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週刊文春がスクープ「レコード大賞の闇」：買収疑惑と審査委員企業の営業

週刊文春は日本レコード大賞をめぐる一連の疑惑をスクープした。審査委員企業の不可解な高額営業資料や新人賞枠の突然増加などが明らかになり、音楽業界で大きな話題となっている。年末恒例の風物詩がカネで動かされているとの指摘だ。

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.

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Planting giant cactus to stave off desertification in Brazil

Giant spiky cacti tower over farmer Alcides Peixinho Nascimento, 70, one of the residents of Brazil's unique Caatinga biome who is on a mission to plant native vegetation in a bid to halt desertification.

US Supreme Court ruling curbs power of federal agencies

The conservative-majority US Supreme Court struck down 40 years of legal precedent Friday, curbing the power of federal agencies to regulate critical issues affecting Americans' daily lives, from air quality to drug safety and more.

France cinema boss gets 3-year jail term in sexual assault case

The head of France's top cinema institution, Dominique Boutonnat, was on Friday given a three-year prison sentence, two of them suspended, after being convicted of sexually assaulting his godson in 2020.

French court to rule whether 'Bolero' was Ravel's work alone

A French court was set to rule Friday on whether "Bolero", one of the best-known classical music pieces in the world, was written by Maurice Ravel alone -- a decision with big financial stakes.

Palestinian brewery persists as Israeli curbs bite in wartime

Even before the Gaza war broke out, the Taybeh brewery's pale ales and lagers had to carve a rocky path to make their way out of the occupied West Bank.

Former Uvalde school police chief charged over mass shooting response

A former school district police chief in the US state of Texas has been charged and arrested over the response to a 2022 elementary school shooting that left 21 people dead, including 19 children, US media reported Thursday.

US Supreme Court rejects opioid settlement that shields Sackler family

The US Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Purdue Pharma's $6 billion opioids settlement immunizing the Sackler family that controlled the drugmaker from future litigation.

Vienna 'most liveable' city, Tel Aviv's rating falls

Vienna is still the world's most liveable city for a third year in a row, while the rating of Tel Aviv in Israel slumped, according to a new survey published Thursday.

Thousands mourn Buddhist abbot killed by Myanmar security forces

Thousands of mourners on Thursday attended the funeral of a popular Buddhist abbot shot dead by Myanmar security forces in an incident that drew a rare apology from the junta.

Tunisia town shuttered after Libya closes smuggler-linked border

Months into the closure of Tunisia's main border crossing with Libya, a haven for smugglers, shops are shuttered and unemployment has soared in the already-marginalised desert region, merchants say.

Taiwan raises China travel alert over death penalty threat

Taiwan's government on Thursday urged the public to avoid "unnecessary travel" to China after Beijing announced "diehard" supporters of the island's independence could face the death penalty.

Boeing aims to lift MAX quality control at Renton factory

At its plane factory near Seattle, Boeing has increased employee training, appointed mentors for new recruits, brought back retirees as coaches and stepped up tracking of performance metrics.

Death toll from Indian toxic alcohol rises to 63: police

The death toll from a batch of illegal alcohol that devastated a town in southern India last week has risen to 63, police said Thursday.

Divers turn conservationists as corals bleach worldwide

A diver glides over an expanse of bone-white coral branches, recording the fish that dart between the ghostly arms extending from the sea floor off the Thai island of Koh Tao.

Iconic sites hosting Paris Olympics events

The Paris Olympics have been designed to showcase the City of Light in all its splendour, with many events set to take place at some of its most iconic locations.

Canada business tycoon Frank Stronach charged with sexual assaults

Canadian auto parts magnate Frank Stronach is facing 13 charges for alleged sexual assaults of several women from 1980 to 2023, police said Wednesday after new accusations piled up against him.

US jails Honduran ex-president for 45 years on drug charges

A court in New York on Wednesday sentenced former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez to 45 years in prison after he was convicted of trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States.

Princess Anne 'recovering slowly' after horse accident: husband

King Charles III's sister Princess Anne is "recovering slowly" in hospital, her husband said Wednesday, after she suffered a concussion in an incident with a horse at her country estate.

US top court declines to curb govt contact with social media firms

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a Republican-led bid to curb government contact with social media companies to moderate their content, a ruling that could bolster official efforts to fight misinformation in a key election year.

Trial starts into shock bid to murder Argentina's Kirchner

A man went on trial in Argentina on Wednesday two years after he held a gun just centimeters from the face of then-vice president Cristina Kirchner and pulled the trigger.

ICC convicts Timbuktu jihad police chief of war crimes

The International Criminal Court on Wednesday convicted a jihadist police chief of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during a reign of terror in the fabled Malian city of Timbuktu.

'Forgotten' women Impressionists rediscovered at Irish exhibition

Four women Impressionist painters largely overlooked by history are coming under a rare spotlight at an exhibition in Ireland marking the 150th anniversary of the artistic movement.

S. Korea administrative robot defunct after apparent suicide

A city council in South Korea said Wednesday their first administrative officer robot was defunct after throwing itself down some stairs, with local media mourning the country's first robot suicide.

Spurs star Son's dad denies 'corporal punishment' at football academy

The father of Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min on Wednesday denied allegations of physical and verbal abuse at his South Korean football academy, after a student's family sued him and his coaches.

US journalist Evan Gershkovich appears in Russian court for trial

US journalist Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Russian court for the start of his closed-door trial for espionage on Wednesday, 15 months after his shock arrest on charges he, his employer and the White House reject as false.

The highs and lows of chemsex's drug-driven orgy scene

David is a psychologist and has been taking part in drug-fuelled gay orgies for the past 15 years.

How the US and Assange reached a plea deal - and what it means

After more than thirteen years in England, including five years spent in prison, Julian Assange pleaded guilty in the Northern Mariana Islands, a far-flung US territory in the Pacific, and walked out of court a free man.

Russia puts US journalist Evan Gershkovich on trial

US journalist Evan Gershkovich will face the start of a closed-door trial on espionage charges in Russia on Wednesday, more than a year after he became the first Western journalist since the Soviet era to be detained on such accusations.

WikiLeaks founder Assange freed in US plea deal

A US judge freed Julian Assange on Wednesday in a plea deal that ended years of legal drama for the WikiLeaks founder, long wanted by Washington for revealing military secrets.

Brazil's top court votes to decriminalize personal weed use

Brazil's Supreme Court said Tuesday a majority of judges had voted to decriminalize possession of marijuana for personal use, after a lengthy and divisive trial.

ICC issues arrest warrants for Russia army chief, ex-minister

The International Criminal Court said Tuesday it had issued arrest warrants for Russia's top army chief and ex defence minister over strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure that constituted alleged war crimes.

WikiLeaks founder Assange leaves Britain after US plea deal

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison in Britain and is set to face a final court hearing after reaching a plea deal with US authorities that brings to a close his years-long legal drama.

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