Entertainment

'The Wire' star Lance Reddick dead at 60: publicist

Actor Lance Reddick who played steely Baltimore police lieutenant Cedric Daniels in hit TV show "The Wire" has died, his publicist said Friday.. "Acclaimed actor Lance Reddick passed away suddenly this morning from natural causes," publicist Mia Hansen told AFP. "Lance will be greatly missed."

'Dallas' star Patrick Duffy joins St Patrick's Day celebrations in Ireland

Thousands of people including "Dallas" star Patrick Duffy turned Dublin into a sea of green Friday for the annual St Patrick's Day parade, as Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar visited Washington.. In Washington, Varadkar was due to meet US President Joe Biden for lunch later as part of his annual Washington visit to mark the Irish patron saint's day.

Belarus jails top news site managers for 12 years

Belarus on Friday handed long jail terms to senior staff at the country's largest independent news site, which was forced to shutter after historic demonstrations against strongman Alexander Lukashenko.. Belarus also jailed two other perceived government critics on Friday.

Microsoft seeks EU nod for Activision Blizzard bid with new offer

Microsoft said on Friday that it has offered formal commitments to the EU in its bid to persuade the bloc to approve its $69-billion takeover of video game giant Activision Blizzard.. Company executive Brad Smith was in Brussels last month for talks with EU officials, after which he said he was "more optimistic" about the deal's approval but he dismissed calls for Microsoft to sell hit games like "Call Of Duty".

France's music hotspots, boosted by Brad Pitt

They are little corners of French paradise that draw British and American rockstars to record their masterpieces -- with a little help from Brad Pitt.. "One day, I got a message from Brad Pitt, who wanted to see me the following week -- I thought it was a joke," said Quintard. 

Rap battle: young Tunisians fight stigma with the arts

"We're sick of being seen as thugs," said Mohamed Ali Ayari, a rapper from a down-at-heel Tunis district, where jobless youth are finding a voice through music, cinema and photography.. Ayari was among the winners of a recent competition by International Alert, asking young people from four neglected Tunis districts to express themselves through music, documentary or photography, focusing on the theme of violence.

Pornhub parent bought by Canadian private equity firm

Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners announced Thursday its purchase of beleaguered MindGeek which operates Pornhub, the world's biggest pornography site.. Founded in 2004, MindGeek operates a large portfolio of adult entertainment sites, including Pornhub, YouPorn, Redtube and Men.com. 

Paris' Moulin Rouge promises to scrap troubled snake act

Paris' storied Moulin Rouge cabaret venue said Thursday it would stop immersing non-aquatic snakes in water after the controversial stage act provoked outcry from animal rights activists.. "Aware of societal developments on animal welfare, the Moulin Rouge will stop this number," the venue said, adding that respect for animals had "always been essential" to its operation.

Two halves of Flemish 17th century family portrait reunited

Two separated halves of a 17th century Flemish painting have gone on display together for the first time, reuniting the family portrayed 200 years after they were torn apart.. Several clues in "Double Portrait of a Father and Son", created by Flemish painter Cornelis de Vos in 1626, suggested a woman may at one time have been present in the piece.