Frenchman Romain Vandendorpe on Saturday set a world record for sitting immersed in ice cubes for the longest time, enduring the extreme challenge to raise money for childhood cancers.

US prosecutors on Friday said Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of Jeffrey Epstein charged with helping enable his sexual abuses, should remain in jail, and urged a federal judge to reject her proposed $28.5 million bail package.

Pope Francis on Sunday appeared to add his own thumbs-down to widespread criticism of an unorthodox nativity scene in St. Peter's Square, telling visitors to instead visit a nearby exhibition of traditional crèches.

The object in question is a stave church, or wooden church, complete with dragon ornaments on the roof, built in the Nordic style in 1905.

Beatles legend Paul McCartney gave Britain's COVID-19 vaccine rollout a big shot in the arm by vowing to be among the first global superstars to be inoculated, The Sun newspaper reported on Friday.

Angelina Jolie had words of advice and support for women who fear they will suffer more abuse during the holidays.

British actor Ian McKellen, who played the wizard Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies, said he was euphoric after receiving his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and urged everyone who was offered the jab to accept it.

He kept the beat for one of the world's most iconic bands, has fronted his supergroup for three decades, is a two-time rock hall-of-famer -- and at 80, Ringo Starr is as energetic as ever.

Growing up in an indigenous village in the Colombian Amazon, Junior Sangama long hid his sexuality -- before clashing with his family and choosing to leave. But the 27-year-old has since returned home, one of a number of gay residents who have found a place, of sorts, in the deeply conservative community of Nazareth.

In one of the most pleasant early holiday surprises, Will Smith gifted a cancer-stricken 14-year-old boy with Sony’s recently released console, the PlayStation 5 (PS5).

MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said Tuesday she has given $4.2 billion to groups helping the vulnerable as the pandemic hits lives like "a wrecking ball".

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have signed a deal with Spotify to produce podcasts that tell "uplifting and entertaining stories", the audio streaming service said Tuesday.

American-British TV personality Sharon Osbourne has tested positive for COVID-19, according to her official Twitter.

Petar "Stewie" Stantchev has an arsenal of skateboarding tricks he likes to display on the streets of Barcelona, the sport's European hotspot.

Dolly Parton saved a 9-year-old girl who she costars with in her latest Christmas movie from an oncoming car while they were filming.

Mass lockdowns and "The Queen's Gambit" have brought unexpected gains for chess during the coronavirus, Indian grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand told AFP, praising the hit TV show's "accurate portrayal" of the game.

Kim Kardashian on Wednesday called on President Donald Trump to commute the death sentence of a US man scheduled to be executed Thursday for his participation in a double murder when he was 18 years old.

Taylor Swift helped out two mothers who were facing financial problems amid the COVID-19 pandemic by giving them $13,000 each.

The world can't forget the plight of Syrian refugees this winter despite the global upheaval caused by COVID-19, fantasy author Neil Gaiman said on Tuesday as he helped launch the UN refugee program's cold weather appeal.

John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono on Tuesday marked the 40th anniversary of the legendary musician's shock murder with a call for gun control.

Prince Harry has launched libel action against the publishers of a British tabloid over an article claiming he had not kept in touch with the Royal Marines.

Prince William and his wife Kate arrived in Edinburgh on Monday at the start of a nationwide train tour of Britain to meet and thank frontline workers, care home staff and teachers for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The co-chief executive of German online fashion retailer Zalando has said he will step down to put the professional ambitions of his wife first.

John Lennon's career was cut short 40 years ago when he was shot dead in New York -- but he lives on in the songs and attitudes of other artists.

Gobind’s penchant for impersonations became evident when he served time in jail. A former Cipinang Prison rehabilitation head, Samsul Hidayat, described him as versatile but with a temper.

The family of Roald Dahl has apologized for anti-Semitic remarks he made, saying the comments were "incomprehensible to us".

An Indian teacher was on Thursday named the winner of a $1 million (£774,700, €823,175) prize for his work transforming the lives of young girls in a rural village.

Residents of Britain's care homes shared their first precious hugs and kisses with relatives since March on Wednesday, after homes were able to give visitors rapid tests for COVID-19 which give results in 30 minutes.

Britain's Prince Harry has suggested that the coronavirus pandemic is a rebuke from nature as he called for more action to tackle climate change.

Police have opened a preliminary investigation into a Michelin-starred French chef after a businesswoman accused him of having raped her in February 2015.