Dior transforms Mumbai’s Gateway of India into fashion ramp
March 30, 2023 GMTMUMBAI (AP) — In a glittering splash of luxury fashion Thursday, Dior transformed Mumbai’s grand, historic Gateway of India monument into a runway laden with celebrity, beauty and craftsmanship.
Hail to the Chief: Inside Roman Reigns’ 3 years as WWE champ
March 30, 2023 GMTWorld Wrestling Entertainment has had plenty of dominant characters over the past 50 years, but Roman Reigns continues to set his own path.
When Reigns faces Cody Rhodes on Sunday in the main event of WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, it will be his 944th consecutive day as champion, the sixth-longest title reign in the company’s history.
Study: Biggest Hollywood films still go mostly to white men
March 30, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — As Hollywood emerged from the pandemic, its biggest film productions dipped in diversity after years of incremental progress, according to a new study by UCLA researchers.
CNN preaches patience as ratings tank during turnaround
March 30, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — CNN's leadership is preaching patience even though thousands of viewers are abandoning the network during its attempted turnaround, with no indication yet whether it will be rewarded.
Camila Cabello celebrates grandmother’s novel and strength
March 30, 2023 GMTMALAGA, Spain (AP) — Camila Cabello credits the strong women in her life for her success as an artist and a person. So it was only natural that she was there to celebrate her grandmother's milestone — the publication of a novel.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski collision trial ends, jury deliberates
March 30, 2023 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — A jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon in Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial over a 2016 ski collision at a Utah resort.
Rapper’s multimillion-dollar politics conspiracy trial opens
March 30, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A founding member of the 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees was enmeshed in political conspiracies involving millions of dollars in foreign money under two different U.S. presidents, federal prosecutors said as his trial got underway with opening statements Thursday.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski collision trial spawns memes, intrigue
March 30, 2023 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — When two skiers collided on a beginner run at an upscale Utah ski resort in 2016, no one could foresee that seven years later, the crash would become the subject of a closely watched celebrity trial.
Boston auction of signed Zelenskyy painting to help Ukraine
March 30, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — An original painting of Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed by the Ukrainian president is being sold at auction, and proceeds from the sale will be used to benefit the nation's people suffering during its war with Russia.
Ousted Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz takes Oklahoma church job
March 30, 2023 GMT(RNS) — Carl Lentz, the ousted pastor of Hillsong New York City, has landed on staff at Transformation Church, a predominantly Black, nondenominational megachurch in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that is led by pastor, author and popular YouTuber Michael Todd.
Prince Harry back in court for phone hacking hearing finale
March 30, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — A London judge said Thursday he would rule as soon as possible on whether to throw out or limit a phone hacking lawsuit brought by Prince Harry, Elton John and other well-known figures against a British tabloid publisher.
King Charles III addresses German parliament, meets Scholz
March 30, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — King Charles III became the first monarch to address Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday as part of a high-profile visit by the U.K.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial defense leans heavily on experts
March 30, 2023 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Gwyneth Paltrow's attorneys came close to wrapping up their case on Wednesday by relying on more experts to mount their defense on the seventh day of trial over her 2016 ski collision with a 76-year-old retired optometrist.
Melissa Joan Hart says she helped ‘tiny kids’ flee shooting
March 30, 2023 GMTActor Melissa Joan Hart said she and her husband helped a class of kindergartners that was fleeing the Nashville school shooting earlier this week.
Hart said in a video posted on Instagram Tuesday that her children attend a school next to the private Christian Covenant School.
New Mexico’s new film training academy finds a home
March 30, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s special academy for training workers in the film and television industry is a step closer to fruition, with top state officials announcing Wednesday that it will be headquartered in Albuquerque.
Graphic novelist, 9 other writers win $50,000 Whiting Awards
March 30, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A graphic novelist based in Hawaii, a reporter for an offshoot of The Economist and a contributor to The New Yorker are among this year's winners of the Whiting Award, a $50,000 honor given annually to 10 emerging fiction and nonfiction writers.
Special prosecutors appointed in Baldwin set shooting case
March 29, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Santa Fe's district attorney has appointed two veteran New Mexico lawyers to serve as the new special prosecutors in the manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin and a weapons supervisor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer during a 2021 movie rehearsal.
Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion headline 2023 Essence Fest
March 29, 2023 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hip hop takes center stage at this summer's Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans as the event commemorates the 50th anniversary of the genre with performances by Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion and Jermaine Dupri.
King Charles III makes world debut as tour starts in Germany
March 29, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — King Charles III arrived in Berlin on Wednesday for his first foreign trip as Britain’s monarch, hoping to improve the U.K.'s relations with the European Union and show he can win hearts and minds abroad, just as his mother did for seven decades.
Prince Harry blames royal family for delay in hacking suit
March 29, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Prince Harry blamed the royal family for a delay in bringing a phone hacking lawsuit against the publisher of The Daily Mail as lawyers for the newspaper argued Wednesday that the case should be thrown out because he didn't file it soon enough.
Army quickly plans new ads after Jonathan Majors’ arrest
March 29, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Army is working to quickly pull together some new recruiting ads to air during the NCAA's Final Four basketball games this weekend, after being forced to yank commercials that featured actor Jonathan Majors, in the wake of his arrest last Saturday.
Dalbavie’s ‘Melancholy of Resistance’ to premiere in Berlin
March 29, 2023 GMTMarc-André Dalbavie’s opera based on Laszlo Krasznahorkai’s surrealistic novel “The Melancholy of Resistance” will premiere next summer in Berlin.
Titled “Melancholie des Widerstands,” the opera will be conducted by Marie Jacquot and directed by David Marton, the Staatsoper unter den Linden company said Wednesday.
Grisham’s ‘The Exchange,’ sequel to ‘The Firm,’ out in fall
March 29, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — One of literature's most famous whistleblowers, attorney Mitch McDeere of John Grisham's “The Firm,” will soon be back in action — and back in trouble.
Doubleday announced Wednesday that Grisham's “The Exchange,” a sequel to his million-selling breakout book from 32 years ago, will be published Oct.
Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks to host ACM Awards in May
March 29, 2023 GMTDolly Parton will return for a second consecutive year as host of the Academy of Country Music Awards but this year she's bringing a new plus-one to help — Garth Brooks.
British comedian and TV star Paul O’Grady dies at 67
March 29, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Entertainer Paul O’Grady, who achieved fame as drag queen Lily Savage before becoming a much-loved comedian and host on British television, has died. He was 67.
Britain's queen consort, who worked with O'Grady to support animal charities, led tributes to a performer who emerged from the alternative gay comedy scene and became a national treasure.
Who was uphill? Gwyneth Paltrow trial spotlights skier code
March 29, 2023 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Skiers have likely noticed signs at mountain resorts across the country saying, “Know the code.” They refer to universal rules of conduct that apply to people who partake in inherently risky snow sports that involve navigating down crowded slopes, often at high speeds.
The top 10 audiobooks on Audible.com
March 28, 2023 GMTNonfiction 1. Atomic Habits by James Clear, narrated by the author (Penguin Audio) 2. Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, narrated by the author (Random House Audio) 3. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F(asterisk)ck by Mark Manson, narrated by Roger Wayne (HarperAudio) 4.
‘Bachelor’ creator Mike Fleiss exits reality TV franchise
March 28, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Mike Fleiss, the creator of “The Bachelor,” has exited the reality TV franchise more than two decades after the iconic dating show launched.
His departure was confirmed Tuesday, a day after “The Bachelor” aired its season 27 finale.
MLB The Show breaks barrier with Negro League players
March 28, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — MLB The Show has broken a video game barrier: For the first time, the franchise will insert some of the greatest Negro League players — from Satchel Paige to Jackie Robinson — into the 2023 edition of the game as playable characters.
New this week: ‘Rye Lane,’ ‘Tetris,’ ‘Riverdale’ and Chlöe
March 28, 2023 GMTFrom the compelling backstory of how “Tetris” became a cultural juggernaut to a return to “Riverdale,” here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.
Prince Harry returns to court in tabloid phone hacking case
March 28, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Prince Harry returned to a London court Tuesday as his attorney fought assertions that the phone hacking lawsuits he, Elton John and other celebrities have brought against the publisher of The Daily Mail are based on forbidden documents.
