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Finland's colossal bomb shelters a model for jittery Europe

Swimming pools, playgrounds and amusement parks: Finland's underground facilities, which can double as bomb shelters, have emerged as an inspiring approach as Europe ramps up preparedness after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Experts warn 'AI-written' paper is latest spin on climate change denial

Climate change deniers are pushing an AI-generated paper questioning human-induced warming, leading experts to warn against the rise of research that is inherently flawed but marketed as neutral and scrupulously logical.

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The trends at Paris Women's Fashion Week

Lots of fur and leather, ever-expanding shoulder pads and shoes, splashes of yellow: AFP looks at some of the trends from Paris Women's Fashion Week, which wraps up on Tuesday.

Global art market slumps as Chinese auction sales plummet: data

The value of art sold at auctions globally fell by a third last year compared to 2023, with the Chinese market crashing by 63 percent, auction data published on Monday showed.

Art lovers mob Paris's Pompidou Centre ahead of five-year closure

Tourists and French visitors alike filled Paris's landmark Pompidou museum on the weekend to catch a last glimpse of its prestigious art collection ahead of a five-year closure for a major renovation.

Mirrors, marble and mud: Desert X returns to California

Mysterious metallic mirrors, stacks of imported marble boulders and a 3D-printed mud hut appeared in the California desert Saturday, as the biennial outdoor art festival Desert X returned.

Hermes celebrates felt at Paris Fashion Week

French brand Hermes put felt at the heart of its Fall-Winter collection at its Paris Women's Fashion Week show on Saturday in a beige-toned setting resembling a labyrinth.

Fecal Matter makes a splash at Paris Fashion Week

Paris Fashion Week witnessed a debut show on Friday from one of the most unusually named brands in the luxury clothing industry: Matieres Fecales, which means fecal matter in French.

Massive clean up after India's Hindu mega-festival ends

Thousands of sanitation workers were toiling on Friday to clean up 20,000 tonnes of waste left behind by hundreds of millions of Hindu devotees after India's Kumbh Mela mega-festival.

'Fake' Rubens masterpiece debate reignited by new book

Gaudy colours, messy brushwork, even a set of missing toes. The debate about the authenticity of a Rubens's masterpiece "Samson and Delilah" will be reignited next week with the release of a book alleging the painting hanging in London's National Gallery is really a copy.

Pamela Anderson finally feels like an actress, 32 years after 'Baywatch'

After winning rave reviews for her turn in the film "The Last Showgirl", Pamela Anderson is now dreaming of doing theatre as the 1990s glamour model seeks to reinvent herself again.

Priceless ninth-century masterpiece Bible returns to Swiss homeland

The Moutier-Grandval Bible, an illustrated ninth-century masterpiece considered one of the finest manuscripts in the world, is back in Switzerland, where it miraculously survived the ages in impeccable condition.

Once a crumbling relic of old Iran, brewery reborn as arts hub

Hidden behind imposing brick walls in the heart of Tehran, a renovated industrial cellar where decades ago Iranian beer was made has been transformed into a hub for contemporary art.

NYC High Line architect Scofidio dead at 89

Ricardo Scofidio, an architect in New York City whose firm designed some of the city's most iconic structures such as the High Line elevated park in Manhattan, died on Thursday at age 89, according to US media.

Roy Ayers, godfather of neo-soul, dead at 84

Roy Ayers, the trailblazer of jazz, funk and neo-soul whose "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" proved a hugely popular hip-hop sample, has died. He was 84 years old.

Albania to shut down TikTok in coming days

Albanian authorities said Thursday they were moving to shut down TikTok in the coming days, following through on a ban announced in December.

Pompidou museum invites public for last look before renovation

The Pompidou museum in Paris has invited art-lovers in for a last look at its collection before it closes its doors for a five-year major renovation.

Scandinavians boycott US goods over Trump's Ukraine U-turn

Scandinavian consumers outraged by US President Donald Trump's Ukraine policy turnaround have begun boycotting goods and services "Made in USA" but are discovering just how difficult that can be at times.

Taiwan says TSMC investment 'historic moment' for US ties

Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC's plan to invest $100 billion in the United States was a "historic moment" for Taiwan-US ties, the island's President Lai Ching-te said on Thursday.

DeepSeek success shows China's 'ability to innovate': official

The shock entrance of DeepSeek in the race to develop advanced artificial intelligence has put the world on notice as to China's innovation prowess, a high-ranking Beijing official said Thursday.

Charli XCX, Raye, Olivia Rodrigo to headline Glastonbury alongside legends

The UK's iconic Glastonbury Festival unveiled its line-up Thursday, with new artists Charli XCX and Olivia Rodrigo set to perform alongside veteran stars Neil Young and Rod Stewart.

Frenchman's mislabelled war photos donation sparks China controversy

A Frenchman's donation of vintage conflict photographs to China offers insight into the 1930-1940s Sino-Japanese War -- even if some images are not the unique family heirlooms he believed them to be.

'Hamilton' axes run at prominent US cultural center after Trump takeover

The smash hit musical "Hamilton" has cancelled a planned run at the Kennedy Center because President Donald Trump has destroyed the political neutrality of the US capital's premier cultural venue since taking over as its chairman, the play's producer said Wednesday.

Egypt's gem of a museum gears up for grand opening

Nestled near the iconic Giza pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is preparing for a lavish opening, featuring a towering statue of Ramses II and more than 100,000 artefacts, including Tutankhamun's golden treasures.

Christie's first AI art auction sees hits... and plenty of misses

Christie's first auction of art made by artificial intelligence (AI) ended Wednesday with mixed results, providing scant clues as to the future of the new and controversial medium.

Human ancestors making 'bone tech' 1.5 million years ago, say scientists

Our ancestors were making tools out of bones 1.5 million years ago, winding back the clock for this important moment in human evolution by more than a million years, a study said Wednesday.

German artist Kiefer feels 'threatened' by far-right AfD

German artist Anselm Kiefer, known for work confronting his country's Nazi past, said Wednesday he felt "threatened" by the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which scored its best election result last month.

'Criminal investigation' launched into Tate brothers: Florida attorney general

Florida's attorney general said Tuesday that a criminal investigation has been opened into self-described misogynist influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, who flew to the southern US state last week from Romania, where they faced rape and human trafficking charges.

Advocacy group fears US will steer broadband cash to Musk

An internet rights group on Tuesday raised alarm over reports the United States may steer billions of dollars to Elon Musk's Starlink by making changes to a rural broadband deployment program.

Honey, candles and California: Meghan Markle's new show goes live

Meghan Markle's new lifestyle show went live on Netflix Tuesday, showcasing the former British royal as a thriving domestic maven.

Dior's Chiuri creates elemental show for what could be her last

Dior womenswear chief designer Maria Grazia Chiuri gave little clue about her future Tuesday as she presented what could be her last collection at Paris Fashion Week, structured around the elements earth, air, ice and fire.

Prada shines despite luxury crisis, Versace rumours swirl

Italian luxury fashion house Prada reported a bumper set of results for 2024 on Tuesday, defying analysts' expectations and the crisis in luxury markets.

Adrien Brody breaks longest Oscars speech record as ratings dip

Best actor winner Adrien Brody broke the record for the longest-ever Oscar acceptance speech Sunday, as a lengthy gala suffered a small ratings dip, reaching some 18 million people on US network ABC and streamer Hulu.

Bitcoin value dives as uncertainty grips market

Bitcoin's price plunged nearly 10 percent on Monday as an escalating trade war and uncertainty over creation of a US crypto reserve fund sent investors running from risk.

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