Lead:
American actor Stacey Keach, known for decades of work across film, television and theatre, died Tuesday in Poland at age 85 following a prolonged heart condition, his Polish actress wife Malgorzata Tomaszewska confirmed to Variety.
Top Stories:
Stacey Keach, American actor — Keach passed away in Poland after a lengthy struggle with serious heart disease and cardiac failure. His widow, Polish actress Malgorzata Tomaszewska, described him as a legendary performer beloved worldwide who worked across detective roles and complex historical and literary characters.Walid Al-Halani, traffic incident settlement — The family of a person killed in a Beirut traffic accident on Tuesday agreed to drop personal civil claims against Lebanese singer Walid Al-Halani, according to his manager Majed Al-Halani, paving the way for potential release pending completion of legal procedures. Al-Halani's statement said he attempted to avoid striking a pedestrian on an unlit road near Saaib Salam tunnel and immediately stopped to call Lebanese Red Crescent for emergency services.Mustafa Qitar, Egyptian cellist — Mustafa Qitar, a leading Arab cellist and the last surviving member of the late singer Um Kulthum's orchestra, has died, according to an announcement by conductor Yassir Meawad. Qitar, whose full name was Abdel Fattah Ahmad Mustafa Qitar and who became known as Abdu Qitar, accompanied major singers including Um Kulthum throughout his career.Palestinian documentary selected for Oscar consideration — The Palestinian-French documentary "The Citizen Osama," directed by Ahmad Hassouna, has been selected to represent Palestine at the 2027 Academy Awards following its screening at Doc Stories festival in San Francisco on November 8. The film chronicles a Palestinian photographer in Gaza balancing war documentation with caring for a newborn child, exploring the human cost of recording conflict.Sirene Abdel Nour returns to Ramadan drama after eight-year absence — Lebanese actress Sirene Abdel Nour will compete in Egyptian Ramadan drama through the series "Eshmawi" starring Mohamed Ramadan, returning to Ramadan competition after an eight-year gap since her last participation in "Al-Hayba 3" in 2019. She plays Nadine Al-Nasser, one of Ramadan's character's wives.Egyptian production companies impose spending caps on star compensation — Multiple Egyptian film and television production companies have agreed on new guidelines limiting artist fees and accompanying services, including one personal assistant per actor and 25,000 units for trailers, aimed at addressing rising production costs and current economic pressures in the entertainment industry.Coming Up:
Jordanian actor Iyad Nassar's new series "Qassed Tareek" competes in Ramadan 2027 drama, focusing on protecting historical narratives of places against attempts to alter truth or erase collective memory. The fifth Sharjah International Book Fair opens with 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries presenting 1.7 million titles and hosting 106 writers and creators across 1,500 cultural and creative events.