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Four guitars that smashed auction records
The guitar used by former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler to record the famous opening riff to the band's 1985 hit "Money for Nothing" is expected to spark intense interest when it goes up for auction on Wednesday as part of a massive sell-off of his instruments.
Hungary's 'chilling' foreign influence office starts up
A new government agency to "protect Hungary's sovereignty" which starts work Thursday will have a "chilling effect" on the country's democracy, critics warn.
Jam Master Jay murder fueled 'by greed and revenge': prosecutors
Run-DMC member Jam Master Jay was slain in an ambush fueled "by greed and revenge," US prosecutors told jurors Monday, as defense lawyers cast doubt on evidence in the trial over the alleged murder 20 years ago.
Museum chief brands tourist-hit Florence a 'prostitute'
Mass tourism has turned Florence into a "prostitute", one of the city's museum directors said Monday, sparking outrage from politicians including Italy's culture minister.
Sotheby's sales drop in 2023 after record year
Storied auction house Sotheby's reported on Monday that sales had dipped last year to $7.9 billion, down $100 million from the record-breaking 2022 which was lifted by pent-up demand following the pandemic.
'Wizard of Oz' shoe thief avoids prison
An elderly US man who stole a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the classic film "The Wizard of Oz" avoided prison time at his sentencing hearing on Monday.
New anti-Ukraine disinfo campaign aims to bog down Western media
A message on X asked a major French channel to verify what seemed to be a Deutsche Welle report about a Ukrainian artist who "sawed down the Eiffel Tower."
Jam Master Jay murder trial underway with opening statements
Run-DMC member Jam Master Jay was slain in "an ambush" fueled "by greed and revenge," US prosecutors told jurors Monday, as defense lawyers cast doubt on available evidence in the trial over the alleged murder carried out 20 years ago.
'Effeminate' Christ poster angers Spanish conservatives
A poster of Christ to promote Easter week in Seville has drawn a sharp backlash from Spanish ultra-conservatives, who denounced it as "effeminate" and "offensive" to Roman Catholics.
Mad dash? Swift will have to speed across globe to see Kelce in Super Bowl
Pop music icon Taylor Swift is reportedly ready to make a lightning trip from Japan next month to see boyfriend Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Trial arguments to begin over 2002 murder of Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay
The New York trial over the murder of Jam Master Jay, the influential Run-DMC DJ who was killed two decades ago, is set to begin in earnest Monday with opening statements.
'Festival of resistance': Haiti jazzfest sparks hope in crisis-hit capital
Hundreds of concertgoers attended the "PAPJAZZ" music festival in Haiti's capital this week, which returned for the first time since 2021 with a modified schedule and strict security precautions amid the city's dire security situation.
Egypt pyramid renovation sparks debate
A video showing renovation work at Egypt's Menkaure pyramid at Giza has triggered social media criticism, with one expert decrying its "absurdity".
'Beekeeper' buzzes to top of N.America box office
Amazon/MGM action picture "The Beekeeper" flew to the top of the North American box office on a slow winter weekend with an estimated take of $7.4 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.
Activists splash soup on glass-protected Mona Lisa
Two protesters on Sunday hurled soup at the bullet-proof glass protecting Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" in Paris, demanding the right to "healthy and sustainable food", an AFP journalist saw.
Activists splash soup on glass-protected Mona Lisa in Paris: AFP
Two protesters on Sunday hurled soup at the bullet-proof glass protecting Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" in Paris, demanding the right to "healthy and sustainable food", an AFP journalist saw.
Taiwan night market serves up viral dance
Swinging side-to-side to a Chinese ditty, Taiwanese teenagers and kids performed at a recent night market competition, showing off their loose-limbed moves while executing the viral "subject three" dance that has taken social media by storm.
Sketch attributed to Michelangelo to be auctioned in New York
A simple square scribbled on a yellowed piece of paper believed to have been drawn by Renaissance genius Michelangelo will go on sale in April in New York, auction house Christie's announced on Friday.
Amazon show with Hong Kong protest scenes not shown in city
A new television series starring Nicole Kidman and featuring scenes of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests debuted on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, but could not be accessed in the Chinese city where it was partly filmed.
Tears and fears for the man planning Paris Olympics show
The theatre director responsible for the most ambitious Olympics opening ceremony in history in Paris this July was so overwhelmed by the task when first asked to do it that he rang his mother in tears.
Bolivian inmates pass the time, earn money building miniature cars
In a prison in La Paz, inmate Julio Mamani beats a metal sheet from which he is building a tiny truck his wife will try and sell at a craft fair.
Long-lost Klimt painting resurfaced in Austria
A late painting by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt has resurfaced in a private collection and will be sold in April, Viennese auction house Kinsky said Thursday.
'Fauda' actor wounded in Gaza vows return to Israel screen
An Israeli actor in the hit Netflix television series "Fauda" vowed Thursday to return to the screen after he was wounded while fighting Hamas militants in Gaza.
Russian woman jailed for record 27 years for killing anti-Ukraine blogger
A Russian court on Thursday sentenced a woman to a record 27 years in prison for blowing up an anti-Ukraine military blogger in what prosecutors say was a brazen killing ordered by Kyiv.
Japanese man sentenced to death in anime arson trial
A Japanese court on Thursday sentenced to death the perpetrator of a 2019 arson attack on an animation studio that killed 36 people, local media reported.
'We don't hit women': How Yakuza differs from GTA
The "Yakuza" gangster series has long been seen as a Japanese "Grand Theft Auto" but Masayoshi Yokoyama, one of the main designers of the hugely successful games, dismisses any such comparison.
Death sentence expected in Japan anime arson trial
A Japanese court found guilty on Thursday the perpetrator of a 2019 arson attack on an animation studio that killed 36 people, with a death sentence widely expected later in the day, local media reported.
Malaysia's Hindu devotees celebrate Thaipusam festival
Hundreds of thousands of Hindus celebrated the annual Thaipusam festival on Thursday, gathering in temples across Malaysia, with many displaying their devotion by piercing their bodies with hooks and skewers.
Tom Holland's 'Avengers' bonus sent to... actor Tom Hollander
British actor and "White Lotus" villain Tom Hollander often gets mistaken for "Spiderman" star Tom Holland, but occasionally it works in his favor -- like when he got the payslip for the other man's seven-figure film bonus.
Defendant convicted in Japan arson trial, sentencing later: media
A Japanese court found guilty on Thursday the perpetrator of a 2019 arson attack on an animation studio that killed 36 people, with sentencing expected later in the day, local media reported.
Aww, cute: new London show explores the world of the adorable
From cats and plushies to emojis, a new central London exhibition opening on Thursday is exploring the "irresistible force" of "cuteness".
Actor Tom Hollander got Tom Holland's 'Avengers' bonus
British actor and "White Lotus" villain Tom Hollander often gets mistaken for "Spiderman" star Tom Holland, but occasionally it works in his favour -- like when he got the other man's seven-figure film bonus.