Miss World | 2018 Continental | WINNERS Belarus | Europe Mexico | Americas Uganda ?? | Africa Jamaica | Caribbean Thailand | Asia and Oceania Mexican volunteer crowned Miss World as Quiin Abenakyo does it for Africa Sanya, China | AFP | Miss Uganda Quiin Abenakyo crowned a superb performance Saturday at …
Read More »Lawsuits dropped against Egyptian actress Youssef over racy dress
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Lawsuits filed against an Egyptian actress for wearing a see-through dress have been withdrawn after she made a public apology, two lawyers who brought cases against her said Wednesday. Rania Youssef was accused of “inciting debauchery” last week after appearing at the closing session of …
Read More »Pop star Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank U, Next’ video smashes records
New York, United States | AFP | Pop star Ariana Grande’s sugary new music video for the hit “Thank U, Next” is now the fastest to rack up 100 million views on YouTube, the platform told AFP Wednesday. After dropping Friday, the clip needed little more than three days to …
Read More »Ballon D’Or host apologises as ‘twerk’ request causes storm
Paris, France | AFP | French DJ Martin Solveig apologised and said he was taken aback by the stormy reaction online after he asked the inaugural women’s Ballon D’Or winner Ada Hegerberg whether she could “twerk” live on stage. The awards co-host in Paris provoked a torrent of complaints about …
Read More »Beyonce, Jay-Z dazzle South Africa at Mandela gig
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Beyonce was leading an all-star line-up including Ed Sheeran, Jay-Z and Usher in Johannesburg at a concert to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. The concert was the climax of a year of events celebrating the centennial of Mandela’s birth in 1918, …
Read More »Beyonce to lead Mandela tribute concert
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Beyonce will lead an all-star line-up that includes Ed Sheeran, Jay-Z and Usher in Johannesburg on Sunday when she performs at a concert to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. The concert is the climax of a year of events celebrating the centennial …
Read More »Egyptian actress to face trial for wearing racy dress
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | An Egyptian actress is set to face trial in January for wearing a see-through dress at the Cairo film festival this week that showed her legs, a judicial source said Saturday. Rania Youssef appeared at the closing session Thursday of the Cairo International Film Festival …
Read More »Reggae, music ‘of love and humanity’, secures UN culture listing
Port Louis, Mauritius | AFP | Jamaican reggae, the music of the oppressed which Bob Marley catapulted onto the global stage, won a coveted spot on the United Nations’ list of global cultural treasures Thursday. UNESCO, the world body’s cultural and scientific agency, added reggae to its collection of “intangible …
Read More »Nigeria’s Davido AFRIMA artist of the year, Bebe Cool best in East Africa
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s Davido took home the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) trophy for artist of the year, leading a strong showing for the West African powerhouse famous for its roster of Afrobeats stars. Musicians from across the continent came to the Accra International Conference Centre in …
Read More »China’s youth embrace street dance amid hip-hop crackdown
Beijing, China | AFP | In China, where children are often saddled with a packed schedule of extracurricular activities before they even enter grade school, some parents are making room for a surprising pursuit: hip-hop dance classes. Inside a dance studio in central Beijing, a group of kids bopped up …
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