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Trump fires librarian of US Congress

US President Donald Trump has fired the country's top librarian, his spokeswoman confirmed Friday, cutting short the term of the only woman and first African American to take on the role.

'Jumbo': the animated Indonesian film smashing records

An Indonesian animated movie is smashing regional box-office records and could be set for wider success as it prepares to open beyond the Southeast Asian archipelago's silver screens.

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German town united by 400-year-old theatre tradition

Walk around the German Alpine village of Oberammergau, and the chances are you'll run into Jesus or one of his 12 disciples.

Uruguay's tango therapy a hit with dialysis patients

At the age of 85, Uruguayan Olga Diaz's kidneys are failing -- she was beginning to despair at her bleak future, kept alive by 12 hours of dialysis per week.

High up in Turkish valleys, Afghan shepherds dream of home

In Turkish mountains so high the silver clouds almost touch the top of his head, the homesick Afghan shepherd prepares his baaing flock for a good shear.

Rebel Moscow theatre shuts doors after final show

The Gogol Centre theatre, one of the last bastions of artistic freedom in Vladimir Putin's Russia, shut its doors Thursday night with a defiant final show called "I Don't Take Part In War".

Beet this: Ukraine wins fight to protect borshch soup

The UN's cultural agency on Friday inscribed the culture surrounding beetroot soup known as borshch in Ukraine on its list of endangered cultural heritage, a recognition sought urgently by Kviv after its invasion by neighbouring Russia.

UNESCO inscribes Ukrainian borshch soup as endangered heritage

The UN's cultural agency on Friday inscribed the culture of cooking borshch soup in Ukraine on its list of endangered cultural heritage, in a move urged by Kyiv but vehemently opposed by Moscow.

'American Woman' rocker reunited with stolen guitar... 46 years on

They say you never forget your first love, and after pining for his stolen guitar for almost half a century, Canadian rock star Randy Bachman has finally been reunited with the instrument which an eagle-eyed fan tracked down in Japan.

Serie A reaches TV rights deal with Abu Dhabi Media

Serie A on Thursday accepted the offer of TV platform Abu Dhabi Media to broadcast the Italian league in the Middle East and North Africa after more than a year without a broadcaster in this region.

Cairo's floating heritage risks being towed away by grand projects

Dozens of vibrantly coloured floating homes have for decades dotted the banks of the River Nile, rare havens of leafy seclusion in the Egyptian capital's hustle and bustle -- but maybe not for much longer.

Time's up for France's historic 'speaking clock'

For nearly 90 years, anyone in France needing to know what time it is down-to-the-second could ring up the Paris Observatory and get an automated, astronomy-based response.

With 'Thirteen Lives,' Ron Howard revisits Thai cave rescue

The dramatic rescue of 12 youth football players and their coach from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018, a captivating operation already revisited in an award-winning documentary, is now getting the big-screen dramatic treatment from Ron Howard.

Google's new California offices bank on in-person work

Roofs coated with canopy-like solar panels and indoor spaces awash in sunlight: Google has bet big on in-person work with its sprawling new Silicon Valley offices.

Woody Allen says 'thrill is gone,' next movie may be his last

In a rare interview on Tuesday, filmmaker Woody Allen did not rule out Tuesday that his next movie, to be shot in Paris, will be his last, saying that "a lot of the thrill is gone."

Netflix 'actively' working on ad-supported subscription

Netflix is "actively" working on building its cheaper, ad-supported deal, the company's French team said on Tuesday, but added there was no clear timeline.

Jewel thieves in brazen Dutch art fair heist

Flat-cap wearing armed robbers staged a brazen daylight raid on an international art fair in the Netherlands Tuesday, smashing a jewellery case with a sledgehammer in front of terrified visitors.

First ever 'Africa Fashion' exhibition opens in London

Britain's most extensive exhibition of African fashion is set to open in London, showcasing designers past and present, as well as the continent's diverse heritage and cultures.

Kyiv's plans to ban works in Russian divide book lovers

Ukraine plans to ban many books in Russian as part of a wartime battle against propaganda, but the new law has divided both literature fans and booksellers alike.

S.African police search bar for clues after 21 teens die

South African police were on Monday combing a township tavern where 21 teenagers mysteriously died as survivors described a battle to escape the jam-packed premises and one reported a suffocating smell.

Billionaire Italian eyewear mogul Del Vecchio dead at 87

Italy's second richest man, eyewear magnate Leonardo Del Vecchio, has died at age 87 after building an optical empire that saw him buy up major brands like Ray-Ban, Persol and Oakley.

Murdered rapper's song pulled from YouTube in India

YouTube has removed a viral music video in India released posthumously by murdered Sikh rapper Sidhu Moose Wala following a complaint by the government.

S.African police seek clues after 21 teens die in bar

Police in South Africa were combing a township tavern for evidence on Monday after the mysterious death of 21 teenagers after a night out.

'Crime not to help': South Korean ex-SEAL has no Ukraine regrets

A former South Korean Navy SEAL turned YouTuber who risked jail time to leave Seoul and fight for Ukraine says it would have been a "crime" not to use his skills to help.

'Elvis' puts the King back in spotlight in N.American theaters

Baz Luhrmann's rock'n'roll biopic "Elvis" hip-swiveled to the top of the box office on its opening weekend in North America, taking in an estimated $30.5 million in a rare tie with "Top Gun: Maverick," industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

Menswear regains its muscle at Paris Fashion Week

Menswear proved to be in reinvigorated form as Paris Fashion Week ended on Sunday, with spectacle, innovation and the return of big-name designers to the catwalk.

Iran's next revolution will be female, says Cannes winner

Iran's next revolution will be brought on by women taking back the freedoms denied to them in the Islamic republic, said Zar Amir Ebrahimi, the winner of this year's Best Actress award at Cannes.

Mud, sweat and cheers: Traditional Thai water buffalo race enthralls crowds

Boys scurry, duck and weave through crowds sheltering from the suffocating heat before upending buckets of cooling water on beefy bovines waiting to compete at the annual traditional Thai buffalo races in Chonburi on Sunday.

McCartney rolls back years as Glastonbury enters final day

US rapper Kendrick Lamar will bring the curtain down on Britain's Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, after Paul McCartney ran through a set of Beatles classics, helped out by Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl.

Rich heritage buried under impoverished Gaza Strip

While workers laboured on a large construction site in the Gaza Strip, a security guard noticed a strange piece of stone sticking out of the earth.

FBI seizes Basquiat paintings amid doubts over authenticity

FBI agents seized all 25 works at a Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit in Florida amid questions about their authenticity, the museum which was showing them said Saturday.

Turkey's banned musicians sing the blues in run-up to 2023 vote

A tattooed pop star banned for her slinky dresses and support for women's rights. Kurdish artists blacklisted and concerts cancelled out of concern for alcohol-fuelled frolicking between boys and girls.

European festivals should not be scrapped due to monkeypox: WHO

The World Health Organization said Friday that European summer festivals should not be cancelled due to the monkeypox outbreak but should instead manage the risk of amplifying the virus.

UN says Israeli fire killed Al Jazeera journalist

The United Nations said Friday it found that Israeli forces fired the shot that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, with Israel swiftly branding the UN's findings unfounded.

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