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Prague cathedral's long-awaited organ to pipe up in 2026

Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral, a favourite feature of postcards from the Czech capital, is next year set to inaugurate a long-awaited organ that befits its Gothic splendour.

Humans can no longer tell AI music from the real thing: survey

It has become nearly impossible for people to tell the difference between music generated by artificial intelligence and that created by humans, according to a survey released Wednesday.

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Amazon triples quarterly profit as cloud and ads grow

E-commerce titan Amazon on Tuesday said profit in the first three months of 2024 tripled as its cloud, ads, and retail businesses thrived.

'Persepolis' author wins top Spanish prize

French-Iranian artist Marjane Satrapi, whose graphic novel "Persepolis" tells the story of a girl growing up in post-revolutionary Iran, was Tuesday awarded Spain's prestigious Princess of Asturias communications and humanities prize.

Japan bridal wear pioneer Yumi Katsura dies at 94

Fashion designer Yumi Katsura, who helped popularise Western bridal wear in Japan and who made a golden cape for Pope John Paul II, has died aged 94, her office said Tuesday.

India's influencers still struggle years after TikTok ban

Choreographer Sahil Kumar found fame showcasing folk dances on TikTok, but his profile has been dormant since the video he posted four years ago supporting India's decision to ban the platform.

ChatGPT faces Austria complaint over 'uncorrectable errors'

A Vienna-based privacy campaign group said Monday it would file a complaint against ChatGPT in Austria, claiming the "hallucinating" flagship AI tool has invented wrong answers that creator OpenAI cannot correct.

Omar Sy, Eva Green join Cannes jury

French screen stars Omar Sy and Eva Green will be part of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival next month, organisers announced on Monday.

TikTok creators fear economic blow of US ban

Ayman Chaudhary turned her love for reading into a living on TikTok, posting video snippets about books like those banned in schools in ultra-conservative parts of the United States.

Music 'haven of freedom' Tangiers hosts global jazz festival

The Moroccan city of Tangiers, which has a long history as a haven of inspiration for American jazz musicians, will host UNESCO's International Jazz Day for the first time on Tuesday.

Pope heads to Venice in first trip for months

Pope Francis will visit Venice on Sunday, his first trip outside Rome in seven months, which will be closely watched amid concerns over the 87-year-old's fragile health.

Louvre says Mona Lisa could get a room of her own

The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, the world's most famous portrait, could get a room of its own in the Louvre, the museum's president said on Saturday.

Star K-pop producer causes online stir after lashing out at industry bosses

The creative director behind the girl band NewJeans has found online fame after a tearful, profanity-laced news conference in which she slammed some of K-pop's most powerful executives as "middle-aged jerks".

Sudanese filmmakers shine light on war's 'silent problems'

Sudanese directors and actors were in Egypt this week hoping to use the power of cinema to shine a light on the war devastating their country and on world indifference.

French barber still trimming at 90

French barber Roger Amilhastre, 90, could have hung up his clippers decades ago but he said his passion for hair gives him a reason to get up in the morning.

Cybersecurity firm Darktrace accepts $5 bn takeover

Cybersecurity firm Darktrace said Friday it had accepted a $5.3-billion takeover bid from US private equity firm Thoma Bravo, which highlighted the British group's "capability in artificial intelligence".

Kenyan rugby player turned TikTok star cooks to fight depression

"Done!" -- the catchphrase punctuating former rugby player Dennis Ombachi's cooking videos is as famous as the balcony of the Nairobi apartment where he films himself in action.

Japan anime studio draws on talent of autistic artists

Diagnosed with autism, Shoko Sakuma says she struggled working in accounting but now she is putting her childhood love of drawing to work in a special Japanese animation studio.

Snap shares pop after revenue tops expectations

Shares in social media company Snap, which runs the youth-focused Snapchat, soared nearly 25 percent on Thursday after it reported more quarterly revenue than expected by analysts.

French Palme d'Or winner Laurent Cantet dies

French filmmaker Laurent Cantet, who won the Palme d'Or in Cannes in 2008 for his school-set film "The Class", died on Thursday aged 63, his agent said on Thursday.

BTS agency files complaint against subsidiary head over breach of trust

The South Korean agency behind K-pop sensation BTS on Thursday filed a legal complaint against its powerhouse subsidiary's head for allegedly orchestrating a plan to break away from the parent company.

BTS agency to file complaint against subsidiary head over breach of trust

The South Korean agency behind K-pop sensation BTS said Thursday it will file a legal complaint against its powerhouse subsidiary's head for allegedly orchestrating a plan to break away from the parent company.

Born in favelas, Brazilian funk gets swank, goes global

Born in impoverished favelas, Rio de Janeiro funk music has emerged as a global phenomenon, embraced by superstars from Anitta to Beyonce and starring in museum shows -- though it still faces stigma in Brazil.

Star Dudamel brings inclusive vision to New York Philharmonic

Star conductor Gustavo Dudamel presented a youth-oriented, pop culturally aware vision of the future to the New York Philharmonic's spring gala Wednesday, previewing his forthcoming takeover of the symphony as its next director.

US conspiracy website Gateway Pundit declares bankruptcy

US far-right conspiracy website Gateway Pundit is filing for bankruptcy, its founder said Wednesday, as it battles a string of lawsuits alleging it promoted misinformation related to the 2020 election.

Meta profits soar but costs of AI cause worry

Facebook-owner Meta on Wednesday said its quarterly profits soared last quarter, but worries about the cost of artificial intelligence saw its share price take a hit on Wall Street.

Meta sees profits soar in first quarter

Facebook-owner Meta on Wednesday said its quarterly profits soared last quarter as the company continues to see stellar ad growth across its family of world-leading social media apps.

Bleach blond? Biden mocks Trump's hair in personal barb

US President Joe Biden took aim Wednesday at Donald Trump, joking that when his rival famously remarked about injecting bleach to tackle Covid it instead went in his much-discussed hair.

TikTok to fight US ban law in courts

TikTok's CEO vowed Wednesday to fight in the courts to overturn a newly signed US law that could see the popular app banned due to allegations it is controlled by the China government.

'City Hunter' manga hero drops the sexism for new live-action film

Attracting global audiences with a live-action adaptation of a classic Japanese manga can be tough, and even more so when the protagonist is a notorious philanderer.

Women's prison hosts Vatican's Venice Biennale show

A women's prison is the site of an immersive art show from the Vatican at the 60th Venice Biennale, an unlikely venue that its curator says is a "message in itself".

Recycled 'zombie' misinformation targets US voters

Migrants, vaccines, pedophilia rings -- old conspiracy theories are resurfacing ahead of the US election despite being repeatedly debunked, in what researchers call "zombie" falsehoods that appear to resonate with polarized voters.

Bill to ban TikTok in US clears Congress

The US Senate on Tuesday approved legislation requiring the wildly popular social media app TikTok to be divested from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or be shut out of the American market.

French artist JR downsizes at Venice Biennale with Orient Express

Better known for his huge photographic collages, French artist JR presents a smaller scale project for the Venice Biennale this year that still aims to "change perspectives" -- this time through rail travel.

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