Armani

Armani sprinkles glitter on discreet elegance at Milan show

  • This summer collection looked weathered by seawater and wind.
  • One year after the death of Giorgio Armani, his brand's designs are pairing traditional elegance with crystals and sequins for the spring-summer collection presented on Sunday.
  • This summer collection looked weathered by seawater and wind.
One year after the death of Giorgio Armani, his brand's designs are pairing traditional elegance with crystals and sequins for the spring-summer collection presented on Sunday.
Silvana Armani, the Italian designer's niece, offered black-and-white dresses and ensembles, with necklines sometimes plunging all the way to the navel.
At the company's headquarters, where Armani was laid in state in September 2025, the models walked slowly down the runway.
One of the designs carried multiple images of the late fashion icon.
The crystals and lamé of their outfits played with the light from the disco ball hanging from the ceiling.
While Armani already used these luminous touches in his eveningwear, Silvana Armani has multiplied them to emphasise the fluidity and lightness of her silhouettes.
Silvana Armani, who worked alongside her uncle for four decades, was greeted with prolonged applause.
Her creations are aimed at "a normal woman, self-assured, who, when she gets dressed, feels good in our clothes," she said in an interview with Vogue magazine.
"I don't want to imitate him but I try to resemble him," she said of her uncle.
She has also introduced some changes, like taking away hats from the designs.
"My uncle liked hats. I don't, so I allowed myself to change the rules a bit," she said.
Emporio Armani, the group's second brand, had on Wednesday unveiled the last mixed collection designed by Leo dell’Orco and Silvana Armani, ahead of the arrival of Dario Vitale.
This summer collection looked weathered by seawater and wind.
Salt crystals used to treat the garments were also reproduced on jackets and brooches.
On Monday, Milan passes the baton to Paris, where the collections of Dior, Louis Vuitton, Valentino and Carven will be presented.
tsz/dt/yad

AI

Japanese anime actor fights TikTok over AI voice cloning

BY TOMOHIRO OSAKI

  • Tsuda is demanding TikTok remove a slew of videos narrated by a distinctively "deep" and "lustrous" voice that the 55-year-old says can only be his.
  • A high-profile Japanese anime voice actor has taken TikTok to court over videos he says feature an artificial intelligence clone of his "lustrous" baritone, with a verdict due on Wednesday.
  • Tsuda is demanding TikTok remove a slew of videos narrated by a distinctively "deep" and "lustrous" voice that the 55-year-old says can only be his.
A high-profile Japanese anime voice actor has taken TikTok to court over videos he says feature an artificial intelligence clone of his "lustrous" baritone, with a verdict due on Wednesday.
AI imitation is a growing concern among performers worldwide, and the threat has roiled Japan's storied animation industry, whose voice actors are sometimes worshipped as much as their characters by fans.
The lawsuit filed by Kenjiro Tsuda, known for his starring roles in mega-franchises including "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Yu-Gi-Oh!", is believed to be the country's first seeking to defend an individual's vocal identity against AI-generated copies.
Tsuda is demanding TikTok remove a slew of videos narrated by a distinctively "deep" and "lustrous" voice that the 55-year-old says can only be his.
The platform however argues it is a "generic male voice" whose perceived similarity to Tsuda's is subjective at best, according to court records accessed by AFP.
An actor's voice "is the result of years of rigorous training and apprenticeship" to hone talent, Yuko Sasaki, executive director of the Japan Actors Union, told AFP.
"It's something we spend lots of time and money perfecting," said Sasaki, a fellow voice actor, adding that "we support Tsuda wholeheartedly".
The court should "acknowledge that ownership of a voice is a fundamental right", she said.
An anonymous account, whose picture resembled a "Jujutsu Kaisen" character dubbed by Tsuda, posted the videos in question.
They combined images and seemingly AI-generated speech about urban legends, occult phenomena and conspiracy theories.
The account at one point boasted more than 200,000 subscribers and would have brought in upwards of 500,000 yen ($3,200) in monthly revenue, the legal complaint argued.

'Sordid content'

The account, whose posts mostly lacked original substance, "only gained popularity because its dubious, sordid content was narrated by the attractive voice of a popular actor," Tsuda's legal team said, according to the court records.
This infringes Tsuda's so-called publicity rights -- the ability to control and profit from the use of aspects of one's identity -- his attorneys said.
Although the account itself is no longer viewable on the platform, the Tokyo District Court will rule on whether TikTok was responsible for deleting the posts.
Parallel to the lawsuit, Sasaki and other Japanese voice actors have launched a campaign, called "No More", against using generative AI to mimic performers without permission.
"Our industry can be crushed" if a court win for TikTok triggers "unbridled" AI voice cloning on social media, actor Bin Shimada told AFP.
That could cause younger actors to "lose hope", said Shimada, who is part of the campaign group.
It is also fast becoming a global issue.
"In many countries copyright and data protection laws are not being adequately adapted" to protect performers from AI clones, the International Federation of Actors said last year.
ChatGPT maker OpenAI was forced to apologise in 2024 to star Scarlett Johansson over a synthetic voice that sounded like her, released after she declined to work with OpenAI on the project.

International interest

While no law explicitly enshrines a person's voice in Japan, the justice ministry published legally non-binding guidelines last month clarifying its protection under existing rights.
As "the symbol of one's personality" voice is subject to "publicity rights" and "rights to prevent unauthorised use of one's portrait and likeness", the ministry said.
But it remains to be seen whether and how the guidelines will influence Wednesday's court decision on Tsuda's case.
TikTok has questioned the actor's "national fame", rejecting his accusations that the account was free-riding on a well-known brand in a violation of Japan's unfair competition prevention laws.
As a platform, all it did was "host a forum where users could post creative and ingenious content within the scope of free speech," it told the court.
It is "very unlikely" that Tsuda's voice will be outright denied publicity rights, Tatsuhiro Ueno, a professor of intellectual property studies at Waseda University, told AFP.
Given the actor's "Jujutsu Kaisen" role as a stoic, elite sorcerer that made his voice "highly recognisable in Europe", Ueno believes the verdict "will garner a lot of international interest".
Veteran voice actor Michihiro Ikemizu, 83, also expressed solidarity with Tsuda -- but said that AI, however sophisticated it gets, will never outperform human actors.
"You need to constantly feel and adapt while performing your role. That's something AI can never do," Ikemizu told AFP.
"That's our only weapon."
tmo/kaf/ane

