NEW YORK (Reuters) – The future of employee training involves no embarrassing role-playing in front of new colleagues or boring web modules which take an hour each to click through. For the next wave in workplace learning, get ready to strap on a pair of virtu... More »
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – A rare Vincent van Gogh self-portrait, which had been contested as a forgery for decades, is a genuine work by the Dutch master, researchers have concluded after six years of study. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam said on Monday that it ... More »
(Reuters) – The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards for film and television were handed out on Sunday at a ceremony in Los Angeles. Following is a list of winners in key categories: BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE “Parasite” BEST FILM ACTOR Joaquin Phoenix... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Korean-language film “Parasite” won the top prize, for best ensemble cast in a motion picture, at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. “Parasite,” a comedic thriller that turns on social class divisions, scored its upset victor... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Robert De Niro, considered one of the finest motion picture performers of his generation, was saluted on Sunday with a lifetime achievement award from his acting peers, and used the occasion to take a veiled jab at U.S. President Donald... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Universal’s “Dolittle” and “1917” found out what “Bad Boys” will do when they come for you at the box office. Sony’s “Bad Boys for Life,” the third entry in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led series, beat expectations and tower... More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – In geography and in culture, the rice paddies of northeastern Thailand are thousands of miles away from the birthplace of hip hop in New York City’s Bronx, but for Thai rapper RachYo, the language of hip hop is universal. A recent video fea... More »
PHOENIX (Reuters) – Twenty-one vehicles owned by the late actor Paul Walker, who starred in the popular “Fast and Furious” movie franchise, sold for a combined $2.33 million during spirited bidding at an annual car auction in Arizona, officials said. The colle... More »
PASADENA, Calif. (Reuters) – Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West said on Saturday she had successfully completed her first year of law studies while preparing to release a documentary about her advocacy work for criminal justice reform. “Kim Kardashian West: T... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An exquisite fossil of a fierce little Chinese dinosaur dubbed the “dancing dragon” that lived 120 million years ago – an older cousin of the Velociraptor – is showing scientists that feathers grew differently on dinosaurs than on birds.... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – If you have gone to Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s (GS.N) internet home page since mid-December, it would be reasonable to wonder if you had stumbled into some kind of parallel universe. Visitors are met with a background of lush greenery, alon... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A microorganism scooped up in deep-sea mud off Japan’s coast has helped scientists unlock the mystery of one of the watershed evolutionary events for life on Earth: the transition from the simple cells that first colonized the planet to ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Spotify has made playlists and a podcast for dogs to listen to in their owners’ absence, after finding that nearly 74% of UK pet-owners play music for their animals. The Swedish audio-streaming business company said it has launched a podcast... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Emotions — and expenses — often run high during a divorce, but people and their bank accounts can bounce back given enough time. A new study from Fidelity Investments, released Tuesday, shows that by five years after a divorce, most people... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A meteorite that crashed into rural southeastern Australia in a fireball in 1969 contained the oldest material ever found on Earth, stardust that predated the formation of our solar system by billions of years, scientists said on Monday.... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Sam Mendes’ “1917” marched to box office victory, earning a solid $36.5 million from 3,434 theaters in its first weekend of wide release. Universal and DreamWorks’ World War I drama also defeated Disney’s “Star Wars: Rise of Skywal... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa’s search for a girlfriend to join him on a voyage around the moon will be the subject of a new documentary program, in the latest attention-grabbing stunt by the entrepreneur. 44-year-old Maezawa, who sold ... More »
(Reuters) – The 1968 Ford Mustang GT that Steve McQueen drove in the classic car chase from the movie “Bullitt, one of the most famed cars from American cinema, sold for $3.4 million at auction in Florida on Friday, Mecum Auctions said. It was the highest pric... More »
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Futuristic sex toys that allow the user to control a vibrator from across the country or achieve “blended orgasms” got some visitors at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show hot under the collar this week. Some 170,000 visitors were exp... More »
(Reuters Health) – Older people who frequent art galleries and museums, attend the theater and concerts may live longer than those who don’t, a study in England suggests. Even after accounting for a wide range of other health and social factors, researchers fr... More »
