Abu Bakr Salem, one of the most popular singers of the Gulf who synthesized Yemen's rich musical traditions, has died aged 78 in Saudi Arabia after leaving an indelible mark on music in the Arab world.

Salem, who held Yemeni and Saudi nationalities, died of a long illness Sunday in a Riyadh hospital, his son Aseel Abu Bakr said in a Twitter post.

Saudi Arabia on Monday lifted a decades-long ban on cinemas, part of a series of social reforms by the powerful crown prince that are shaking up the ultra-conservative kingdom.

Same-sex couples hurried to declare plans to tie the knot on Saturday as Australia's new marriage equality law came into effect, with wedding registry offices holding special hours for the first day of legalised gay unions.

From a musclebound Superman to ice hockey player to jet pilot, Vladimir Putin plays various heroic roles in paintings at a Moscow exhibition called "Superputin" that opened this week as he began his campaign for a fourth Kremlin term.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi said Friday that local Emirati authorities had "acquired" a $450-million painting by Renaissance master Leonardo Da Vinci, as reports swirled about the original source of funding.

Wedding venues were preparing for a rush of couples eager to tie the knot after same-sex marriage was signed into Australian law Friday, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull already boasting several invites.

Saudis took the stage one by one to poke fun at the world -- and themselves -- introducing a hissing, cackling audience to an art form widely unknown in the conservative kingdom: stand-up comedy.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the actual buyer of a painting by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci that sold for a record-breaking $450 million at auction last month, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Applause and shrieks of joy erupted as Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji dazzled Riyadh in its first female-only music concert, as Saudi Arabia seeks to ease social restrictions on women.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid tribute to the sexual assault "Silence Breakers" honored by U.S. magazine Time as its Person of the Year Wednesday.