film

Curtain falls on the romance of India's single-screen cinemas

BY AISHWARYA KUMAR WITH PITCHA DANGPRASITH IN MUMBAI

  • "Only in the single screen theatres can they take the cinema to the next level, it increases the tradition of cinema," Santosh said, as cheers and whistles reverberated through the packed hall before the film began.
  • The demolition has begun at Bengaluru's Urvashi Cinema, once a 1,200-seat movie palace where generations of filmgoers cheered and whistled, another casualty of India's vanishing single-screen era.
  • "Only in the single screen theatres can they take the cinema to the next level, it increases the tradition of cinema," Santosh said, as cheers and whistles reverberated through the packed hall before the film began.
The demolition has begun at Bengaluru's Urvashi Cinema, once a 1,200-seat movie palace where generations of filmgoers cheered and whistled, another casualty of India's vanishing single-screen era.
"The theatre came up in the 1970s... I was so happy when it opened," said Manjunath, watching as seats were ripped out and strewn outside.
Manjunath, who uses one name, recalled its glory days, when the shop he runs opposite was packed with customers buying snacks before and after shows.
"That was the rush... now I have a lot of free time," he said. "But what to do? There is barely any crowd."
The peeling facades, faded signs and cavernous auditoriums of such cinemas are remnants of a time when going to the movies was itself the main event.
"It is a completely different experience," said photographer Hemant Chaturvedi, 58, who has documented what remains during a seven-year odyssey, photographing 1,350 single-screen cinemas across 1,000 towns.
His photographs capture not only the movie houses but their ornate facades and decay -- a record of a cultural landscape disappearing as cinemas are demolished, converted into multiplexes or left to crumble.

'Ecosystem is fading'

"People would be cheering, jumping on the seats, even throwing money at the screen," Chaturvedi said.
The old halls offered a collective, interactive experience, with fans applauding at the hero's entrance, clapping to romantic songs and shouting at dramatic twists.
"Now that old ecosystem is fading, and the charm is being lost," he said.
India's single-screen cinemas have been steadily squeezed by multiplexes, streaming, rising property costs and the expense of maintaining ageing buildings and equipment.
Researchers estimate that India had around 14,000 single-screen halls in the 1980s. Only around 2,000 remain today.
Many of the old halls could accommodate around 1,000 people, creating a communal atmosphere rarely found in today's multiplexes.
The decline has also changed the way Indians experience films. New halls offer air conditioning, reclining seats and food delivered to the seat.
"To me, the new cinemas have lost the charm," said Chaturvedi, a former Bollywood cinematographer who worked on hit movies during a three-decade career.
"The multiplexes are a generic, cold experience."

'Old times'

Some of the old cinemas have been restored and renovated, and the single-screen experience still has its devotees.
In Bengaluru, Mukunda Cinemas still draws crowds -- even for early-morning shows before work.
Hundreds lined up before dawn for a recent 6:00 am screening of the latest release of film star Yash, who is hugely popular in India's Kannada-language cinema.
Santosh, a 47-year-old businessman who uses one name, queued with hundreds of others as crowds set off fireworks outside while waiting for the show.
"Only in the single screen theatres can they take the cinema to the next level, it increases the tradition of cinema," Santosh said, as cheers and whistles reverberated through the packed hall before the film began.
Veerain Reddy, the third generation of his family running the 50-year-old theatre, said maintaining the establishment "was not an easy task".
Inflation, rising costs and "so much competition" have made business tough.
"But people who are really passionate are still trying to maintain these single-screen theatres, where people come to watch and celebrate cinema," he told AFP.
Another survivor in Mumbai -- formerly known as Bombay -- is the Regal Cinema, an Art Deco hall that opened in 1933.
"The rest of them feel very artificial, commercial, very blingy," said 23-year-old fan Vanshika. "But Bombay has little places which remind us of the old times."
ash-pjm/abh/pbt

Sports

Cavy chaos: Hundreds attend New Zealand's biggest guinea pig show

  • He was meticulous in preparing his pigs for show, going through every individual hair before presenting Claremont Girl Clash of Hearts to the judges.
  • Claremont Girl Clash of Hearts took the coveted Best in Show title Saturday at New Zealand's National Guinea Pig Show, which drew hundreds of fans to see the coifed and combed cavies.
  • He was meticulous in preparing his pigs for show, going through every individual hair before presenting Claremont Girl Clash of Hearts to the judges.
Claremont Girl Clash of Hearts took the coveted Best in Show title Saturday at New Zealand's National Guinea Pig Show, which drew hundreds of fans to see the coifed and combed cavies.
Nearly 300 guinea pigs were paraded before crowds at Taupo's Great Lakes Centre, some of which had support guinea pigs in tow as they prepared for the show.
Competitors travelled from throughout New Zealand and the two judges flew in from England and the Czech Republic for the show.
Judges closely examined each pig, looking at the colour and condition of their coat and their general health.
Some of the competitors prepared their pigs for months, putting them on special diets and sometimes spending hours a day grooming to have them in the best shape possible.
"Blow drying him to get him ready after a bath would probably take two hours," New Zealand Cavy Council president Andy Lawrie said of his 11-month-old long-haired alpaca, Supreme Grand Champion Romulus Propaganda, which came in second.
"All my long hairs this year have been themed after political type terms," Lawrie said, explaining the lengthy name while combing the rodent's lengthy mane.
The national champion, a black short-haired guinea pig hailing from Timaru on New Zealand's South Island, is owned by teenager Josh Wilson-Jones.
He was meticulous in preparing his pigs for show, going through every individual hair before presenting Claremont Girl Clash of Hearts to the judges.
Tahlia Chapman and her son, Griffin Hopkins, had several pigs competing in multiple classes.
One of Chapman's rough coat Rexes won its category, bringing her to tears.
Earlier in the day she said she didn't have "particularly high hopes".
"But I just love coming in, seeing everybody, and supporting everyone," she said.
Where some exhibitors were bathing their pigs close to the show, Chapman said rough coats needed to be as coarse as possible.
"We try and avoid bathing as much as we can because it will soften them."
Casey Scovell is new to the show scene and brought her pigs on a ferry from the South Island to compete.
She said the key to a good cavy was "their body condition".
"Special grains and lots of fresh vegetables and hay," she said of the diet for her Rex, Barbarian.
bes/mlm

festival

Filmmaker Mike Leigh wins top prize at Spain festival with 'last film'

  • "Tender Loving Care" also jointly won the best screenplay prize at the Spanish festival, while its actress Kate O'Flynn shared the Silver Shell for best performance.
  • British filmmaker Mike Leigh won the top prize Saturday at the San Sebastian film festival for his latest social drama "Tender Loving Care", expected to be the last by the 83-year-old who is suffering from an illness.
  • "Tender Loving Care" also jointly won the best screenplay prize at the Spanish festival, while its actress Kate O'Flynn shared the Silver Shell for best performance.
British filmmaker Mike Leigh won the top prize Saturday at the San Sebastian film festival for his latest social drama "Tender Loving Care", expected to be the last by the 83-year-old who is suffering from an illness.
The film, about social workers supporting vulnerable people, won the Golden Shell for best film at the festival in the northern Spanish city.
"I'm so sorry I can't be with you. What a great honour it is," Leigh said in a video acceptance speech. "Thank you and love to everybody."
Leigh had previously said he was suffering from a medical condition affecting his muscles and that it would probably be his "last film".
He won top prize at the Cannes film festival in 1996 for "Secrets and Lies" and at Venice in 2004 for "Vera Drake".
"Tender Loving Care" also jointly won the best screenplay prize at the Spanish festival, while its actress Kate O'Flynn shared the Silver Shell for best performance.
Swedish filmmaker Amanda Kernell won the best director award for "Brace Your Heart".
du/rlp/jj