Visitors flock to see David sculpture after Florida uproar
March 28, 2023 GMTFLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Visitors flocked to see Michelangelo’s David sculpture in Florence on Tuesday, following an uproar over a Florida school’s decision to force the resignation of the principal over complaints about a lesson featuring the Renaissance masterpiece.
Review: ‘Life Worth Living’ explores life’s big questions
March 28, 2023 GMT“Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most,” by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz (The Open Field)
In America, we excel at producing self-help books, videos and podcasts; it’s as if the entire nation is perpetually riven by angst about falling short of our full potential, or, if social media is a guide, failing to acquire enough stuff or becoming happy enough.
Brueghel work found in dim French TV room sells for $845,000
March 28, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — One of Flemish painter Pieter Brueghel the Younger's largest known works, whose discovery behind the television room door of a house in northern France amazed the art world, fetched 780,000 euros ($845,000) at auction in Paris Tuesday.
‘The Big Door Prize’ asks deep questions about happiness
March 28, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Not to be rude, but are you living your best life? Are you sure? Might you be destined to be something else? Do you know what that could be?
Those are some of the deep questions residents of the fictional town of Deerfield are dealing with as they confront fulfilling their life potential in the new Apple TV+ series “The Big Door Prize” premiering Wednesday.
HBO’s ‘Succession’ sets viewer mark for fourth-season start
March 28, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — HBO's “Succession” opened its fourth and final season with a record first-night audience of 2.3 million viewers, the Nielsen company said on Tuesday.
Queen and Adam Lambert eager for their post-pandemic tour
March 28, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Queen and Adam Lambert are hitting the road this fall for a North American expansion of their Rhapsody Tour, with a freshly minted knight onstage and plenty of post-pandemic energy.
Poet Sara Daniele Rivera wins First Book Award
March 28, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A Cuban-Peruvian poet from New Mexico has won the Academy of American Poets’ First Book Award. Sara Daniele Rivera will receive $5,000, a six-week residency at an artist community in the Umbria region of Italy and a book deal with Graywolf Press, which next year will publish her debut collection “The Blue Mimes.”
Mark Hamill lends ‘Star Wars’ voice to Ukrainian air-raid app
March 28, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — “Attention. Air raid alert,” the voice says with a Jedi knight’s gravitas. “Proceed to the nearest shelter.”
It's a surreal moment in an already surreal war: the grave but calming baritone of actor Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker of “Star Wars,” urging people to take cover whenever Russia unleashes another aerial bombardment on Ukraine.
Kidjo, Blackwell, Pärt awarded Sweden’s Polar Music Prize
March 28, 2023 GMTSTOCKHOLM (AP) — Five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell and Estonian composer Arvo Pärt have won the 2023 Polar Music Prize, a Swedish music award.
The three “all made such a global impact with their music," Marie Ledin, managing director of the annual prize, said in announcing the winners on Tuesday.
Gwyneth Paltrow accuser calls Utah ski crash ‘serious smack’
March 28, 2023 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — The man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 skiing collision at an upscale Utah resort told a jury Monday that the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer crashed into him from behind and sent him “absolutely flying.”
Fleming stars as `Nixon in China’ arrives at Paris Opera
March 27, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — After spending decades portraying generals' wives, a countess and a courtesan, Renée Fleming walked gingerly onto the stage of the Bastille Opera in a blond wig, red coat and black gloves to depict Pat Nixon, former first lady of the United States.
New York to pay $5.5M to man exonerated in Sebold rape case
March 27, 2023 GMTSYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — A man who spent 16 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of raping writer Alice Sebold when she was a Syracuse University student has settled a lawsuit against New York state for $5.5 million, his lawyers said Monday.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Administrators at a Wisconsin elementary school stopped a first-grade class from performing a Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton duet promoting LGBTQ acceptance because the song "could be perceived as controversial."
Report: Queen Elizabeth II asked Germany for pricey horses
March 27, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Two horses fit for a queen, please.
That's what Britain's Queen Elizabeth II had asked for as a gift during her state visit to Germany in 1978, weekly Der Spiegel reported Monday.
Prince Harry in court for phone hacking suit vs UK tabloid
March 27, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and Elton John were in a London court Monday as the lawyer for a group of British tabloids asked a judge to toss the lawsuit they brought with several other high-profile people who allege phone hacking and other invasions of privacy.