(Reuters Health) – Injuries and hospital admissions involving sharable two-wheeled electric scooters are on the rise in the U.S., a new study finds. Most concerning, researchers say, is that nearly a third of patients showing up at hospitals after an accident ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Denying he was biased, the judge in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial on Thursday refused to remove himself from the high-profile case, rejecting an accusation by the former film producers’ lawyers. “I have in no way prejudged this case,” Just... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – When Donna Rotunno agreed to represent former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein as lead defense attorney in his New York rape trial, she believed that her gender could prove to be an asset in the courtroom. Rotunno took the case in June ... More »
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Online gay communities in China are lauding e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd for releasing a subtle ad that appears to feature a gay couple returning home for the Lunar New Year. In the 20-second spot, a young man enters his home... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – A new type of therapy using feces and fake rubber hands may be able to help patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) overcome their fears of touching contaminated surfaces, according to new research. “OCD can be an extremely debilit... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek said on Wednesday he has no plans to retire any time soon, but after 36 years on the television quiz show he knows what his legacy should be. “I hope I have been an influence on the benefits of emphasizing t... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Spoon-bending celebrity psychic Uri Geller, 73, has applied for a job in the British government in response to an advert for “misfits” and “weirdos”, saying no other candidate would possess his powers. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The 2020 Oscars ceremony in February will again have no host, the head of ABC Television Entertainment said on Wednesday. “Let me confirm it now. Together with the Academy (of Motion Pictures), we have decided there will be no tradition... More »
(Reuters Health) – Many people worry about inheriting health problems from their parents, but a new approach to analyzing genetic contributions to disease risk suggests that for most diseases, commercial DNA tests are not the best way to assess the odds. For t... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A cousin of the starfish that resides in the coral reefs of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico lacks eyes, but can still see, according to scientists who studied this creature that expands the boundaries of the sense of sight in the animal... More »
NEW YORK(Reuters) – It is hardly a secret that people rarely stick to New Year’s resolutions – only about 8% of people actually make it to the finish line with their goals, according to studies from the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania. So here is a bet... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – The French capital’s Opera Bastille has been silent for nearly a month because its orchestra is on strike, but on Tuesday the musicians performed on the steps of the opera house to bring attention to their anger at planned pension reforms. Th... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – British police have charged a man with criminal damage after a painting, reported by the BBC to have been by Spanish master Pablo Picasso, was attacked at a London gallery over the weekend. The incident happened on Saturday at the Tate Moder... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – Ballerinas in white tutus danced scenes from Swan Lake on the forecourt of the Paris Opera on Tuesday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to scrap their special pension benefits. Backed by musicians from the Paris Symphony Or... More »
PARUNG, Indonesia (Reuters) – On the outskirts of suburban Jakarta, housewife Dita Agusta lives with more than 250 cats she has taken in off the streets, creating a shelter for the animals she hopes will one day be adopted. “It is hard to see abandoned cats on... More »
(Reuters) – Ram Dass, who in the 1960s joined Timothy Leary in promoting psychedelic drugs as the path to inner enlightenment before undergoing a spiritual rebirth he spelled out in the influential book “Be Here Now,” died at home on Sunday. He was 88 years ol... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – An unmarried Chinese woman filed a suit against a hospital on Monday for rejecting her request to undergo a medical procedure to freeze her eggs due to her marital status, in China’s first legal challenge of a woman fighting for her reprodu... More »
BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s Meituan Dianping said on Monday it will make improvements to its platform after one of its delivery men stabbed a supermarket staffer to death on the weekend, prompting debate on social media over the pressures faced by suc... More »
KURESSAARE, Estonia (Reuters) – Estonians have always headed to the forests in their thousands to cut down Christmas trees, but these days they will probably have a smartphone in their hands. The state forestry company of Estonia, a country where almost all go... More »
