iconic landmarks, celebrates its 1,000th birthday this year.

Putting the K in hip-hop: South Korea's Jay Park

K-pop idol. Used tyre salesman. Hip-hop mogul. The course of true success has never run smoothly, but Korean-American entertainer Jay Park has had an unusually bumpy ride to stardom.

Here Comes the AI: Fans rejoice in 'new' Beatles music

When the Beatles broke up more than 50 years ago, devastated fans were left yearning for more. Now, artificial intelligence is offering just that.

Australia's rugby league eyes rockers U2 to help sell game to America

Australia's National Rugby League is planning 10 matches in Las Vegas with talks underway for Irish rockers U2 to help promote the game in America, according to media reports on Sunday.

Human extinction threat 'overblown' says AI sage Marcus

Ever since the poem churning ChatGPT burst on the scene six months ago, expert Gary Marcus has voiced caution against artificial intelligence's ultra-fast development and adoption.

Paris celebrates night-time art festival

Paris's night-time arts festival kicked off with a sporting theme on Saturday as the French capital limbers up to host the Olympics next summer.

Twitter safety exec quits after anti-trans video strife

Twitter's head of trust and safety on Friday confirmed she had quit the company, her departure coming after owner Elon Musk endorsed an anti-transgender video shared on the platform.

Chinese dissidents in New York open world's only Tiananmen Square museum

Chinese dissidents who took part in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests unveiled a museum in New York on Friday dedicated to remembering the "democratic dreams of the Chinese people," two days ahead of the 34th anniversary of the uprising's "brutal suppression."

Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho dead at 70

Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho died Friday in Paris at the age of 70, her family and publisher said in separate statements.

Hong Kong artists mark Tiananmen quietly or overseas

Avant garde street performance, politically charged theatre, pro-democracy music and poetry -- powerful works of art dealing with China's bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown that were once commonplace in Hong Kong have all but disappeared in recent years.

Phony claims swirl around Sri Lanka's holiest tree

When social media was inundated with rumours that Sri Lanka's holiest tree was being harmed by 5G mobile signals, Colombo's cash-strapped government pulled out all the stops.

Photographer sues Kanye West over alleged assault

A photographer who claims Kanye West threw her cell phone to the ground in a confrontation is suing the troubled rapper for assault, she said Thursday.

And just like that... Cattrall to appear in 'Sex and the City' sequel

Samantha Jones, Kim Cattrall's beloved character from "Sex and the City," will make a shock (and very brief) return in the sequel to the cult series, streaming platform Max has confirmed, to the delight of fans.

It's complicated: NY exhibit offers feminist reassessment of Picasso

Genius or misogynist -- or both? Fifty years after art icon Pablo Picasso's death, his legacy is reassessed by comedian Hannah Gadsby in a Brooklyn Museum exhibition in New York, this time through a contemporary, feminist lens.

AFP holds tribute for Arman Soldin, journalist killed in Ukraine

AFP held a memorial ceremony at its Paris headquarters Thursday for journalist Arman Soldin, killed last month in Ukraine at 32, and provided details of how he was killed.

Wars of words as French Open press room heats up

Outside the French Open press room this week, it was a sweltering 30 degrees.

Saudi Arabia's growing cinema soft power

Accompanying Naomi Campbell on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival last week was one of cinema's most powerful men -- and he represents a country where cinemas were banned until five years ago.

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