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German swimmers dive into frosty waters to become `Ice King of Chiemsee`
Some 30 swimmers braved the frosty waters of Germany’s Chiemsee over the weekend, racing to be crowned “Ice King” of the famous lake near Munich. More »
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#Leisure and Recreation (TRBC)
173 posts
Rooster inspires new year resolutions in Singapore bird park
A rooster at Singapore’s Jurong Bird Park inspired visiting Chinese tourists to make a few resolutions on Wednesday, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. More »
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London museum bids farewell to Dippy the dinosaur
Visitors look a Dippy the diplodocus at the Natural History Museum in London, Britain January 4, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth Britain’s Natural History Museum bids farewell to its most famous exhibit, Dippy the diplodocus, on Wednesday after almost four decade... More »
Flight booking systems lack basic privacy safeguards, researchers say
Stranded passengers check flight information boards at Arlanda Airport, outside Stockholm April 15 ,2010. REUTERS/Pontus Lundahl/Scanpix Major travel booking systems lack a proper way to authenticate air travelers, making it easy to hack the short code used on... More »
Japan looks to jolt consumption by letting workers clock off early
Office workers are pictured through building windows during dusk in Tokyo, Japan March 3, 2015. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Hoping to jolt Japan’s limp consumer spending, policymakers and business leaders are considering plans to let workers leave by 3 p.m. ... More »
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Priceline revenue jumps 19 percent as hotel bookings rise
Travel website operator Priceline Group Inc reported a 19 percent jump in quarterly revenue, driven by higher hotel bookings, sending its shares up 5.2 percent in extended trading. More »
Bieber, Gaga win at MTV Europe Music awards- Bruno Mars & Green Day shine
Bruno Mars performs on stage at the 2016 MTV Europe Music Awards at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands, November 6, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman Justin Bieber edged out Lady Gaga as biggest winner on Sunday at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Rotterdam, takin... More »
Louvre Abu Dhabi opening further delayed to 2017: sources
The official opening of the Abu Dhabi branch of France’s Louvre museum has been postponed to 2017 due to pending construction work, the latest setback for the long-delayed project, three sources said on Thursday. More »
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Canadian teenager Stroll to race for Williams F1 team
Canadian teenager Lance Stroll will make his Formula One race debut with former world champions Williams next season, the team announced on Thursday. More »
New St Andrews students welcomed with shaving foam fight
Students from St Andrews University are covered in foam as they take part in the traditional ‘Raisin Weekend’ in the Lower College Lawn, at St Andrews in Scotland, Britain October 17, 2016. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne Students dressed in costumes chased each other ... More »
China`s Wanda to unveil production subsidy at Hollywood event-source
Wang Jianlin, chairman of Chinese property developer Dalian Wanda Group, answers a question during a Reuters interview in Qingdao, Shandong province, September 22, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Lee Dalian Wanda Group plans to announce a 40 percent production subsidy to ... More »
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Theater operator AMC`s stock could gain nearly 30 percent: Barron`s
The stock of theater operator AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc could rise to $40 a share from around $31 now thanks to a variety of moves under new chief executive Adam Aron, according to Barron’s. More »
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Baltimore panel calls for removal of Confederate monuments
A Baltimore commission has urged the removal of two city-owned Confederate monuments, including one to a Supreme Court justice notorious for a 19th century ruling against black Americans, the mayor said on Wednesday. More »
Zika spreads to Miami Beach, U.S. expands travel warning
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are seen inside Oxitec laboratory in Campinas, Brazil, February 2, 2016. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker/File Photo Federal health officials on Friday warned pregnant women not to travel to trendy Miami Beach after Florida confirmed that the mo... More »
Fast and furious? China’s stalling box office points to consumer slowdown
