The sound of the blast in Syria's capital Damascus brought worried residents running, but rather than carnage they found a crew filming one of the country's famed television drama series.

Adventurer, Orientalist, spy: the remarkable story of Spanish explorer Ali Bey al-Abbassi is to be told on the silver screen for the first time, two centuries after his death.

They are mothers, daughters, wives -- and suicide bombers: an Arab television drama timed for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan tells the untold stories of women and the Islamic State group.

American heiress Dina Merrill, the Hollywood socialite who became a leading lady, has died aged 93.

Wearing a red hijab and all-encompassing gown, Sakdiyah Maruf cuts an unusual figure in a dark, smokey Jakarta bar as she reels off taboo-breaking jokes to laughter from a rapt audience.

She is a rare character in Indonesia -- a female Muslim stand-up using humour to challenge prejudice against women and rising religious intolerance. 

Salma Hayek laid into Hollywood sexism on Tuesday, saying the system treats actresses like performing monkeys and wants rid of them once they realize they are smart.

The suicide bombing at a concert by Ariana Grande in Britain that killed 22 people, including children, sparked an outpouring of grief and condolences from pop stars and other celebrities around the world.

British actor Roger Moore, who played the womanizing superspy James Bond over two decades with a suave wit, died Tuesday aged 89, his children announced.

"It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer," they said in a statement published on Twitter.

Video of a sea lion grabbing a little girl and yanking her into the water at a wharf on Canada's Pacific coast has gone viral and prompted warnings Monday against the dangers of feeding wild animals.

Nicole Kidman said Monday that she still tackles roles like a 21-year-old after the premiere of her shocking new horror movie at the Cannes film festival.