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Katy Perry Tells Fans Ex-Husband Russell Brand 'Should Be in Jail' During UK Concert

Katy Perry has recalled a past concert moment where she told fans that her ex-husband Russell Brand 'should be in jail,' a statement that has taken on renewed significance following his recent criminal convictions. The singer made the remark during a question-and-answer session at the Blenheim Palace Festival last July, before Brand was found guilty of rape and sexual assault.

George and Amal Clooney attend New York political-comedy reading

George and Amal Clooney attended a performance at New York’s Seaview Studio where the actor took part in a reading of the political comedy Smear!

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New York mayor charged with years of bribery, fraud

New York's scandal-plagued Mayor Eric Adams was charged Thursday with wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations and bribery conspiracy -- stunning charges that fueled calls for him to resign.

Quito fires coming under control after choking capital

Firefighters in Ecuador's capital were battling the remnants of major forest fires on Thursday that had sent massive plumes of smoke above Quito earlier this week, amid a record drought.

New York mayor charged with bribery, fraud in bombshell indictment

New York's scandal-plagued mayor Eric Adams was federally charged Thursday with crimes including wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations and bribery conspiracy, a stunning indictment unsealed amid calls for him to resign.

'The last straw': gang-plagued Ecuador now fighting record fires

Ecuador's capital Quito, already reeling from a spate of horrific gang violence, is now fighting fires with limited water amid the country's worst drought in six decades.

Family urges UK govt to secure release of Egyptian dissident

The family of jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah urged the UK government on Thursday to act to ensure his release in three days' time, when he will have served a full five years in custody.

'Catastrophic' Hurricane Helene races towards Florida

Hurricane Helene was set to slam into the Florida coast as a "catastrophic" Category 4 storm Thursday, the US weather service said, threatening up to 20 feet (six meters) of deadly ocean surge and pummeling winds as residents rushed to get out of harm's way.

Ex-Harrods owner Al-Fayed presided over 'toxic culture': managing director

Harrods' managing director on Thursday said his former boss Mohamed Al-Fayed, who is accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, presided over a "toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct".

Federal agents raid New York mayor's residence after indictment

US federal agents raided the official residence of New York Mayor Eric Adams early Thursday ahead of the expected announcement of criminal charges against the former city cop once touted as a rising Democratic Party star.

Pope Francis deplores 're-emergence' of war, in Luxembourg visit

Pope Francis kicked off a four-day visit to Luxembourg and Belgium Thursday with an appeal for international diplomacy and negotiations amid flaring conflicts across the globe.

Tired Pope Francis begins four-day Luxembourg-Belgium trip

A visibly tired Pope Francis arrived in Luxembourg on Thursday, kicking off a four-day visit to the small nation and neighbouring Belgium that follows a gruelling Asia-Pacific trip.

Good vibes: Dutch takeaway firm expands to sex toy delivery

Vibrator with your vindaloo? An Amsterdam-based takeaway firm is adding sex toys to their delivery service for customers who fancy a happy ending to their meal.

Pope Francis begins trip to 'the heart of Europe'

Pope Francis is to pay a rare visit to Luxembourg before heading to Brussels on Thursday, a trip to "the heart of Europe" he will use to discuss the continent's role in the world.

Kenyan school fires scare away parents

As Kenya mourns 21 children killed in a boarding school fire this month, anxious parents are left wondering why the country suffers so many similar tragedies.

Bus hijacking leaves one dead in Los Angeles

A bus hijacking that led to a slow-motion police chase through Los Angeles early Wednesday left one person dead and the alleged gunman in custody, police said.

Ecuador firefighters battle blazes choking capital

Firefighters and helicopters battled five blazes on the outskirts of Quito on Wednesday, as wildfires continue to rip through South American nations that have been turned into tinderboxes by a prolonged drought linked to climate change.

Florida girds for arrival of Helene as powerful hurricane

Thousands of residents on Wednesday began evacuating parts of coastal Florida as the US state braces for Hurricane Helene, forecast to barrel ashore as a powerful, potentially deadly storm.

French minister vows to 'protect the French' after student rape and murder

France's conservative interior minister on Wednesday vowed new rules to "protect the French" after a Moroccan man suspected of raping and murdering a 19-year-old student then leaving her body in a Paris park was arrested in Switzerland.

Zelensky says Russia planning attacks on Ukraine nuclear plants

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky charged Wednesday before the United Nations that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is planning to attack nuclear power plants in his country, warning of catastrophic consequences.

Google files EU complaint over Microsoft cloud services

Google said Wednesday that it had filed a complaint against Microsoft at the European Commission, accusing its rival of "anticompetitive" licensing practices to force customers to use its cloud service.

France minister vows new immigration 'rules' after student murder

France's conservative interior minister on Wednesday vowed consequences after a Moroccan man suspected of murdering a 19-year-old university student and leaving her body in a Paris forest was arrested in Switzerland.

Ninth body recovered in flood-hit Japan region

Rescuers on Wednesday recovered the body of a ninth victim of severe floods which battered parts of central Japan last week, local media said.

US state executes man despite conviction doubts

Two men on death row in the United States were executed Tuesday, including a Black man convicted of murder who had maintained his innocence and drawn support from civil rights groups.

Pope offers refuge to Myanmar's jailed Suu Kyi: report

Pope Francis has offered refuge on Vatican territory for Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Italian media said on Tuesday.

Russia mulls ban on 'childless propaganda'

Russian MPs on Tuesday called for a ban on promoting childless lifestyles, the latest measures targeting what Moscow depicts as a liberal ideology at odds with Russia's conservative values.

Crypto CEO and Bankman-Fried ex Caroline Ellison gets two-year sentence

Caroline Ellison, who testified against her former boyfriend and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried at his crypto fraud trial, was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for her role in the case, New York prosecutors told AFP.

Dior unleashes arrows and Amazons at Paris Fashion Week

Dior gave Paris Fashion Week a shot of Olympic adrenaline Tuesday with a troop of athletic Amazons striding down its runway amid whizzing arrows.

US woman dies in controversial suicide capsule in Switzerland

A 64-year-old US woman took her own life inside a controversial suicide capsule at a Swiss woodland retreat, with police on Tuesday saying several people had been arrested.

Two killed in Mexico as Hurricane John weakens to tropical storm

At least two people died after Hurricane John slammed into Mexico's southern Pacific coast overnight, authorities reported Tuesday, with the cyclone since downgraded to a tropical storm and expected to weaken further.

Singapore ex-minister convicted in rare graft trial

A Singaporean former minister was convicted Tuesday of obstruction of justice and accepting illegal gifts, the public prosecutor said, in the city-state's first political graft trial for nearly half a century.

Meryl Streep says a 'squirrel has more rights' than an Afghan girl

American actor Meryl Streep has said a "squirrel has more rights" than a girl in Afghanistan, adding her voice to a call by Afghan women to end the Taliban government's severe restrictions on their lives.

Singapore ex-minister pleads guilty in rare graft trial

A Singaporean former minister pleaded guilty to bribery charges Tuesday after more severe allegations were dropped, local media said, as the first graft trial of a political office holder for more than four decades began in the city-state.

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