(Reuters Health) – Nearly 85% of toddlers and infants in the United States eat foods containing added sugars and artificial sweeteners on any given day, researchers say. Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2011 through ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The highly anticipated movie “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” collected $40 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales on its opening night, the fifth-highest debut of all time, Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) said on Friday. Longtime fans of t... More »
(Reuters) – The estate of a stuntman who died after falling 20 feet onto a concrete floor on a set of the AMC horror series “The Walking Dead” has been awarded $8.6 million by a jury in Atlanta, his family’s lawyer said. John Bernecker’s parents had sued AMC N... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Netflix Inc’s (NFLX.O) animated holiday movie “Klaus” has been watched in nearly 30 million households worldwide during its first month, landing among the streaming service’s most-watched original movies, according to data the company p... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Dangling more than 50 meters above a busy Tokyo street, window cleaners dressed up as a boar and a rat on Thursday scrubbed windows at a downtown hotel ahead of the country’s New Year festivities. In its seventh year at the Hotel Ryumeikan To... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co’s highly anticipated “Star Wars” movie “The Rise of Skywalker” divided film critics on Wednesday, earning more detractors than any film in the nine-episode saga since 1999 movie “The Phantom Menace.” “Rise of Skywalker,” ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – It is not often that a spending bill in Congress will make regular Americans run to their financial planners for emergency help before the holidays. But the Senate is poised to pass a spending bill on Friday that includes a huge swath of l... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The United States may not have had a woman president quite yet, but on TV it certainly has. One of those was Mellie Grant, the character played by Bellamy Young on the Shonda Rhimes hit “Scandal” before it ended last year. Now one of the s... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – At first glance the works of Singaporean artist Qixuan Lim have a familiar, edible appearance. But upon a closer look at the sardine tin – and it’s packed with tiny human hearts made of clay, cherubic arms and legs or other human body par... More »
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – They could be called the Vatican’s vampire prints – works by masters such as Henri Matisse, Edvard Munch and Salvador Dali so delicate that they usually lie dormant for years in dark storage in its museums. Now, 150 etchings, woodcuts,... More »
(This Dec. 15 story corrects headline to give full name of new Jumanji movie) By Rebecca Rubin LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – It’s shaping up to be a merry holiday season for “Jumanji: The Next Level.” Sony’s adventure sequel debuted in first place to $60.1 mill... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – It sounds counterintuitive, but members of Generation Z will have to focus on human connections if they want to compete with robots for the jobs of the future. Born after 1996 on the heels of the millennials, Gen Z is just entering the wor... More »
(Reuters) – Babe Ruth may have died more than 70 years ago, but the baseball slugger is still turning out big numbers. The bat he used to hit his 500th home run in 1929 has sold for $1,000,800, officials for SCP Auctions announced on Sunday. The bat, a gift fr... More »
(Reuters) – British actor Colin Firth and his Italian wife on Friday announced they had split up after 22 years of marriage. Firth, 59, known for playing stiff-upper-lipped Englishmen in films like “Love Actually,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and a television vers... More »
(Reuters Health) – Adolescents who are active on social media may be more likely to exercise excessively, skip meals or develop other forms of disordered eating, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers surveyed 996 seventh- and eighth-graders, age 13 on average, ab... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The next “Star Wars” movie arrives in theaters on Thursday promising an epic conclusion to three trilogies over four decades and answers to at least some of the biggest questions that have puzzled fans of the galaxy far, far away. But o... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Tax-loss harvesting is all about finding losers in your investment portfolio to offset winners so you pay less tax. That is not easy in a year when the S&P 500 is up 26%. “The best-case scenario is to capture losses when the market is down... More »
HONG KONG (Reuters) – In Hong Kong, when the tempo of traffic-light signals accelerates to about 800 ticks a minute, visually impaired residents know they can safely cross the road. But over the past six months of unrest, many streets have lost their beat. Ant... More »
(Reuters) – Italy’s Fashion Chamber (CNMI) announced on Thursday a collaboration with the British Fashion Council which will bring part of London’s Fashion week to Milan’s men’s fall-winter collections in January. On the day that UK citizens vote in an electio... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Bombshell” tells the story of how sexual harassment accusations brought down the powerful creator of Fox News, but rather than taking a broad brush to paint the cable network chief, the film shows him as both menace and mentor to women... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Bombshell,” a drama about sexual harassment allegations at Fox News, led the movie nominees for the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday and will compete for the top prize of best cast. The film from Lions Gate Entertainment earned ... More »
BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) – Elusive British street artist Banksy has highlighted the issue of rough sleeping in a seasonal mural showing two flying reindeer pulling a homeless man on a street-bench sleigh. The artwork, created in Banksy’s trademark stencil... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Singer Linda Ronstadt, actress Sally Field, and music group Earth, Wind & Fire received the United States’ top awards for the arts on Sunday with a rocking, rousing performance at the annual Kennedy Center Honors show in Washington. Chil... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who brought boyish vulnerability to Big Bird, the towering yellow-plumed character, during 50 years on the groundbreaking children’s television show “Sesame Street” and even made garbage-loving Oscar the Grouc... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – “Frozen 2” dominated box office charts for the third weekend in a row as Disney’s animated sequel scored another $34.7 million in North America. Those ticket sales, a 60% decline from its massive Thanksgiving haul, boost its domest... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – “Tosca”, Giacomo Puccini’s opera about a diva prepared to do anything for love, was given a cinematic flavor as it opened La Scala’s season for the first time, winning a 16-minute ovation and a stage strewn with flowers from the audience on S... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has at times failed to wear a required electronic tracking device, New York prosecutors said Friday, asking a judge to increase his bail to $5 million, from $1 million, as he awaits trial on sexual assau... More »
(Reuters) – Martin Scorsese’s new gangster film “The Irishman” was watched by an estimated 17.1 million Americans in its first five days of release on Netflix, according to Nielsen data released on Friday. The Nielsen estimates were the first indications of au... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – From a superfan’s shrine to a replica of the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest stage where they triumphed with “Waterloo”, a new exhibition opening in London on Friday looks back at the huge success of Swedish pop sensation ABBA. Personal items s... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Camila Cabello is making up for lost time. The 22 year-old singer has been on a roll since joining girl band Fifth Harmony six years ago, going solo, and scoring hit records like “Havana” and duet “Senorita” with boyfriend Shawn Mendes.... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Troves of new data from a NASA probe’s close encounters with the sun are giving scientists unique insight about the solar wind and space weather more generally as the spacecraft zooms through the outermost part of the star’s atmosphere. ... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – In a change of scene, Santa Claus is donning flippers and a diving mask along with his traditional red-and-white outfit to scuba dive in a Paris aquarium as he teaches kids about global warming and climate issues during the festive season. Th... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Since 1978, researchers have scooped up and measured tens of thousands of birds that died after crashing into buildings in Chicago during spring and fall migrations. Their work has documented what might be called the incredible shrinking... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – A painting by French post-impressionist artist Paul Gauguin fetched 9.5 million euros ($10.5 million) in a Paris auction on Tuesday. “Te Bourao II”, which depicts a stream with birds and flowers in a rich palette of blues and greens, was pain... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – They have hosted each other for state visits and dined at the Eiffel Tower, but the once-budding bromance between U.S. President Donald Trump and France’s Emmanuel Macron looks to have turned into a bad date as they traded blows ahead of a N... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia ordered an investigation on Monday into what the government called a half-naked tattoo show held in the capital Kuala Lumpur, after pictures of heavily-inked men and women circulated on social media in the Muslim-majority nati... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Disney’s “Frozen 2” stuffed the box office competition during Thanksgiving, generating $85.2 million over the weekend and a record-setting $123.7 million over the five-day holiday frame. The animated adventure soared past the previ... More »
(Reuters Health) – Teens and young women who use diet pills and laxatives for weight control are five to six times more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder in the next three years, a U.S. study suggests. Using these medications for weight loss can b... More »
(Reuters Health) – Bones may age faster in older women who get too little sleep, a U.S. study suggests. Based on data from nearly 11,000 participants in a long-term study, researchers found that postmenopausal women who slept less than five hours a night were ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Elizabeth I, one of England’s best-loved monarchs, has been revealed to be the translator behind an English version of an ancient text by Tacitus who described the high politics, treachery and debauchery of the Roman elite. A 16th Century tr... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – The apparent suicide of a second K-pop artist in a month has cast renewed focus in South Korea on vicious personal attacks and cyber bullying of vulnerable young stars, and how it mostly goes unpunished. The police consider cyber violence a s... More »
