Entertainment

Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho dead at 70

Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho died Friday in Paris at the age of 70, her family and publisher said in separate statements.. Her family said she had died in her bed at her Paris home, having lived in the French capital for four decades.

Hong Kong artists mark Tiananmen quietly or overseas

Avant garde street performance, politically charged theatre, pro-democracy music and poetry -- powerful works of art dealing with China's bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown that were once commonplace in Hong Kong have all but disappeared in recent years.. As part of the "Our Generation's June 4" art project, some performers had covered their bodies with yellow paint -- a colour associated with the city's pro-democracy camp -- as a representation of "freedom and hope", Luk said. 

Putin gifts historic treasures to church amid Ukraine campaign

For nearly a century, visitors came to Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery to admire the perfect harmony of Russia's most famous icon: the "Trinity", painted by Andrei Rublev in the Middle Ages.. - 'Unjustified risks' -  Rublev's most famous work has left the Tretyakov Gallery only a handful of times, including during World War II when it was evacuated to safety.

New York, a hub for illicit art trafficking

From an ancient Middle Eastern limestone elephant to seventh century Chinese sculptures, New York prosecutors have seized hundreds of priceless artefacts looted from around the globe that have earned it the reputation as a key global hub for art trafficking.. At a ceremony at the Chinese consulate in New York last month, Bragg handed back to Beijing two 7th century stone sculptures valued at $3.5 million.

Photographer sues Kanye West over alleged assault

A photographer who claims Kanye West threw her cell phone to the ground in a confrontation is suing the troubled rapper for assault, she said Thursday.. The footage shows Ye reaching into her car, grabbing the phone and throwing it to the ground, before he walks away.

London Design Biennale explores design-led collaboration

The fourth edition of the London Design Biennale opened in the British capital on Thursday, bringing together exhibitors from around the globe, invited to explore new forms of collaboration through design.. "What you're seeing is how to make the world a better place through the lens of design," director Victoria Broackes told AFP at the opening of the international exhibition.

And just like that... Cattrall to appear in 'Sex and the City' sequel

Samantha Jones, Kim Cattrall's beloved character from "Sex and the City," will make a shock (and very brief) return in the sequel to the cult series, streaming platform Max has confirmed, to the delight of fans.. But a representative for Max confirmed to AFP that Cattrall, 66, will make an appearance in the sequel's second season, which debuts later this month on the streaming platform previously known as HBO Max. 

Entertainment industry struggles with 215 bn piracy site visits

Anti-piracy authorities say they have cracked down on illegal streaming of film and TV, but data suggests it is booming, reaching 215 billion illegal site visits last year. . That figure from Britain-based MUSO, which claims the most comprehensive data on piracy websites, shows an 18-percent increase between 2021 and 2022, covering 480,000 films and TV shows.