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Cannes film festival: highlights from week 1
This year's Cannes film festival has all the usual glitz and glamour but is also heavy on politics.
Austria's JJ soars to Eurovision victory with operatic pop
With his falsetto voice and an angelic smile, Johannes Pietsch, alias JJ, early Sunday catapulted Austria to its first Eurovision victory since the triumph of bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst 11 years ago.
On a high: Austria's JJ wins Eurovision 2025
Austria's JJ won the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday with his opera-tinged song "Wasted Love" triumphing at the world's biggest live music television event.
Pedro Pascal drops F-bomb urging filmmakers to resist Trump
Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal urged Hollywood to "fuck the people that try to make you scared" on Saturday while admitting it was "scary" to speak out against US President Donald Trump.
Eurovision final: how it works
The Eurovision Song Contest evokes a world of intrigue with song rules, juries and votes that draw out the drama until a winner is crowned.
Top director Akin slams Turkey's 'mobster' leaders over arrests
Acclaimed film director Fatih Akin said he fears ending up behind bars if he returns to Turkey, with his manager there in jail accused of attempting to overthrow the government.
Musk's xAI blames 'unauthorized' tweak for 'white genocide' posts
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup has blamed an "unauthorized modification" for causing its chatbot Grok to generate misleading and unsolicited posts referencing "white genocide" in South Africa.
Ravers revel in Cannes spotlight with thumping 'Sirat'
Real ravers picked from obscurity to act in Cannes festival hit "Sirat" said they were delighted Friday to showcase their free-party world of drugs, trance music and travel.
EU tech chief urges US cooperation as key decisions near
EU digital policy chief Henna Virkkunen on Friday urged closer cooperation between the United States and Europe on tech regulation as Brussels finalizes investigations targeting US giants over violations of the bloc's rules.
German female-led 'folk-horror' early favourite in Cannes
The Cannes film festival has an early frontrunner for its top prize in the form of a haunting German film exploring female trauma across four generations that one review called "ethereal, unnerving brilliance".
Trump insults Springsteen, Swift from Air Force One
President Donald Trump used his down time on Air Force One Friday to insult "obnoxious JERK" Bruce Springsteen and declare Taylor Swift "no longer HOT" in social media blasts against the music giants.
Jihadists in Nigeria turn to TikTok to spread propaganda
Jihadists in northeastern Nigeria are surging -- and using social media to spread the word of their campaigns and recruit fighters.
World Press Photo cast doubt on 'Napalm Girl' photographer's identity
World Press Photo said Friday it removed US-Vietnamese photographer Nick Ut's name as the person credited for one of history's most iconic pictures, the Vietnam War image "Napalm Girl", amid doubts over its authorship.
Romania's pro-EU presidential candidate hit by disinformation campaign
Fabricated documents, deepfakes and unsubstantiated claims: Romania's pro-European presidential candidate Nicusor Dan has been targeted by an online disinformation campaign that has intensified ahead of Sunday's run-off, analysts interviewed by AFP said.
Dua Lipa is the youngest person on UK's under-40 rich list
Pop star Dua Lipa, at 29 years old, is the youngest person featured on The Sunday Times' annual list of Britain's wealthiest people under 40, the publication announced Friday.
Eurovision in numbers
The 2025 Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Basel, Switzerland, with the grand final on Saturday. Here is a snapshot of Eurovision in numbers:
US singer Chris Brown charged with assault in Britain
American R&B singer Chris Brown, the former boyfriend of superstar Rihanna, is due to appear in a UK court on Friday after being arrested and charged over an alleged assault at a London nightclub in 2023, police said.
YouTube star MrBeast upsets Mexican officials with temple videos
Mexico is seeking compensation from YouTube celebrity MrBeast's production company, accusing it of using images of the country's ancient archaeological sites to advertise a chocolate brand.
Take-Two earnings boost delayed along with 'GTA VI'
Take-Two Interactive on Thursday dialed back earnings expectations for the current fiscal year due to the delayed release of keenly anticipated video game "Grand Theft Auto VI".
Austrian opera, Finnish lust through to Eurovision final
Austria's operatic JJ, Israel's competitor Yuval Raphael and Finland's leather-clad lust queen made it through to the Eurovision Song Contest final after wowing TV viewers with their performances on Thursday.
Eurovision: the grand final line-up
The 26 countries taking part in Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest grand final, are now known, with 20 now having qualified from this week's semi-finals.
Eurovision semi starts with milkshake and space odyssey
Sixteen countries ramped up the drama and kitsch in a bid for the last 10 places in the Eurovision Song Contest final at the second semi-final on Thursday.
Israel in Eurovision spotlight at second semi-final
The 16 competitors in the Eurovision Song Contest's second semi-final went through a last dress rehearsal on Thursday, just hours before showtime -- when six of them will crash out.
Hadid sister helps launch Palestinian film streaming site
Alana Hadid, the older sister of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid, has helped set up a new film streaming platform to bring Palestinian perspectives to a global audience, its founders confirmed Thursday.
Combs's ex Cassie faces intense cross-examination
Attorneys for Sean "Diddy" Combs on Thursday tried to chip away at the credibility of Casandra Ventura, the music mogul's former girlfriend, after two days of her grueling testimony in his trial on sex trafficking charges.
Ukraine's Loznitsa warns of danger of despots at Cannes
Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa's new film is a warning about despots -- and the danger of failing to spot them until it is too late.
HBO again: Warner's streaming service gets old name back
Warner's streaming service, the home of hits including "The Last of Us" and "Hacks," is changing its name again -- back to HBO, the company announced Wednesday.
De Niro says Hollywood worried about 'wrath of Trump'
Robert De Niro told AFP Wednesday that many in Hollywood share his views on US President Donald Trump -- whom he denounced at the Cannes film festival opening -- but the industry is worried about speaking out against him.
Tom Cruise nearly met his end on 'The Final Reckoning'
Tom Cruise's film crew on his latest "Mission: Impossible" epic feared the actor was about to die after he appeared to pass out on the wing of a stunt plane over Africa.
Ageless beauty contest: South African grannies strut the catwalk
At 17, Joyce Malindi won her first beauty contest under the suffocating limits of apartheid South Africa. Fifty-five years later, she was back on the catwalk, silver curls gleaming and brown clogs clicking, in a pageant for grandmothers only.
Indonesian filmmakers aim to impress at Cannes
Indonesia's top movie-makers are aiming to make a splash at this year's Cannes film festival, backed by one of the country's most famous cinema veterans, Christine Hakim.
'Humiliated': Combs's ex Cassie gives searing testimony of abuse
Casandra Ventura says she was coerced into sex with male escorts while Sean Combs watched and masturbated.