BottegaVeneta

Louise Trotter expands her palette at Bottega Veneta

  • Singer Solange and rapper Tyler The Creator attended the show, seated not far from Bottega Veneta's ambassadors -- actors Julianne Moore and Jacob Elordi.
  • A year after her acclaimed debut show at Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter expanded her palette and her bags on Saturday for her latest show at Milan fashion week.
  • Singer Solange and rapper Tyler The Creator attended the show, seated not far from Bottega Veneta's ambassadors -- actors Julianne Moore and Jacob Elordi.
A year after her acclaimed debut show at Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter expanded her palette and her bags on Saturday for her latest show at Milan fashion week.
The British designer has doubled the size of leather and raffia tote bags.
She has infused her suits and dresses with yellow, red, purple, or floral prints, keeping them structured yet light.
Trotter also continued to play with woven leather, a speciality of the Italian house, on a trench coat for men and on tall boots for women.
Singer Solange and rapper Tyler The Creator attended the show, seated not far from Bottega Veneta's ambassadors -- actors Julianne Moore and Jacob Elordi.
American star Kylie Jenner closed the show, draped in a voluminous black dress.
Earlier on Saturday, Dolce & Gabbana had scoured the wardrobes of prominent Sicilian families and brought them up to date for their spring/summer 2027 collection.
At the brand's Milan headquarters, before a crowd of celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, the contemporary Sicilian woman imagined by Dolce & Gabbana paired lace and faux leopard fur with jeans, or adorned her little tailored jacket with dozens of necklaces.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana thus continue to deepen the groove of their style -- sensual, sometimes flashy, yet artisanal and reassuring.
The designers said in a note they wanted to "open the wardrobes of the great Sicilian families" and create a dialogue between "the precious and the everyday".
Ermanno Scervino, for his part, unveiled a "corsair" woman, in a wide red and beige jacket with gold buttons, worn over a mini-short.
Under the gaze of actress Rosario Dawson, pieces by designer Ermanno Daelli took on a rock and sexy edge, while remaining adaptable to many summer outfits.
At MSGM, stylist Massimo Giorgetti drew on the works of artist Mario Schifano to adorn his models with palm trees and stars.
The brand's upbeat pop and urban mood exploded in fluorescent or floral outfits for both men and women, built on classic, comfortable cuts.
tsz/dt/jj

diplomacy

Giant statue of Pope Leo XIV takes shape in Peru workshop

  • He will visit Montevideo, Paysandu and Florida in Uruguay from November 6 to 8 and then head to Argentina, where he will visit Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Lujan, until November 11. cm-sf-gta/vel/lkd/ksb
  • A giant clay sculpture of Pope Leo XIV's head takes shape in a workshop in Peru's capital, as the Andean nation prepares for the pontiff's visit in November.
  • He will visit Montevideo, Paysandu and Florida in Uruguay from November 6 to 8 and then head to Argentina, where he will visit Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Lujan, until November 11. cm-sf-gta/vel/lkd/ksb
A giant clay sculpture of Pope Leo XIV's head takes shape in a workshop in Peru's capital, as the Andean nation prepares for the pontiff's visit in November.
The sculptor and his workmen look like miniature figures as they work on the 14-meter monument in honor of the pope, who is a Peruvian citizen.
The statue will be unveiled before the head of the Catholic Church's arrival in Peru on November 11.
Rafael Gutierrez, a 42-year-old artist, is leading the project from his modest workshop in Lima's Carabayllo district.
"Every morning, together with the staff, we say a short prayer so that we’re given strength and can make it to the end of the job," Gutierrez told AFP.
He smooths the features of the head -- which he says weighs more than a ton -- with a yellow sponge, while another craftsman adds clay to the fingers of the enormous hands.
Other workers erect scaffolding for a four-story structure where they will assemble, piece by piece, the giant replica of the pope. A total of eight people are working on the piece.
Gutierrez said he used artificial intelligence and a 3D model to help design the sculpture.
"We’re grateful that the pope has blessed us so that we can create his image," 48-year-old worker Lener Mendoza said.
The monument will be installed in a park in Callao, a nearby port city, after being coated with polyurethane foam and fiberglass, and finished with a marble dust.
Callao is backing the project as a tribute to the pope's ties with the city, where he served as the apostolic administrator of the diocese from 2020 to 2021.
"As a Catholic, making Pope Robert Prevost for me is something unique because of... what he represents, the Catholic faith," Gutierrez said. 
Standing on a concrete pedestal, the statue will depict the pontiff with open arms, wearing his long papal robe and a crucifix around his neck.
Leo XIV was born in the US city of Chicago but lived in Peru for more than two decades, where he was a missionary and bishop in Chiclayo.
The northern city will be among his stops in Peru, along with Lima, Cusco and Pucallpa.
He will visit Montevideo, Paysandu and Florida in Uruguay from November 6 to 8 and then head to Argentina, where he will visit Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Lujan, until November 11.
cm-sf-gta/vel/lkd/ksb

Arts and Entertainment

Rare Italian opera returns to Moscow after nearly 120-year hiatus

  • "For the first time in almost 120 years, Moscow audiences will see a production of this rare gem of the Italian operatic repertoire," the Bolshoi Theatre said in a post on social media.
  • The rarely performed Italian opera "Mefistofele" will return to Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre on Saturday for the first time in almost 120 years.
  • "For the first time in almost 120 years, Moscow audiences will see a production of this rare gem of the Italian operatic repertoire," the Bolshoi Theatre said in a post on social media.
The rarely performed Italian opera "Mefistofele" will return to Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre on Saturday for the first time in almost 120 years.
Rejected by contemporary audiences for its experimental musical style and length -- the original was over five hours -- "Mefistofele" has since come to be recognised as a masterpiece of the genre and is the only completed opera by Italian composer Arrigo Boito.
The show follows the life and death of the legendary German scholar Faust, who sells his soul to a demon in exchange for infinite knowledge and worldly pleasures.
"For the first time in almost 120 years, Moscow audiences will see a production of this rare gem of the Italian operatic repertoire," the Bolshoi Theatre said in a post on social media.
Ildar Abdrazakov, who will be playing the demon, described the production as "wonderful".
"This is a magnificent work -- one of the greatest ever written for my voice type, the bass," he told AFP.
The Bolshoi Theatre, run by pro-Kremlin conductor Valery Gergiev since 2023, was among the most prestigious opera houses in the world but has been shunned by most foreign artists since Russia launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022.
"Mefistofele" premiered in Milan in 1868 and was last shown at the Bolshoi in 1909.
bur/rmb

