Standing before a rapt crowd, Ahmed Adel oozes charm with his passionate performance of an Egyptian classic, evoking a romantic nostalgia for Arabic songs of the past.

Sparkly, studded and strutting in designer looks, the Grammys parade of often out-there fashion kicked off in a downpour Sunday, but that didn't dampen spirits as the music industry's best showed off their myriad outfits.

Cardi B had a spot of trouble walking in a sculpted look that evoked a mermaid in the half shell, pearls included. It was hatched in 1995 by Thierry Mugler. Michelle Obama popped up in a metallic trouser outfit onstage, Jennifer Lopez donned a huge white bejeweled hat and Lady Gaga chose a silver strapless sequin gown with a high slit and side ruffle, thanks to Celine.

Women and rap triumphed at the Grammys on Sunday as female acts took home top prizes including album of the year and best new artist, and Childish Gambino made history when his hit "This Is America" became the first rap-based track to win record and song of the year.

Kacey Musgraves' country-pop release "Golden Hour" won album of the year, and British singer Dua Lipa won best new artist — a year after female voices were somewhat muted at the 2018 ceremony and the Grammys were criticized for the low number of female nominees.

Music's biggest stars will gather in Los Angeles on Sunday for the Grammy Awards, and this year observers are hoping the hip-hop and women artists leading the pack will get their due.

Detained former Renault boss Carlos Ghosn is ready to repay a 50,000-euro ($57,000) bill for his wedding party at the Palace of Versailles which was waived under a sponsorship deal with the French car group, his lawyer said Friday.

Volodymyr Zelensky has already been elected president of Ukraine once -- in a television series. Now the popular actor with no political experience has confounded his critics to lead opinion polls before the real presidential race.

Gucci has apologized for a wool sweater that resembled a "blackface" and said the item had been pulled from its online and physical stores, the latest case of an Italian fashion house having to apologize for cultural or racial insensitivity.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Wednesday, Gucci said it was committed to diversity and considered it a "fundamental value to be fully upheld, respected and at the forefront of every decision we make."

"The Sisters Brothers" was the big winner at the Paris foreign press film awards late Monday, taking best film, best director, and best cinematography.

Veteran actor Liam Neeson revealed on Monday that he once walked the streets hunting for a "black bastard" to kill in retaliation for the rape of a friend.

The 66-year-old Northern Irish star of "Schindler's List" and "Taken" is promoting his appearance in the Hollywood action thriller "Cold Pursuit".

African American writers have been ignored for too long by Hollywood but "things are going to change radically", declared the Oscar-winning filmmaker of "Moonlight", Barry Jenkins.