As a Japanese schoolgirl in the 1970s, Kazumi Kaminaga had never seen something as cute as Hello Kitty when she first laid eyes on the moon-faced, mouthless character in a shop.

"There were hardly any 'kawaii' products when I was in elementary school," said the now 51-year-old mother, using the Japanese word for cute.

It's long been said that pop stars live fast and die young, but a new Australian study has added scholarly credibility to the adage, finding that U.S. musicians die up to 25 years earlier than the general population.

"This is clear evidence that all is not well in pop music land," said the University of Sydney's Dianna Kenny, who analysed the deaths of 12,665 predominantly male American musicians between 1950 and June this year.

The winner of the Funniest Person in the World competition is a brown-haired, slightly rotund stand-up comic from Finland who boasts he has hit on the perfect solution to the planet's international monetary woes.

"Countries don't owe money to each other, countries owe money to banks," says Ismo Leikola. "If the countries owe money to banks how stupid are the countries to pay. Like the country has an army. The bank has four cashiers and a cleaning lady."

Moving more decisively away from her country roots, Taylor Swift on Monday released a danceable pop album that the beleaguered record industry hopes will be the year's top-seller.

Called "1989," the year the soon-to-be 25-year-old US music phenomenon was born, Swift's fifth album is accompanied by a methodical marketing campaign that ranges from product tie-ins to meetings with lucky fans.

Belying its austere reputation for pure science and the search for fact, the European Space Agency (ESA) is branching out -- into fantasy film-making.

ESA has released a six-and-a-half-minute work, complete with a TV star, Oscar-nominated director and dramatic digital effects, that turns the spotlight on its historic mission to explore a comet.

Taylor Swift will be shakin' it up in New York City's Times Square on New Year's Eve.

ABC announced Monday that Swift is the headliner for "New Year's Rockin' Eve," the annual countdown show hosted by Ryan Seacrest.

Want a body like Beyonce's? Now you can buy clothes she's designed for exercising.

The 33-year-old singer announced Monday that she is merging with British retailer Topshop to launch the company, Parkwood TopShop Athletic Ltd. It is a 50/50 joint venture.

Missy Elliott, Lil Kim and Da Brat will reunite at next month's Soul Train Awards.

BET and Centric announced Monday that the female rappers will take the stage November 7 when the show tapes at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Mix FM's 80's nights at the BO18 was transformed into a love festival because of a young and exceptional woman.

The evening, which was inspired by this year's Beirut Marathon slogan – Peace, Love, Run- Mix FM decided to dedicate the night of October 23 at the BO18 for peace and love, inviting people to come wearing their running shoes, as the days draw closer to the most anticipated running event of the year.

You may be tempted upon leaving Sting's Broadway musical "The Last Ship" to head straight to a pub to drain a pint and sing some sea shanties. Or maybe go weld something. Or do both.

Such are the foot-stomping, testosterone-filled feelings that emerge from the Neil Simon Theatre, where a blast of British working class camaraderie among steel workers has docked during these times when we only construct things from Ikea.