Brunson, Shannon, de Armas will host ‘Saturday Night Live’
March 27, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Two first-time hosts — Quinta Brunson and Ana de Armas — will make their “Saturday Night Live” debuts in April.
Brunson, creator and star of ABC's “Abbott Elementary” comedy, will be host of this Saturday's show, NBC announced on Monday.
Taron Egerton slots Tetris story into place in new biopic
March 27, 2023 GMTThe origin story of the iconic computer game “Tetris” is more thrilling than you may think.
It involves border crossing, authority dodging, underhand deals, putting your house on the line and — finally — trying to secure the rights for the game from behind the Iron Curtain.
BET co-founder, sports exec Sheila Johnson to publish memoir
March 27, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The philanthropist, sports franchise executive and co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, Sheila Johnson, has a memoir scheduled for September. “Walk Through Fire” will document her rise from suburban Chicago to becoming a pioneering billionaire as a Black woman, and how she endured her troubled marriage to fellow BET founder Robert L.
Review: Prohibition-era tale ‘Hang the Moon’ goes down easy
March 27, 2023 GMT“Hang the Moon” by Jeannette Walls (Scribner)
Jeannette Walls burst on the scene with her intensely personal memoir “The Glass Castle” in 2005. That book spent more than eight years on the hardcover and paperback bestseller lists and eventually became a 2017 movie starring Brie Larson, Naomi Watts and Woody Harrelson.
Nicholas Lloyd Webber, son of famed composer, dies at 43
March 27, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Nicholas Lloyd Webber, the Grammy-nominated composer, record producer and eldest son of Andrew Lloyd Webber, died Saturday in England after a protracted battle with gastric cancer and pneumonia.
Whitney Houston’s family wants to highlight her gospel roots
March 27, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Whitney Houston’s brother remembers when his young sister listened to their mother during gospel rehearsals before she mimicked every tune that was sung.
As Houston rose to pop superstardom, her exceptionally talented vocals were rooted in gospel music.
Louvre staff block entrances as part of pension protest
March 27, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — The Louvre Museum in Paris was closed to the public on Monday when its workers took part in the wave of French protest strikes against the government's unpopular pension reform plans.
Dozens of Louvre employees blocked the entrance, prompting the museum to announce it would be temporarily closed.
Adele extends Las Vegas residency, plans concert film
March 26, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — Adele announced Sunday that she’s extending her Las Vegas residency with 34 more dates between June and November and also plans to release a concert film.
Saturday night’s show was the last performance in the British singer's original “Weekends With Adele” series that covered 34 dates since last November on the Las Vegas Strip.
Army pulls recruiting ads after Jonathan Majors’ arrest
March 26, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The arrest of actor Jonathan Majors has upended the Army’s newly launched advertising campaign that was aimed at reviving the service’s struggling recruiting numbers.
Jonathan Majors arrested on assault charge in New York
March 26, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The actor Jonathan Majors was arrested Saturday in New York on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment, authorities said.
‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ comes out blazing with $73.5M
March 26, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — “John Wick: Chapter 4,” the fourth installment in the Keanu Reeves assassin series, debuted with a franchise-best $73.5 million at the box office, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Mexican kid’s comic Xavier López, ‘Chabelo,’ dies at 88
March 25, 2023 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — Xavier López, a Mexican children’s comic better known by his stage name “Chabelo,” has died at 88, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador wrote Saturday.
López's best-known work, the Sunday variety show “En Familia con Chabelo”, ran for an astonishing 48 years from 1967 to 2015, Mexico's longest-running TV show.
Judge rules online archive’s book service violated copyright
March 25, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge has sided with four publishers who sued an online archive over its unauthorized scanning of millions of copyrighted works and offering them for free to the public. Judge John G.
Renamed Horseshoe to host Poker World Series on Vegas Strip
March 25, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — A name paired with poker and Las Vegas lore now has a place on the neon-lit Strip following the rebranding of an iconic hotel with a memorable history at a crossroads shared with some of the most recognizable casinos in the world.