music

US celebrates Dolly Parton day on 9/25

  • The New York borough of Manhattan proclaimed the date to be Dolly Parton Appreciation Day, while New Orleans designated Friday as Dolly Day.
  • Cities and states across the US celebrated the inaugural Dolly Parton Day on Friday -- 9/25 -- a date that recalls one of the late country icon's most beloved hits.
  • The New York borough of Manhattan proclaimed the date to be Dolly Parton Appreciation Day, while New Orleans designated Friday as Dolly Day.
Cities and states across the US celebrated the inaugural Dolly Parton Day on Friday -- 9/25 -- a date that recalls one of the late country icon's most beloved hits.
Parton died last month at the age of 80, plunging her fans into mourning for a singer-songwriter, philanthropist and businesswoman whom many saw as a unifying figure in a divided America.
This week, California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was establishing the day to encourage citizens of America's most populous state to take inspiration from the "9 to 5" singer, who starred in the 1980 film of the same name with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
The movie's signature song, written and performed by Parton, has become a workplace empowerment anthem.
"We could all afford to live a little more like Dolly. Be kind, be humble, and have some fun... Be a diamond in a rhinestone world," Newsom said.
"With this bill, we are not just establishing a day to celebrate Dolly Parton, we are creating an annual reminder to us, every year, to live the way she did -- joyfully, graciously, and with a whole lot of heart."
Events around the Golden State were to include musical performances and giveaways in downtown Los Angeles.
At sunset, Santa Monica was to light up its 90-foot (30 meter) -tall Pacific Wheel on the pier in pink, with "DOLLY" and "WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!" displayed along with pink hearts, stars and spiral animations.
Los Angeles County Library was planning to hold a series of activities in honor of a woman whose literacy drive brought books to millions of underprivileged children.
The New York borough of Manhattan proclaimed the date to be Dolly Parton Appreciation Day, while New Orleans designated Friday as Dolly Day.
There were also due to be community events in Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Parton's legacy and the work she did to improve literacy.
In her home state of Tennessee a number of counties proclaimed Dolly Parton Day to go alongside the state-wide recognition on her January 19 birthday.
Parton rose from grinding poverty to become a rhinestone-studded legend with hits like "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You." 
She also starred in multiple films and donated millions of dollars to charities as she built a vast business empire that includes her popular Dollywood theme park in Tennessee, cosmetics, pet apparel, baking mixes and even a truck stop.
hg/mlm

music

U2 performs surprise 50th anniversary gigs in Dublin

  • U2's Larry Mullen is said to have pinned a handwritten note stating "drummer seeks musicians to form band" on his school noticeboard five decades ago.
  • Irish rockers U2 returned to where it all started five decades ago on Friday, with surprise 50th anniversary gigs in central Dublin and at the school where the band mates met.
  • U2's Larry Mullen is said to have pinned a handwritten note stating "drummer seeks musicians to form band" on his school noticeboard five decades ago.
Irish rockers U2 returned to where it all started five decades ago on Friday, with surprise 50th anniversary gigs in central Dublin and at the school where the band mates met.
The legendary musicians performed at their old stomping grounds, the Mount Temple Comprehensive School, for an audience of hundreds of students and staff.
Fans later gathered in central Dublin as rumours swirled of a surprise gig at the famous Bewley's Oriental Cafe, with more than 1,000 people packing into one of the city's main thoroughfares, singing "Happy Birthday U2".
The crowd burst into cheers as the band appeared on the balcony of the cafe, playing an hour-long setlist which opened with 1980s hit "I Will Follow" and included classics like "With or Without You" and "Out of Control".
They also played their new single "Silencio", part of an upcoming album, Carnaval de Luz, announced ahead of the landmark anniversary.
The album, which is set to be released on November 13, includes a track featuring a duet between U2 frontman Bono and country music icon Dolly Parton, who died last month.
The band said the song, "Torn" -- which was co-written by Parton, U2 and singer Johnny McDaid -- was the American singer's "last recorded vocal performance".
Kathrin Schanz, 50, who called herself a "lifelong U2 fan" had travelled from Germany to be in the Irish capital for the anniversary. She told AFP it "amazing to be here".
"It was one of their most special concerts ever," Schanz said of the Dublin city centre performance.
U2's Larry Mullen is said to have pinned a handwritten note stating "drummer seeks musicians to form band" on his school noticeboard five decades ago.
The bandmates had their first rehearsal on September 25, 1976, releasing their debut album four years later before taking the world of rock music by storm in the 80s and 90s.
Bono opened the school gig by asking: "We've escaped from the lab. How's the experiment going for you?"
pmu-aks/ach 

crime

Jay-Z rape accuser says she made 'false accusations'

  • "The ad triggered memories of being raped when I was 13 years old," the woman said, adding she then contacted a law firm.
  • A woman who alleged that Jay-Z raped her when she was 13 has said she made "false accusations" and never met the US rapper, according to a court filing seen Friday.
  • "The ad triggered memories of being raped when I was 13 years old," the woman said, adding she then contacted a law firm.
A woman who alleged that Jay-Z raped her when she was 13 has said she made "false accusations" and never met the US rapper, according to a court filing seen Friday.
The woman, who has not been identified, had claimed that Jay-Z and disgraced hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs assaulted her following the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000.
Jay-Z, who was born Shawn Carter, dismissed the accusation as a "fictional tale," and the woman dropped her civil lawsuit against the pair in 2025.
"I have never met or spoken to Mr Carter. Mr Carter never engaged in any inappropriate conduct towards me," the woman stated in the latest court document.
"There is no truth to any of my claims against Mr Carter," she added. 
"I understand that my false accusations have caused Mr Carter immense pain, suffering and damage that can never be fully undone."
Her statement was filed by Jay-Z's lawyers as part of a counter lawsuit against the woman and her attorneys, a case that is now being dismissed.
The woman said she made her complaint after seeing a Facebook advert for people with sexual assault claims against Combs, who has faced a raft of allegations in recent years and is in prison for prostitution charges. 
"The ad triggered memories of being raped when I was 13 years old," the woman said, adding she then contacted a law firm.
She said she does not recall having given her permission for lawyers to file the legal complaint in 2024, which she later withdrew after having "doubts" about her claims.
The document, partially redacted, suggests that the woman suffered from mental health problems.
bjt-pel/mlm

France

Spotting AI writing: how reliable are the detectors?