SHANGHAI China’s cinemas are showing signs of weakness, a concern for policymakers who had looked to stellar box office receipts over the last half-decade as a sign consumers were picking up some of the slack from ailing exports and manufacturing. Ticket sales... More »
BP sticks with major arts sponsorship despite profits slump
LONDON BP has agreed to renew five-year sponsorship deals with several British cultural institutions, including the British Museum, just days after reporting a 45 percent drop in profits. In May the British Museum was forced to temporarily close after Greenpea... More »
Paris exhibition displays Chirac-like 18th century Japanese masks
PARIS Three antique Japanese theater masks that bear a striking resemblance to former French president Jacques Chirac will go on display from Tuesday in a Paris museum he set up 10 years ago and that will now bear his name. “There are thousands of Chiracs in J... More »
Smash hit ‘Hamilton’ sweeps Tonys with 11 wins during somber ceremony
NEW YORK “Hamilton”, the pop culture phenomenon based on U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton, swept the Tonys on Sunday, winning 11 of Broadway’s top awards including best musical, best actor, best direction and best score and book for creator Lin-Manuel M... More »
Florence fines Uffizi Gallery director for ticket tout warning
FLORENCE, Italy The city of Florence has fined the head of the Uffizi Gallery for broadcasting publicity without authorisation after he aired a recording warning visitors not to buy entry to one of the world’s most famous art museums from ticket touts. Uffizi ... More »
Turning 90, Winnie-the-Pooh meets Britain’s queen in new story
LONDON Winnie-the-Pooh turns 90 this year and the much-loved children’s character returns for a new adventure in which he meets someone else celebrating the same significant birthday — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth. “Winnie-the-Pooh and the Royal Birthday” sees th... More »
Eurovision win lifts spirits in Ukraine, raises eyebrows in Russia
KIEV/MOSCOW Ukrainian politicians hailed their country’s surprise weekend victory in the European Song Contest as a continent-wide endorsement in their smoldering conflict with Russia, while Moscow said the competition had been hijacked by politics. Ukrainian ... More »
Russia and Ukraine set to battle it out on stage at Eurovision
STOCKHOLM Politics could take center stage at the usually kitsch Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, with bookmakers making Russia favorite to win and the Ukrainian entry featuring lyrics about deportations by the Soviet Union. In “1944”, Ukraine’s 32-year-ol... More »
LED-lit pigeons illuminate New York skies in art exhibit
NEW YORK Thousands of pigeons with tiny LED lights strapped to their legs swooped through the darkening skies in a jaw-dropping display of beauty, but savvy New Yorkers gazing up at the performance art knew enough to keep their mouths shut. As evening fell ove... More »
A flaming passion: ex-miner creates everyday replicas with matches
RUDA SLASKA, Poland Janusz Urbanski has a one of a kind chessboard he never plays, a personalised guitar he does not strum and a boat he cannot sail. Why? They are all made from tens of thousands of matches. For the last 40 years, the former Polish miner and i... More »
New art museum seeks to shed dangerous image of Brussels’ Molenbeek
BRUSSELS A new art museum has opened its doors in Brussels’ Molenbeek district hoping to help shed the negative image of the area, most recently linked to the deadly attacks in Paris and the Belgian capital. The Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (MIMA) is ba... More »
Disney expands search for new CEO, COO Staggs leaving
LOS ANGELES Tom Staggs, the veteran Walt Disney Co executive who had been widely seen as the media company’s next CEO, will step down on May 6 as the board expands its search for a successor to Bob Iger, Disney said on Monday. The unexpected move came little m... More »
British actress Judi Dench picks up record eighth Olivier Award
LONDON Veteran film, television and stage actress Judi Dench picked up her eight Olivier Award on Sunday, a record tally at Britain’s biggest night for theater. The 81-year-old scooped the Olivier for best actress in a supporting role for “The Winter’s Tale”. ... More »
Backstage with The Beatles at show re-staging Abbey Road recordings
LONDON From the busy, brassy “All You Need is Love” to the softer “Yesterday”, a new show takes audiences back in time to when The Beatles recorded their famous hits at London’s Abbey Road Studios. “The Sessions – A Live Restaging of The Beatles at Abbey Road ... More »
Hiddleston sings Hank Williams’ hits himself in biopic ‘I Saw The Light’
LOS ANGELES British actor Tom Hiddleston explores the short life of country music star Hank Williams in “I Saw the Light”, and performs the singer’s hits himself in the new biopic. The movie follows Williams’ career from his breakthrough in the 1940s to his de... More »
