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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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Trial over $1.8bn fraud at Malaysia's 1MDB opens in Switzerland

Two men accused of embezzling $1.8 billion from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB went on trial in Switzerland on Tuesday, the latest hearings stemming from the vast multi-billion-dollar financial scandal.

Escalating violence engulfs Mexican election race

Two electoral candidates, including an aspiring mayor of one of Mexico's most dangerous cities, were gunned down in a single day as violence escalates weeks before elections, authorities said Tuesday.

US teenager among three killed in Swiss avalanche

One of the three people killed by an avalanche at the luxury Swiss ski resort of Zermatt was a 15-year-old boy from the United States, police said Tuesday.

Trial over $1.8 bn fraud at Malaysia's 1MDB opens in Switzerland

For Trump, belief in God means votes and money

President Joe Biden may be a regular churchgoer, but his challenger Donald Trump, who rarely appears in church and spent Easter raging at opponents, is the only candidate comparing himself to Jesus Christ.

Temporary channels being created to aid Baltimore bridge response

US authorities working on the Baltimore bridge collapse told AFP on Monday that they plan to open two small, temporary channels to let ships access the site of the incident.

Two First Ladies at presidential palace in a Senegal first

In the closing moments of the electoral campaign, Senegal's president-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye stepped onto the stage holding the hands of both his wives Marie and Absa.

Peru president ordered to present Rolex watches in graft scandal

Peru's prosecutor's office on Sunday ordered President Dina Boluarte to present any Rolex watches in her possession, after a raid on her home and office as part of a corruption probe.

France police find remains of toddler missing in the Alps

French investigators have found the remains of a toddler who went missing last year in an Alpine village in a case that shocked the nation, and are working to determine how he died, a prosecutor said Sunday.

Pope Francis pleads for peace in Easter message

Pope Francis urged the world to resist "the logic of weapons" in his Easter message at the Vatican on Sunday, easing growing health fears as he greeted thousands of Catholics.

Kenya tourist revenue climbs above pre-Covid levels

Revenue from tourism in Kenya jumped nearly a third in 2023 over the previous year beating the pre-pandemic numbers, according to the tourism ministry.

Workers set to remove first piece of collapsed US bridge

The complex process of clearing the tangled wreckage of the Baltimore bridge that collapsed spectacularly this week was set to begin Saturday with removal of a first section, officials said.

Pope leads Easter Vigil service after health concerns

Pope Francis took the Easter Vigil service at the Vatican Saturday, a day after the last-minute cancellation of his presence at a major Good Friday procession revived questions about his health.

Thousands gather for London pro-Palestinian rally

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied in London on Saturday, in the latest demonstration in the British capital demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and more aid for the war-ravaged territory.

Dutch hostage drama over, armed suspect arrested

A hostage drama in the Netherlands that lasted several hours ended without bloodshed on Saturday as all four hostages were freed and police took the suspect into custody.

Pope expected to lead Easter celebrations despite doubts about his health

Pope Francis is expected to lead Easter services at the Vatican Saturday and Sunday after his last-minute cancelation of a major Good Friday procession revived questions about his health.

Dutch hostage drama over, suspect held

A hostage drama in the Netherlands that lasted several hours on Saturday ended without bloodshed as all hostages were freed and police took the suspect into custody.

Three freed in Dutch hostage drama, situation ongoing

Three of the hostages being held in a cafe in central Netherlands Saturday have been released, police said, but did not yet sound the all-clear.

Germany to legalise cannabis: what are the new rules?

Germany will partially legalise cannabis from Monday, implementing a flagship pledge of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government.

Grassroots revolution: the road to legal cannabis

Germany is set to join the global cannabis revolution on Monday, with a law coming into effect legalising recreational use of the drug.

Restored Versailles Sun God adds gilt to Olympic equestrianism

The Chateau of Versailles will provide one of the most elegant Olympic backdrops when the equestrian competitions canter through its famous park, but with less than four months to go to the Paris Games, it is a muddy building site.

French court jails 'Tinder rapist' photographer for 18 years

A French court on Friday jailed a man for 18 years for raping and sexually assaulting several women he had lured on dating apps and social media to take their picture.

Pope Francis pulls out of Easter event at last minute

Pope Francis pulled out of a key Easter ceremony at the last minute on Friday, reigniting concerns about the 87-year-old's increasingly frail health.

'Daunting task' - Cranes arrive to clear Baltimore bridge debris

Three heavy lift floating cranes arrived in Baltimore harbor on Friday to begin what Maryland's governor described as a "remarkably complex operation" to clear crumpled girders from a collapsed bridge taken down by an errant container ship.

Pilgrims stay away from Jerusalem on 'tense' Good Friday

The war in Gaza hung heavy over Good Friday in Jerusalem with fewer Christian pilgrims walking the path through the walled Old City that they believe Christ took to his crucifixion.

US outlet Radio Free Asia closes Hong Kong office over security law fears

The US news outlet Radio Free Asia (RFA) said Friday that it had closed its office in Hong Kong over staff safety concerns after the city enacted a new national security law.

Polish president vetoes move to restore access to emergency contraception

Poland's conservative President Andrzej Duda on Friday vetoed a proposal by the pro-EU ruling coalition to restore prescription-free emergency contraception, which was reversed by the previous nationalist government.

Rain in Spain puts dampener on Good Friday parades

Torrential rains forced the cancellation of famed Good Friday religious processions through Seville, leaving many faithful in tears in the southern Spanish city.

Philippines observes Good Friday with crucifixions and whippings

Catholic zealots in the Philippines re-enacting the last moments of Jesus Christ were nailed to wooden crosses while others whipped themselves bloody in extreme displays of religious devotion on Good Friday.

Bangladesh opens mosque for transgender hijra community

Kicked out of other prayer services, members of Bangladesh's transgender hijra community have been welcomed at a new mosque in the Muslim-majority nation with the promise of worship without discrimination.

Ecuador prison riot leaves three dead, six injured

At least three prisoners were killed and six injured in an overnight revolt in an Ecuador prison, from which one of the country's most feared gang leaders escaped in January, authorities said Thursday.

Ecuador prison riot leaves two dead, four injured

At least two prisoners were killed and four injured in an overnight revolt in an Ecuador prison, from which one of the country's most feared gang leaders escaped in January, authorities said Thursday.

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