BY MONA GUICHARD AND ADAM PLOWRIGHT

  • Orelien claimed this week his style was based on Haitian and Caribbean traditions, telling Liberation newspaper the software was "used to the French literary tradition and classical authors". 
  • Claims that Canadian-Haitian writer Thelyson Orelien used AI tools to write his best-selling debut novel are rocking the French literary world and posing questions about how AI can be detected. 
  • Orelien claimed this week his style was based on Haitian and Caribbean traditions, telling Liberation newspaper the software was "used to the French literary tradition and classical authors". 
Claims that Canadian-Haitian writer Thelyson Orelien used AI tools to write his best-selling debut novel are rocking the French literary world and posing questions about how AI can be detected. 
An X account with a handful of followers sparked the controversy by claiming that the AI-detecting program Pangram had concluded the tale of a Haitian migrant travelling to Canada had been largely written by a text-generator such as Claude or ChatGPT.
Orelien, 38, denies the allegations and has said he will prove that he wrote the book, which has been sold to publishers in more than 20 countries.
"I didn't write this novel with my head, but with my guts and my heart," he told AFP recently.
AFP ran excerpts of the book through various AI detection tools and came up with a variety of results -- from it being "very likely" to have been written by a human to "100 percent" AI generated.
- How do AI detectors work? - 
Dozens of tools are now available online to detect AI generated text -- many of them designed for use in education or publishing.
They generally have large troves of AI-generated text alongside content written by humans -- and compare the two. 
Their performance has improved significantly in recent years. 
In a paper published in October 2025 called "Artificial Writing and Automated Detection", researchers at the University of Chicago found Pangram "achieving near-zero error rates" on medium-to-long extracts. 

What are the clues?  

Thierry Poibeau, a researcher at France's national CNRS research institute and specialist in natural language processing, said the programs look for "linguistic tics".
"The classic example is triadic phrasing (using three clauses), or em dashes," Poibeau explained.
These telltale signs used to be common in generated texts because the tools had been trained on American scientific writing or American novels, he said. 
Pangram claims it is able to "detect AI text by analysing and understanding subtle cues in the writing". 
Some words or phrases show up regularly, while monotonous sentence structures are also a warning sign. 

Are the tools reliable?

Many tools publish percentage figures about their accuracy, but the figures are impossible to verify and do not take into account the risk of a false positive. 
Pangram CEO and co-founder Max Spero stressed to the American outlet The Atlantic that the tool should not be the ultimate arbiter, but rather a starting point for a more in-depth investigation. 
According to Thierry Poibeau, these detection systems also run up against a "moving target problem" because AI programs are "constantly evolving".
The expert also points to a potential problem when it comes to detecting the use of AI in novels. 
"The tool may pick up something particular in the writing, something repetitive, but that might be exactly what constitutes a writer's style," he said. 
Orelien claimed this week his style was based on Haitian and Caribbean traditions, telling Liberation newspaper the software was "used to the French literary tradition and classical authors". 

What do the experts say?

Benoit Raphael, an entrepreneur and writer specialised in AI, published his own research using Pangram to test Orelien's work -- and the results were also positive for AI.
"The fact that it rated at around 100 percent AI, or even 90 percent, is a pretty telling sign," he told Nouvel Obs magazine. 
And although the book was widely praised by critics and was flying off shelves in France before the scandal, some doubts had been raised. 
Lea Bory on her podcast Torchon was possibly the first to say publicly earlier this month that she thought it had been written by IA because of the repetitive nature of the sentences and the over-use of analogies that are hallmarks of IA. 
Writing in newspaper Canard Enchaine, Fabrice Colin also criticised the formulaic sentence structure and said he "vainly looked for a unique voice" in the prose.
mng-adp/jxb

literature

Top French literary prize drops best-selling novel over AI claims

BY JéRôME RIVET AND ADAM PLOWRIGHT

  • The Goncourt claimed that "several credible researchers and journalists" had highlighted his prize-winning work was "in all likelihood very largely the product of artificial intelligence."
  • The organisers of France's top literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, on Friday said they had dropped a top-selling novel by a Canadian-Haitian writer from their longlist following online claims that it was written with artificial intelligence.
  • The Goncourt claimed that "several credible researchers and journalists" had highlighted his prize-winning work was "in all likelihood very largely the product of artificial intelligence."
The organisers of France's top literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, on Friday said they had dropped a top-selling novel by a Canadian-Haitian writer from their longlist following online claims that it was written with artificial intelligence.
This decision "is driven by the desire to preserve the integrity of the prix Goncourt and the Academy itself, whose central role is to promote and honour literature written by women and men," the Goncourt Academy said. 
The decision to remove the book by Thelyson Orelien, a new literary sensation in the French-speaking world, caps a tumultuous week for the 38-year-old following anonymous claims against his debut novel "It Was Either That or Die".
He has denied using AI and has suggested the campaign against him is racially motivated as well as an "attempt to silence my voice."
He also has promised to produce a file that will "prove" that he wrote the book himself.
The Goncourt claimed that "several credible researchers and journalists" had highlighted his prize-winning work was "in all likelihood very largely the product of artificial intelligence."
His use of AI is difficult to prove conclusively -- various AI detectors give different results -- but his reputation has been undercut by evidence of plagiarism published in Quebec where Orelien lives. 
Montreal-based La Presse reported Wednesday that a newspaper column written by him in 2013 was "almost entirely" a "lightly edited translation" of an article published a few days earlier by The Philippine Star.
The Radio-Canada media group also found that an Orelien novella which won an audience prize in 2010 contained phrases taken from a French-language book called "Le matin des magiciens" by Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier which was published in 1960.
 

Literary phenomenon

 
"It Was Either That or Die" tells a dramatised version of Orelien's own life experience: his fictional main character leaves gang-filled Haiti and embarks on a soul-sapping multi-country journey before arriving in Canada.
It has been sold in more than 20 countries including the United States, with Paris-based publisher Grasset reported to have paid 300,000 euros for the French rights. 
The turmoil around the book this week underlines the challenge of detecting artificial intelligence, as well as the disruption the technology is causing in the creative industries from music to design and literature.  
This case "is unprecedented in France, but it's certainly not the last," Alexandre Gefen, a researcher at the French CNRS research institute and co-author of a recent book on AI in the cultural sector, told AFP. 
"The book world is going to have to get used to AI," he added, just as the image and video industries have done in recent years. 
Orelien's Canadian publisher, Boreal, suspended his promotional tour on Friday, but continues to stand by his work.
"Unfortunately, at this stage it is impossible for us to either refute or confirm the allegations the author is facing," Boreal said in a statement, while calling on people not to "jump to hasty conclusions".
Grasset also backed him on Tuesday, saying its editors "restate their absolute trust, their admiration for his poetic work".
The allegations against him first emerged on Monday on an anonymous X account with less than 100 followers called "Balance ton Claude" (Expose Your Claude). 
The message claiming the book was "almost entirely" written with AI went viral.
French essayist and cultural commentator Samuel Fitoussi, who writes for the right-wing Figaro daily, confirmed Friday that he was part of the collective behind the account.
The conservative writer wrote on X that he feared "after several millennia of civilisation founded on writing, AI will cause the disappearance of reading and writing."
He added that AI text-generators such as Claude or OpenAI "will increasingly be able to... produce exceptional works in near autonomy".
Any authors who produce "copy-paste" material from the companies while claiming it to be their own work "betray the moral pact binding them to their readership," he added.
jri-sjw-adp/giv