(Reuters) – British actor John Boyega said on Wednesday that he left his copy of the closely-guarded script for the new “Star Wars” movie under his bed, and that it ended up for sale on eBay. Boyega, who plays Stormtrooper turned resistance fighter Finn in “St... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Clothes should be cherished, re-worn and even passed on to the next generation, Anna Wintour, the influential editor of Vogue magazine said, calling for more sustainability in the fashion world and less of a throwaway culture. In an intervie... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Using a bright orange electrocardiogram machine attached with suction cups to the body of a blue whale, scientists for the first time have measured the heart rate of the world’s largest creature and came away with insight about the renow... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York judge has denied Harvey Weinstein’s request to dismiss two predatory sexual assault charges, ahead of the former Hollywood producer’s trial in January. The decision released on Wednesday by Justice James Burke of the State Supre... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Four years ago, PayPal set out to break the Guinness World Record for the most money raised online for charity in 24 hours. Donors gave more than $45.8 million to charities via the payment platform during #GivingTuesday, the annual charita... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – A rare portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart sold for 4 million euros on Wednesday at Christie’s in Paris, rocketing past the auction house’s presale estimate of 800,000-1.2 million euros. The artwork, one of four portraits of the Austrian comp... More »
(Reuters) – Babe Ruth is poised to hit another home run, only this time on the sports memorabilia market when the bat he used to slug No. 500 nearly a century ago hits the auction block on Wednesday. Known as the “Sultan of Swat” during a storied Major League ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Harris Rosen has a chain of eight hotels bearing his name in the Orlando area, but he makes most of his headlines these days for giving away his fortune. The 80-year-old entrepreneur of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, who grew up on the Lower East... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – First the bad news for your wallet: Americans are slated to spend more than they ever have this holiday season – around $730 billion in November and December, according to the National Retail Federation. Online shopping alone is expected t... More »
(Reuters) – Taylor Swift took the high road as she won six American Music Awards on Sunday to surpass Michael Jackson’s all-time record, avoiding any direct mention of a bitter dispute with her old record company. Swift won the top award, artist of the year, a... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Disney’s “Frozen 2” iced out the box office competition in North America, where family audiences powered the animated adventure to a dazzling $130 million debut. The sequel kicked off above expectations ahead of Thanksgiving, which... More »
TAIPEI (Reuters) – The absence of China was a “loss” at this year’s Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese-speaking world’s version of the Oscars, director Ang Lee said on Saturday, after Beijing ordered a boycott following controversy last year. China’s film regula... More »
CHEVILLY-LARUE, France (Reuters) – When French doctor Christian Chenay saw his first patients in 1951, penicillin was state of the art. Now 98 years old, he is still working and opens his surgery in the Paris suburbs two mornings a week for patients, some of w... More »
(Reuters Health) – Teens and young adults have a higher likelihood of taking up marijuana if their parents use the drug, a new study suggests. From a survey of nearly 25,000 parent-child pairs, researchers found that parental marijuana use was associated with ... More »
(Reuters) – A pair of Batman and Robin outfits, described as the only known complete costumes worn on the 1960s television show, is going up for auction in Los Angeles and the owner is determined that his childhood comic book heroes stay together. The costumes... More »
(Reuters) – Michael Jackson’s story is headed for Hollywood from the producer who helped make hit film “Bohemian Rhapsody,” industry media reported on Friday. Deadline, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter said producer Graham King had secured the rights, includ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Forty years since releasing their debut album, Scottish rock band Simple Minds have no plans to slow down just yet, saying life on the road is “the thing that keeps us going” as they embark on a world tour next year. Formed in Glasgow in the... More »
(Reuters) – Music executive Scooter Braun on Friday said his family had received “numerous death threats” over a feud with singer Taylor Swift, and appealed to her to make peace. Braun, who earlier this year bought the Big Machine Group record label where Swif... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – From love songs to dance tunes to lullabies, music made in disparate cultures worldwide displays certain universal patterns, according to a study by researchers who suggest a commonality in the way human minds create music. The study, pu... More »
(Reuters) – A 1939 comic book that introduced Marvel characters for the first time sold for a record $1.26 million at auction, Dallas-based auctioneer Heritage Auctions said on Thursday. “Marvel Comics No. 1” features the first appearances of characters includ... More »
