- Sri Lanka votes in first poll since economic collapse
- Feminist author warns of abortion disaster if Trump wins US election
- US city of Flint still reeling from water crisis, 10 years on
- Arsenal's mean defence faces acid test to shut out Man City again
- Late surge lifts Thailand's Jeeno to LPGA Queen City lead
- DeChambeau says PGA's Ryder Cup decision 'just the start'
- Alcaraz defeated on Laver Cup debut
- Postecoglou embraces 'struggle' to make Spurs a success
- Nice hand 'ashamed' Saint-Etienne 8-0 Ligue 1 mauling
- Boeing CEO says ending strike 'a top priority'
- Stock markets mostly fall after Fed-fueled rally
- Harris slams Trump for hypocrisy on abortion as US starts voting
- Academy to host first overseas ceremony to honor young filmmakers
- No doctor necessary: US okays nasal spray flu vaccine for self-use
- Gurbaz, birthday boy Rashid lead Afghanistan to 177-run rout of South Africa
- Former delivery man Baldwin leads star names at PGA Championship
- Trump shooting: Secret Service admits complacency
- Can an ambitious Milei make Argentina an AI giant?
- Haiti, its suffering growing, in 'race against time': UN expert
- Ibrahim Aqil, the Hezbollah elite unit commander wanted by the US
- Chinese forward Cui signs NBA contract with Brooklyn Nets
- US Fed dissenter calls for 'measured' pace of rate cuts
- Guardiola tells players to lead change over workload as Kompany demands cap on games
- Norway limits wild salmon fishing as stocks hit new lows
- Top Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strike on Beirut
- Rotterdam fatal knife attacker suspected of 'terrorist motive'
- First early votes cast in knife-edge US presidential election
- Top-ranked Swiatek out of Beijing due to 'personal matters'
- Hard-right Reform UK looks to the future after vote success
- Embiid agrees to NBA contract extension with 76ers
- Joshua aims to complete road to redemption in Dubois bout
- World champion Bagnaia sets pace with lap record at Misano
- Biden says 'working' to get people back to homes on Israel-Lebanon border
- Pope criticises Argentina's crackdown on protesters
- Court limits screenings of videos in France mass rape case
- Gurbaz century takes Afghanistan to 311-4 in 2nd ODI
- Central banks face 'difficult balancing act': IMF chief
- McLaren's Norris sets Singapore pace as struggling Verstappen 15th
- Guardiola tells players to lead change over workload fears
- Paris Olympics sports equipment moves to new homes
- 'Happy' Kinghorn relishing life at Toulouse
- Norris sets Singapore pace as Verstappen only 15th
- 8 dead in Israeli strike, source says Hezbollah commander killed
- Germany to bid to host women's Euro 2029
- Portugal brings deadly forest fires under control
- Postecoglou defends Solanke after slow start to Spurs career
- US nuclear plant Three Mile Island to reopen to power Microsoft
- Arteta urges Arsenal to take next step in Man City showdown
- Stock markets fall after Fed-fuelled rally
- Top Hezbollah commander 'killed' in Israel strike
Celine Dion reveals rare neurological disorder, cancels shows
Pop diva Celine Dion on Thursday tearfully revealed that she is suffering from Stiff-Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that is affecting her singing, and said she would have to cancel or postpone a series of European shows.
In a five-minute video posted on Instagram in French and English, a clearly emotional Dion said she had been dealing with the health problems "for a long time."
"Recently I have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called Stiff-Person Syndrome which affects something like one in a million people," the Canadian hitmaker said.
It has been causing spasms that "affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to," she said.
"It hurts me to tell you today this means I won't be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February."
Dion, who is 54, said she was supported by her children and a team of doctors working every day to improve her condition, but added: "I have to admit, it's been a struggle."
- Titanic fame -
Dion rose from small-town Quebec to worldwide fame in the 1990s with hits such as "My Heart Will Go On" -- the theme to James Cameron's Oscar-winning film "Titanic" -- and "The Power of Love", and has continued to sell out huge stadiums around the world.
That success was parlayed into a regular gig at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, where she had multiple long residencies.
She first mentioned the spasms when she delayed her European tour earlier this year.
Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS) causes muscle stiffness as well as spasms, normally between the ages of 30 to 60. The symptoms can remain stable in some cases, but get progressively worse in others.
According to the US National Institutes of Health, it affects twice as many women as men.
If left untreated, SPS can potentially lead to difficulty walking and significantly impact a person's ability to perform routine daily tasks.
Although the exact cause of this syndrome is unknown, it is believed to be an autoimmune disease and sometimes occurs with other autoimmune diseases.
- 'All I know is singing' -
"All I know is singing, it's what I've done all my life and it's what I love to do the most," said Dion, breaking into tears.
"I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you."
Her spring dates in Europe, which were due to begin in the Czech Republic in February, have been postponed to 2024, while eight of her summer shows have been cancelled entirely.
A number of performances between late August and October have not been changed.
The "Courage World Tour" began in 2019, and Dion had completed 52 shows before the Covid-19 pandemic put the remainder on hold.
She later cancelled the North American section of the tour due to her health problems.
It was to be the Grammy winner's first global concert tour in a decade and the first without her husband-manager Rene Angelil, who died from cancer in 2016.
The showbiz community voiced support for Dion on Instagram, with fellow singer Gwen Stefani, fashion designer Donatella Versace and actress Kate Hudson among tens of thousands leaving well wishes.
Dion sounded a note of optimism at the end of her video message.
"I have hope that I'm on the road to recovery. This is my focus," she said.
F.Bennett--AMWN