Ballet star Acosta returns to Cuban roots with dance company
HAVANA Global ballet star Carlos Acosta returns to his Cuban roots when his new dance company takes to the stage next month. Since retiring last year from London’s Royal Ballet where he was principal guest artist, the 42-year-old has gone back to his native Ha... More »
Fried cow’s brains? – Italy’s historic cities push local cuisine, produce
ROME Fried cow’s brains might not be to everyone’s taste, but more people may sample the Florentine specialty now that Italy’s art capital has ordered food outlets in the city center to sell mostly local produce. Florence is the latest Italian tourist destinat... More »
Mural in the muck tells story of Rome on riverside wall
ROME Silhouettes of emperors, popes and artists are slowly emerging on the grimy walls of the Tiber River in Rome, part of an epic mural that tells the history of the Eternal City. Technicians are using power hoses on the dirty stone to stencil the 550-metre-l... More »
‘Harry Potter’ author explores North American magic in new writing
LONDON Fans of “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling are in for a treat this week when her digital publisher website Pottermore releases a series of four pieces of writing about wizardry entitled “History of Magic in North America”. The writings, posted at 1400 G... More »
Market yogis: financial planners take up yoga
NEW YORK In an increasingly anxious world, more financial advisers are fine-tuning their bodies with yoga to clear their thinking and make the right financial choices. So the next time you walk into a financial planner’s office, do not be surprised if you find... More »
Upstart producer Open Road takes Oscar’s top gold
LOS ANGELES Open Road Films, a small movie producer founded by two theater chains just five years ago, upstaged Hollywood’s big studios on Sunday by winning the coveted best picture award and a likely sales boost for its Catholic Church scandal drama “Spotligh... More »
Dognapping on the rise in petloving Brazil
SAO PAULO While Brazil’s economy is in the doghouse, one underground business is bucking the trend — dognapping. Bosco, a black and white Boston Terrier stolen in November from outside a grocery store in Sao Paulo’s posh Jardins neighborhood, became the poster... More »
Sacha Baron Cohen unveils new alter-ego Nobby in ‘Grimsby’
LONDON British actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen unveiled his latest fictional alter-ego at the premiere of “Grimsby” on Monday night, an English beer-drinking soccer fan called Nobby. Cohen, known for his satirical characters Ali G, Kazakh reporter Borat a... More »
Painting by numbers? China art trading house promises investors sound platform
HONG KONG As China’s economy wheezes to a 25-year low, investors who once collected stocks and property are turning to what they are willing to believe will become a new safe haven market – a trading platform for fine art. Even as the global fever among connoi... More »
‘Black Swan’ choreographer Millepied stepping down as Paris Opera dance director
PARIS French choreographer Benjamin Millepied said on Thursday he was stepping down as director of dance at the Paris Opera after little more than a year in the role, citing personal reasons. The 38-year old — who is married to Hollywood actress Natalie Portma... More »
Travel industry faces growing concern over Zika virus
Airlines, hotels and cruise operators serving Latin America and the Caribbean are facing growing concern among travelers spooked by the mosquito-borne Zika virus. The outbreak of the virus, linked to brain damage in thousands of babies in Brazil, comes as a re... More »
In serene garden and wooden house, Lagerfeld fetes nature for Chanel
PARIS Known for his extravagant runway settings, designer Karl Lagerfeld led fashionistas into a serene garden on Tuesday at the Chanel haute couture catwalk show in Paris. Having, in previous years, turned the Grand Palais into an airport, a supermarket and a... More »
Hollywood star is out there for ‘X Files’ actor Duchovny
LOS ANGELES Actor David Duchovny, best known for his role as Fox Mulder in sci-fi television show “The X-Files” has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the 2,572nd on the famed boulevard. Duchovny starred in the award-winning series from 19... More »
Ian McKellen to host London bus tours for Shakespeare film season
LONDON Having tackled Shakespeare’s works on stage and screen, Ian McKellen will host bus tours of locations used in his movie adaptation of “Richard III” as part of a film program marking 400 years since the playwright’s death. The 76-year-old McKellen, who h... More »
Factbox: From Vatican to space, tributes flood in for David Bowie
LONDON Politicians, musicians and fans around the world — from the Vatican to the International Space Station — paid tribute to David Bowie on Monday, following his death at 69 from cancer. Taking to Twitter or Facebook, many praised Bowie’s groundbreaking mus... More »