Darcelle, world’s oldest working drag queen, dies at 92
March 25, 2023 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Walter Cole, better known as the iconic drag queen who performed for decades as Darcelle XV and a fearless advocate for Portland's LGBTQ+ community, has died of natural causes in Portland, Oregon.
Gwyneth Paltrow insists Utah ski collision wasn’t her fault
March 25, 2023 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Gwyneth Paltrow insisted Friday on the witness stand that a 2016 ski collision at an upscale Utah ski resort wasn’t her fault, claiming it began when the man suing her ran into her from behind.
Indigenous artists help skateboarding earn stamp of approval
March 25, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Years ago, skateboarding was branded as a hobby for rebels or stoners in city streets, schoolyards and back alleys. Those days are long gone.
Skateboarding, which has Native Hawaiian roots connected to surfing, no longer is on the fringes.
Book thief in plot that duped famous authors avoids prison
March 24, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — It was the stuff of novels: For years, a con artist plagued the publishing industry, impersonating editors and agents to pull off hundreds of literary heists.
Former ‘Family Feud’ contestant charged in wife’s slaying
March 24, 2023 GMTQUINCY, Ill. (AP) — A former contestant on the long-running television game show “Family Feud” has been charged with first-degree murder and home invasion in the slaying of his estranged wife in western Illinois.
Reese Witherspoon, Jim Toth announce plans to divorce
March 24, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Reese Witherspoon and her husband say they are divorcing after nearly 12 years of marriage.
The actor-producer and her husband, Hollywood agent Jim Toth, announced their breakup Friday in a joint statement on Instagram.
Principal resigns after complaints on ‘David’ statue nudity
March 24, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida charter school principal has been forced to resign after a parent complained sixth graders were exposed to pornography during a lesson on Renaissance art that included Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture.
With eye on British Museum, Greece welcomes back ancient art
March 24, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece on Friday welcomed the return of ancient artifacts from the Acropolis, furthering a campaign to press the British Museum to hand back a collection of sculptures taken from the ancient site in Athens more than 200 years ago.
Top 20 Global Concert Tours from Pollstar
March 24, 2023 GMTThe Top 20 Global Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows Worldwide. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
Art duo Gilbert and George get their own gallery in London
March 24, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Artists, if they have really made a mark, might get a gallery dedicated to their work once they are gone.
Gilbert and George don’t want to wait that long.
The dapper duo, who have been creating beguiling and unsettling art together for over half a century, have poured their own time and money into the Gilbert and George Center, a permanent exhibition and research space devoted to their work.
UK watchdog softens position on Microsoft Activision deal
March 24, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — British antitrust regulators scrutinizing Microsoft's blockbuster purchase of videogame maker Activision Blizzard on Friday dropped concerns that the deal would hurt the console gaming market, narrowing the scope of their investigation.
Ling Ma, Beverly Gage among authors honored by book critics
March 24, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Ling Ma's sharp and surreal “Bliss Montage” and Beverly Gage's sweeping biography of the late FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, “G-Man,” were among the winners Thursday night of the National Book Critics Circle awards.
No red carpet? French unrest impacts King Charles III’s trip
March 23, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — Unrest in France is tarnishing the sheen of King Charles III's first overseas trip as U.K.
Lawyer demands Fox apologize for Jan. 6 conspiracy theory
March 23, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The lawyer for a one-time supporter of former President Donald Trump who has been caught up in a Jan. 6 conspiracy theory demanded Thursday that Fox News and host Tucker Carlson retract and apologize for repeated “falsehoods" about the man's supposed intentions.
Many millions die without clean water or sanitation, UN says
March 23, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — A lack of drinking water and healthy sanitation infrastructure is dire around the world and getting worse, United Nations experts warned in a report issued Thursday.
Book ban attempts hit record high in 2022, library org says
March 23, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Attempted book bans and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association released Thursday.
Q&A: Chuck D talks rap’s rise through ‘Fight the Power’ doc
March 23, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Hip-hop became a cultural phenomenon against the backdrop of American history, and now Public Enemy’s Chuck D has committed himself to explore the artform's origins.
Chuck D rounded up several rap greats — including Ice-T, Run DMC and MC Lyte — who offered their firsthand accounts ahead of this year's 50th anniversary of hip-hop.