Sports

Funny old world: the week's offbeat news

  • - Singapore's so fine - Don't be tempted to put your feet up if you ever visit Singapore -- particularly on a bus.
  • From the slipperiest of superfoods to the cheeky monkeys bringing Pakistanis to their feet...
  • - Singapore's so fine - Don't be tempted to put your feet up if you ever visit Singapore -- particularly on a bus.
From the slipperiest of superfoods to the cheeky monkeys bringing Pakistanis to their feet... Your weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world: 

Eel go far

Now we know how the Japanese eSports whizz-kid Yuki Kurihara got to have the fastest thumbs in the East. The 11-year-old  -- who has so far crushed all comers on his Asian Games debut -- keeps himself sharp by eating eels.
The bespectacled primary school student will become the youngest gold medal winner ever if he wins on Saturday after walloping opponents nearly three times his age in the Puyo Puyo Champions game, which is similar to Tetris. 
Kurihara, who got on the national team at just 10, said he eats the slithery creatures in the run-up to big competitions to increase his stamina and alertness.

Pakistan goes ape for gorillas

Pakistani party animals have been going bananas for grooving gorillas in the latest craze to hit the dancefloor in the megacity of Lahore.
Entertainers dressed as giant apes have been going viral boogying down to the beat.
"Before the gorilla made its entrance, we were feeling somewhat bored" at a university bash in the city, student Sirat al-Aruj told AFP.
But revellers went wild when the slick-footed silverback appeared flailing its arms around, and "everyone's energy levels increased significantly", the 21-year-old added.
"We uploaded a reel on Instagram, and within just two days it reached a million views," said Shayen Zahoor, the CEO of the gorilla suit company.

 Singapore's so fine

Don't be tempted to put your feet up if you ever visit Singapore -- particularly on a bus. It could cost you $400.
The city-state which likes to make sure everyone's on their best behaviour, revels in the moniker "Fine City", with a whole panoply of them to punish those who step out of line.
The latest for putting your feet on the seat of a bus comes with an even more stinging penalty of $3,900 should you vomit, urinate or spit in one of its double-deckers.
Singapore banned chewing gum in 1992 and glories in its reputation for tidiness. But officials say they will exercise "discretion and fairness" in imposing the new rules so as not to stigmatise the unfortunate and the afflicted.

 Piece at last after jigsaw's big battle

Don't be misled by their jigsaw piece earrings and novelty haircuts, the 1,700 puzzlers who gathered for the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships in Spain were a pretty ferocious bunch.
"It's really a battle, it's not like let's make nice together," one of the organisers told AFP.
The tension was electrifying from the start, with some ripping open the bags containing the pieces with their teeth, fingers flying into action.
Dutch PhD student Maarje van der Meer squealed as she put the final piece in place to win, panting that it was "just pure adrenaline and chaos.... Your hands are shaking, but it was amazing."
bur-fg/rh

Nations

Ireland's Gaza stance spills from Eurovision into football

BY PETER MURPHY

  • - 'Moral compromise' - Ireland has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, with sympathy often linked to the country's own history of British rule.
  • No Irish supporters in the stadium, no home match in Ireland and no pundits or Irish commentary on television: the country's strong support for the Palestinian cause is increasingly reshaping its sporting and cultural calendar.
  • - 'Moral compromise' - Ireland has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, with sympathy often linked to the country's own history of British rule.
No Irish supporters in the stadium, no home match in Ireland and no pundits or Irish commentary on television: the country's strong support for the Palestinian cause is increasingly reshaping its sporting and cultural calendar.
Ireland face Israel in football's Nations League in Hungary on Sunday before a designated Irish "home" game in Serbia on October 4, amid protests and calls for a boycott over Israel's war in Gaza.
Sunday's match comes days after national broadcaster RTE confirmed Ireland would again boycott the Eurovision Song Contest next year because of Israel's participation.
But contractual obligations mean it must show the football matches.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has, meanwhile, declined its ticket allocation for Irish supporters for Sunday's fixture.
The game is being staged in Debrecen, Hungary, because Israel cannot currently host international matches, while the reverse fixture was shifted from Dublin to Backa Topola, Serbia, and will be played behind closed doors.
"It is highly unusual for a state broadcaster to show a major international match while stripping away punditry" and the other usual elements, said Neil O'Boyle, an associate professor at Dublin City University specialising in sport and media.
RTE faced "a unique dilemma", he told AFP, between its contractual obligations and "intense pushback from the Irish public and some of its own staff".
"The 'silent' broadcast is intended as a kind of moral compromise," he said.

'Moral compromise'

Ireland has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, with sympathy often linked to the country's own history of British rule.
Research published this year by political scientist Liam Kneafsey and colleague Miceal Canavan found Ireland a clear outlier in western Europe.
Their study, based on a representative survey conducted in late 2023, found 53 percent of Irish adults sympathised more with Palestinians and 11 percent with Israel, compared with around 27 percent pro-Palestinian sympathy in the next-highest western European country.
"Ireland's history of colonisation, partition and displacement gives people a ready-made template for understanding a distant and complex conflict," Kneafsey told AFP.
Such attitudes were "rooted in history and identity, not just a reaction to headlines", he added.
Dublin formally recognised a Palestinian state in 2024 alongside Spain and Norway, and has repeatedly criticised Israel's conduct in Gaza.
More than 160 Irish sportspeople have signed a letter urging the national team to boycott the football games, while protests have targeted the FAI and players.
Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has acknowledged players are uncomfortable about the fixtures, saying: "We're not playing with genocide. We're playing against genocide."
Israel's football federation accused him of "stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy", remarks Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin on Tuesday called "unacceptable".