German church hosts galactic service to celebrate Star Wars release
BERLIN Children carried toy lightsabers to a church in Berlin and some of the congregation dressed up as Darth Vader on Sunday to mark the release of the new Star Wars movie with a service on Sunday. At the terracotta-brick Zion Church, an organist played the ... More »
Republican donor Adelson and Trump may be aligning on Israel
MACAU Top Republican Party donor Sheldon Adelson said on Friday he met presidential candidate Donald Trump earlier this week and that the two American billionaires broached the issue at the heart of Adelson’s political agenda: support for Israel. While the meg... More »
‘Star Wars’ cast and crew revel as fans and critics praise movie
LONDON With fans and critics giving “The Force Awakens” the thumbs up, cast and crew of the latest “Star Wars” film expressed “huge relief” as the movie rolls out in cinemas worldwide. The seventh episode of the popular sci-fi saga won over fans globally after... More »
‘Star Wars’ force finally awakens for fans around the world
PARIS/LONDON Donning Stormtrooper and Darth Vader masks, dressed in capes and holding lightsabers, fans young and old turned out for the first screenings in France, Germany, Australia and Britain of “The Force Awakens,” some lining up for hours to watch the fi... More »
Ringo Starr drum kit fetches $2.2 million at auction
A drum kit played by Ringo Starr on recordings of some of the Beatles’ early hits has been purchased by the owner of a National Football League team for $2.2 million, according to the U.S. auction house that managed the sale. Starr used the Ludwig Oyster Black... More »
Gannett brings its papers under new USA Today Network banner
Gannett Co Inc (GCI.N), the publisher of USA Today, said on Thursday it would bring its local and national publications under the USA Today Network. Gannett was separated from its broadcasting and digital arm, Tegna Inc (TGNA.N), in June and the new brand mark... More »
Pop artist Allen Jones revisits work with Kate Moss in new London show
LONDON British pop artist Allen Jones returns to the subject of supermodel Kate Moss in his latest exhibition in London, which once more puts the female form centre-stage in sculptures ranging from the hyper-realistic to the abstract. The 78-year-old artist ha... More »
Germany withdraws Eurovision contender after lyrics uproar
BERLIN Germany withdrew its contender for next year’s Eurovision song contest on Saturday following a backlash from critics who accuse the R&B artist of using anti-Semitic and homophobic slurs in his songs. Xavier Naidoo, a singer of Indian and African heritag... More »
John Malone to restructure Liberty Media, Liberty Interactive
Media mogul John Malone, known for striking complex deals and running companies with intricate structures, is restructuring two companies he controls using tracking stocks and spinoffs. Liberty Interactive Corp (QVCA.O), which mainly houses Malone’s e-commerce... More »
Hulu in talks to sell stake to Time Warner: WSJ
Hulu is looking to sell a stake to Time Warner Inc (TWX.N) in talks that would value the video-streaming service provider at above $5 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported. The talks include cash investment and content licensing, the Journal reported, citi... More »
Modigliani nude sells for $170 million, second-highest price ever paid at art auction
NEW YORK A Modigliani nude painting was sold to an unnamed Chinese buyer at Christie’s on Monday for $170.4 million, the second-highest price ever for a work of art at auction, as deep-pocketed collectors continue to pay, and pay big, for some rare masterpiece... More »
Launching album, Seal says honest songs of heartbreak ‘cathartic’
LOS ANGELESWriting songs about love and heartbreak for his first album since divorcing model wife Heidi Klum was a “cathartic experience” for Seal. “7”, released on Friday, is the 52-year old musician’s first album in four years and comes after he and German-b... More »
Justin Bieber storms out of a concert in Norway
OSLO Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber, who made a triumphant return to the European stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Milan on Sunday, abruptly canceled his concert in Oslo on Thursday night after performing just one song. The singer, who found fame at ... More »
Harry Potter play to pick up where final book left off
LONDON A new play that opens in London next summer will pick up the story of Harry Potter where the seventh and final volume of J.K. Rowling’s saga left off, with a plot involving a grown-up Harry and his youngest son, Albus. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child... More »
Netflix’s weak subscriber additions at odds with lofty valuation
