One of Germany's most famous contemporary artists, Gerhard Richter, has turned 80. These days his works sell for massive sums of money at auction - and not just because of their unique photo-like quality.

Gerhard Richter was born on 9 February 1932 in Dresden, the son of a Nazi. He grew up in East Germany but fled communism and moved to the West in 1961.

Always an ardent observer, Richter's work reflects the world around him and his themes vary accordingly. From Red Army Faction terrorists to boarding a flight bound for New York on the morning of 11 September 2001, Richter's world finds its way into his work.

AFP - French parfumier Jean-Paul Guerlain, for decades the "nose" behind the world-famous perfume brand, went on trial Thursday on racism charges after televised remarks caused widespread offence.

Asked in an October 2010 interview about how he created the Samsara scent, Guerlain replied using a racial slur -- the French term "negre" -- and implied that black people are lazy.

"For once, I set to work like a negro. I don't know if negroes have always worked like that, but anyway..." he said.

The incident sparked widespread condemnation, with anti-racism groups saying it highlighted deep prejudice in French society.

October 1988, Alaska: the end of the cold war. Ronald Reagan was US president, communism in eastern Europe was cracking and the ice had come in early. Cindy Lowry, a Greenpeace representative in Anchorage, read in a local paper that three young gray whales were stranded near America's northernmost city, Barrow. It was the start of a story that 24 years later has Lowry portrayed by Drew Barrymore in Big Miracle, a Hollywood film out on Friday.