'Outrage'

Amnesty International Ireland's executive director, Stephen Bowen, said UEFA should have suspended Israel, arguing that Israeli clubs operating in occupied Palestinian territory breached football's rules.
"It shocks the conscience that Ireland has to play these fixtures," he told AFP.
"Upset and outrage here in Ireland at these matches is palpable."
But former Irish justice minister Alan Shatter strongly rejected the boycott campaign.
"It's a scandal that a group of obsessed political activists have created a situation where our home game is now taking place behind closed doors in Serbia," he told AFP.
Shatter said the FAI should have staged the fixture in Dublin with police protection and accused campaigners of placing players under unacceptable pressure.
The FAI itself requested last year that UEFA suspend Israel but received insufficient support from European football's governing body.
It says refusing to play could bring sporting and financial sanctions.
Israel strongly rejects allegations that its conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide.
It launched war on Gaza in response to a Hamas attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023, that resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Its bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,900 people there, according to the occupied Palestinian territory's health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
pmu/jdg/jkb/gl

transport

Rebellious Afghan taxi drivers defy ban on music

BY QUBAD WALI

  • The ban on music in public places is imposed by the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) Ministry, whose morality police roam the city wearing long white coats.
  • Taxi drivers in Afghanistan are turning on the tunes in their cars, defying a ban imposed by the Taliban government despite the fear of getting caught by morality police.
  • The ban on music in public places is imposed by the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) Ministry, whose morality police roam the city wearing long white coats.
Taxi drivers in Afghanistan are turning on the tunes in their cars, defying a ban imposed by the Taliban government despite the fear of getting caught by morality police.
The music that used to flow constantly out of restaurants, cafes and shops in the capital Kabul has been muted for five years, replaced only by religious or patriotic songs supported by the Taliban authorities in power since 2021.
But taxi drivers such as Roeen have started playing Afghan and regional folk or pop music, which they quickly turn off when security forces may be around.
"At every checkpoint we pass, we lower the volume of the music or even turn it off completely... so I don't get into trouble with them," said Roeen, who gave only his first name for security reasons.
The ban on music in public places is imposed by the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) Ministry, whose morality police roam the city wearing long white coats.
PVPV regulations state that "since music is forbidden and causes annoyance to passengers, drivers must refrain from playing or listening to it".
The ministry did not respond when asked to comment on punishments Afghans face for playing music, but those breaching their various other rules risk being jailed.
Roeen said PVPV officials have "a lot of authority".
"We're definitely too afraid of them to be able to listen to music at a higher volume," he told AFP in his sky blue-and-white taxi.
Driving through the heavy traffic and noisy roads of Kabul, Roeen said he has "become 10 times more interested in music" since the ban.
"I have to make sure that even if I can't listen in the early morning, by eight o'clock my music is on," he said.
In a country where various forms of entertainment including cinema are outlawed, listening to music constantly is a "form of protest" for the 28-year-old driver.

'Stress' and no headphones

Another taxi driver, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told AFP he only listens to music when he is alone in his car and surrounded by the noise of other vehicles.
"Before, whenever a person wanted, they could listen without any worry or stress. But now... personally I listen -- but with some stress," he said in his car that had a radio player with a USB slot.
The 32-year-old has been stopped twice at checkpoints for having a USB stick and a memory card.
"I didn't lie -- I said it has music, and they broke it," he said.
"Afghan culture should not vanish, and music is one of the cultures of our people. Personally, I don't want this culture to disappear."
As part of their crackdown on banned music, the PVPV's provincial departments occasionally report burning instruments. No figures are available on how many they have seized, according to ministry spokesman Saiful Islam Khyber.
Across the capital, residents use shared taxis as an affordable way to get around a city which lacks a proper public transport system.
Often, two passengers sit alongside the driver in the front, three are in the back, and sometimes someone rides in the open boot.
Shamsullah Ahmad, a master's student, spoke to AFP while waiting for a taxi near his university.
"I prefer to listen to music every day; whenever I go to any destination, I try to check if the taxi has a music player," said the 29-year-old.
"I prefer music in the car, because wearing headphones would be noticed, but in the car, even with lower volume is better than nothing," Ahmad said.
The morality police have been known to take headphones out of Afghans' ears to check if they are listening to music.
Roeen, the driver, misses the days when "we could listen to songs, dance, and celebrate, and no one would stop us".
But now the city is "shrouded in darkness -- a darkness devoid of any light", he said, above the din of growling engines.
qb/rsc/ami

music

Dolly Parton's nephew ordered to stay away from estate staff, properties

  • Parton's longtime manager Danny Nozell requested the restraining order, accusing the artist's nephew, Bryan Seaver, of attempting to extort money from the estate, which includes an amusement park, a hotel and a soon-to-be-opened museum.
  • Dolly Parton's nephew has been ordered to stay away from employees and properties of her estate, US media reported, after the manager for the late country music legend alleged an "escalating campaign of threats" to extort money from the vast enterprise.
  • Parton's longtime manager Danny Nozell requested the restraining order, accusing the artist's nephew, Bryan Seaver, of attempting to extort money from the estate, which includes an amusement park, a hotel and a soon-to-be-opened museum.
Dolly Parton's nephew has been ordered to stay away from employees and properties of her estate, US media reported, after the manager for the late country music legend alleged an "escalating campaign of threats" to extort money from the vast enterprise.
Chancellor I'Ashea L. Myles of Nashville Chancery Court issued the temporary restraining order Wednesday, citing emails and other communications between the pair which involved "threats with demands for payment," Rolling Stone magazine reported.
Parton's longtime manager Danny Nozell requested the restraining order, accusing the artist's nephew, Bryan Seaver, of attempting to extort money from the estate, which includes an amusement park, a hotel and a soon-to-be-opened museum.
Myles ordered Seaver to stay at least 1,000 feet (300 meters) from estate employees and business partners, remain off private property owned by the estate, and refrain from disruptive or harassing conduct, Rolling Stone reported, citing the ruling.
Seaver's statements were significant "not merely because of their language in isolation, but also because they were made in conjunction with statements threatening specific individuals and business interests associated with Ms. Parton's professional property and estate," Myles wrote.
Myles has scheduled a hearing for October 7, according to the Davidson County Chancery Court website.
Seaver, who broke the news of the singer's death last month in an emotional video, had provided security for Parton for years but was abruptly fired last week, TMZ reported.
That caused Seaver to criticize Nozell, with the outlet quoting Seaver as saying he was "dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions."
Court papers filed Tuesday allege that Seaver sent threats including a text message warning he would become "the hand of retribution for my entire family," The New York Times reported.
The paper said the request for a restraining order was filed in Nashville -- Parton's longtime home -- by She's Alive, the organization run by Nozell that manages her business empire.
In a message sent to The New York Times, Seaver, who describes himself as a military contractor and international arms dealer, said he was carrying out his own probe into how his aunt's affairs were being managed at the time of her death.
Parton died last month aged 80, sparking mourning around the world for the singer who rose from grinding poverty to become a rhinestone-studded icon with hits like "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You." 
She also starred in Hollywood films and donated millions to charities. Her business empire is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and includes her popular Dollywood theme park, cosmetics, pet apparel, baking mixes and even a truck stop.
The Dollywood theme park in Tennessee attracts around four million visitors a year and employs 4,000 people.
bur-ane/acb/pnb