Investors questioned Netflix Inc’s premium valuation after the video-streaming service reported U.S. subscriber additions below its own expectations, a sign that competition from the likes of Hulu is intensifying. Netflix shares fell more than 9 percent to $10... More »
After six-year revamp, Paris Museum of Mankind re-opens its doors
PARIS The Museum of Mankind in Paris re-opens its doors this week after six years of renovations that have breathed new life into France’s leading anthropological museum. President Francois Hollande inaugurated the Musee de l’Homme on Thursday after the instit... More »
Assange inspires new character in latest Asterix comic
VANVES, France Asterix and Obelix are back in a new edition of the famed comic book, this time fighting their Roman foes in a propaganda war alongside a character inspired by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Two years after “Asterix and the Picts” saw the duo... More »
No China fears here: U.S. funds bet big on IMAX’s giant screens
NEW YORK U.S. fund managers, hoping that a bit of Hollywood magic goes a long way in China, have been rushing to invest in IMAX Corp, best known for enormous movie screens. Prospects for growth in China, alongside upcoming releases of expected blockbusters tha... More »
Emporio Armani presents breezy line for next spring
MILAN Italian designer Giorgio Armani presented fluid silhouettes and overlapping layers in shades of pink inspired by a “summer breeze” on Friday as he showed next spring’s Emporio Armani collection for women at Milan Fashion Week. Armani, who celebrates four... More »
‘Veep,’ ‘Game of Thrones’ sweep fresh air into TV’s Emmys
LOS ANGELES HBO shows “Game of Thrones” and “Veep” won the top prizes at the Emmy Awards for the first time on Sunday, bringing a breath of fresh air to television’s biggest night on an evening that also made history for black actresses. Jon Hamm finally snare... More »
Upstarts challenge old favorites at TV’s Emmy Awards
LOS ANGELES New faces and bold story-telling challenge old favorites on television’s biggest night on Sunday as the stars and creators of scores of comedies, dramas and variety shows gather in Los Angeles for the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. Hosted by former “S... More »
BBC to launch online U.S. subscription service
CAMBRIDGE, England Britain’s BBC will launch an online subscription service in the United States next year, boosting revenues for the public broadcaster and allowing viewers to watch shows on demand. “We’re launching a new OTT (over-the-top) video service in A... More »
Obama changing name of Alaska’s Mount McKinley to Denali
WASHINGTON President Barack Obama on Monday will officially restore Denali as the name of North America’s tallest mountain, siding with the state of Alaska in ending a 40-year battle over what to call a peak that has been known as Mount McKinley. The historic ... More »
Clive Owen makes Broadway debut in Pinter’s ‘Old Times’
NEW YORK British actor Clive Owen swaps Hollywood for the stage in “Old Times”, making his Broadway debut in a revival of Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter’s 1971 play. The “Children of Men” and “Closer” actor, who has London theater credits to his name, will appea... More »
Inspired by boats, Eliasson’s circle bridge opens in Copenhagen
A pedestrian bridge designed by Olafur Eliasson has opened in Copenhagen, inspired by the Danish-Icelandic artist’s childhood in Iceland. Reminiscent of sailing boats, Cirkelbroen, or circle bridge, is made of five circular platforms in different sizes, each w... More »
Fox lowers profit outlook, shares drop
Media company Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (FOXA.O) on Wednesday reduced its profit expectation for the coming year, citing foreign currency impacts, the timing of film releases, and sports and digital investments in India. Fox had projected earnings in the mi... More »
One Direction releases surprise first single as a foursome
LONDON Best-selling boy band One Direction released a surprise first single as a foursome on Friday, two days after former member Zayn Malik announced a new record deal as solo artist. “Drag Me Down” follows November’s “Night Changes” and is the first single t... More »
Disney seeks continued tax exemption from Anaheim, California
LOS ANGELES The “happiest place on Earth” will keep a special tax exemption in Anaheim, California, for 30 more years if the City Council approves the Walt Disney Co’s plan for a $1 billion-plus expansion of its theme park complex in the city. The five-member ... More »
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Apps link people with new places in real world
A woman walks past icons for Apple applications at the company’s retail store in San Francisco, California April 22, 2009. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith Tired of the same restaurants and clubs? Not sure if friends would want to venture to a new cafe or bar? New app... More »