Trump

CNN, MS NOW, Politico allowed back in White House after judge's order

BY CHRIS LEFKOW

  • Despite regaining access to the complex earlier in the day, CNN reported later Thursday that the White House had "denied two CNN journalists from covering Chinese leader Xi Jinping's arrival back at the White House for a state dinner."
  • CNN, MS NOW and Politico were allowed back into the White House on Thursday, six days after being banned by President Donald Trump, following a federal judge's order that the journalists have their access restored.
  • Despite regaining access to the complex earlier in the day, CNN reported later Thursday that the White House had "denied two CNN journalists from covering Chinese leader Xi Jinping's arrival back at the White House for a state dinner."
CNN, MS NOW and Politico were allowed back into the White House on Thursday, six days after being banned by President Donald Trump, following a federal judge's order that the journalists have their access restored.
District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled overnight that revoking the White House press credentials of the three media outlets "likely violated their constitutional due process rights."
Reporters for CNN, MS NOW and Politico who attempted to return to the White House early Thursday ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping were initially turned away by the Secret Service but were allowed in later around midday.
Journalists from other outlets surrounded CNN's tent on the White House driveway and filmed reporter Betsy Klein as she reported live following her return. "Welcome back," several journalists said.
In his ruling, Kelly took issue with how the White House went about expelling the three news organizations.
"The 'general rule' is that 'individuals must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before the Government deprives them' of a constitutionally protected interest," the judge said.
Despite regaining access to the complex earlier in the day, CNN reported later Thursday that the White House had "denied two CNN journalists from covering Chinese leader Xi Jinping's arrival back at the White House for a state dinner."
The cable network reported that MS NOW journalists were also denied access to the arrival.
Trump has long attacked media that have aired critical coverage of him, repeatedly blasting the press as the "enemy of the people."
The Republican president barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House on Friday for distributing what he called "fake news" and "fiction and lies."
They filed a joint lawsuit asking for a temporary restraining order against the ban on the grounds that it violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which upholds the right to a free press.
Ahead of the ruling, the Department of Justice had argued that Trump can "control reporters' access to restricted presidential areas, such as the Oval Office."
"Access to the White House is a privilege -- not a right," it said.

National security?

The White House Press Office accused CNN in a letter to the cable news outlet of "trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information," with similar accusations leveled against MS NOW and Politico.
The letter to CNN cited several stories about the US-Iran war and a story on Trump's plans to build a military bunker below the planned East Wing ballroom which allegedly "disclosed 'top-secret' construction details."
Kelly, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, appeared unconvinced.
"The Court is skeptical -- at least on this record -- that Defendants' interest in safeguarding national security is the actual motivation for, or is even advanced by, the revocation of Plaintiffs' hard passes," the judge said.
In a rare move, the top five US broadcasters said that they were halting pool coverage of the White House -- where a broadcaster films on behalf of all television outlets for the day -- in solidarity with CNN.
"The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting," ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC said.
cl/pnb/mlm/des

Netanyahu

Hollywood stars among 100 arrested in NY anti-Netanyahu protest

  • AFP footage showed NYPD officers leading away cuffed "Thelma & Louise" star Sarandon at the demo in the city as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was readying to address the United Nations General Assembly.
  • Movie star Susan Sarandon and "Hacks" actress Hannah Einbinder were among a reported 100 people detained by police in New York on Thursday as they broke up a protest against the Israeli prime minister.
  • AFP footage showed NYPD officers leading away cuffed "Thelma & Louise" star Sarandon at the demo in the city as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was readying to address the United Nations General Assembly.
Movie star Susan Sarandon and "Hacks" actress Hannah Einbinder were among a reported 100 people detained by police in New York on Thursday as they broke up a protest against the Israeli prime minister.
AFP footage showed NYPD officers leading away cuffed "Thelma & Louise" star Sarandon at the demo in the city as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was readying to address the United Nations General Assembly.
The New York Post reported Einbinder had also been frog-marched from the demonstration organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, where protesters held banners that read "Stop Arming Israel" and "End the Genocide." 
A spokesperson for the NYPD said officers had responded to reports of an "unscheduled demonstration" where people were blocking an intersection.
"Members of the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau issued... warnings, advising participants that they should leave," the spokesperson said.
"They continued to block the intersection. Multiple individuals who didn't comply were taken into custody," she said, without providing the number of people arrested.
Jewish Voice for Peace said on social media that over 100 people had been arrested.
"Over 400 people held a mass sit-in outside the UN demanding an end to the genocide and an end to US military funding to Israel," the organization said on X.
"We refuse to stand by while war criminals are given a platform to speak and while our government spends billions on war."
Inside the General Assembly, dozens of envoys from across the world walked out as Netanyahu began his speech, in which he assailed both enemies and allies that have crossed him in recent months, including Britain and France, which have recently moved to recognize the state of Palestine.
"They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism -- some colonialism. And who's accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God's sakes, they invented the term," he told the assembly.
Sarandon, whose movie hits also include "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Dead Man Walking" and "The Witches of Eastwick," is no stranger to protests over Israel's war in Gaza.
The US actress told journalists at the Venice Film Festival this month that she was losing work because of her outspoken views.
"I've still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still. But that's the power structure," she said.
"I think there has been a change in terms of the understanding of the situation and the general public, but there are still very strongly held positions within my industry that are held by Zionists and who have not relaxed their feelings towards me. 
"But I found my family, I found my people, and I'm okay," she added.
hg/pnb

death

French actress Marina Vlady dies at 88

  • She won the best actress prize at Cannes in 1963 for her role in "The Conjugal Bed" -- for which she also won a Golden Globe.
  • French actress Marina Vlady, who appeared in more than 80 films and picked up a prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1963, died on Thursday at the age of 88, her family told AFP. She died "at home, surrounded by her loved ones and her animals", her children said in a statement, in which they praised "a long and beautiful life, well lived".
  • She won the best actress prize at Cannes in 1963 for her role in "The Conjugal Bed" -- for which she also won a Golden Globe.
French actress Marina Vlady, who appeared in more than 80 films and picked up a prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1963, died on Thursday at the age of 88, her family told AFP.
She died "at home, surrounded by her loved ones and her animals", her children said in a statement, in which they praised "a long and beautiful life, well lived".
Vlady worked with some of the greats of cinema, including French new wave director Jean-Luc Godard and Hollywood legend Orson Welles.
She won the best actress prize at Cannes in 1963 for her role in "The Conjugal Bed" -- for which she also won a Golden Globe.
In 1965 took a rare English-speaking role in Welles's Shakespearean drama "Chimes at Midnight".
The daughter of a former dancer and a former French army aviator who also sang at the opera, Vlady also found success in music with two albums recorded with her sisters. 
jfg-agu/pdw/jj