'Downton Abbey' to return with a third movie
LONDON (Reuters) - The fictitious Crawley family and their servants running a sprawling English country estate in the early 20th century are returning for a third "Downton Abbey" movie, which will feature old and new faces. The award-winning "Downt...
May 13, 2024
Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' guitar up for sale, cigarette burns included
LONDON (Reuters) - For sale, vintage guitar with proven heritage. At least one not-so careful owner. The acoustic guitar that auctioneers say Eric Clapton used to compose his hit ballad "Wonderful Tonight" is going under the hammer next month with ...
May 13, 2024
Big movies, strange mood as Cannes Film Festival prepares for opening night
By Hanna Rantala CANNES (Reuters) - The excitement that usually builds to a crescendo ahead of the Cannes Film Festival's opening night has been reined in this year by rumours of potentially explosive #MeToo allegations, and a possible festival wor...
May 13, 2024
Seinfeld speech at Duke commencement prompts walkout protesting his support for Israel
(Reuters) - Dozens of students walked out of Duke University's commencement ceremony on Sunday as some chanted "free Palestine" to protest its guest speaker, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, for supporting Israel throughout the war in Gaza, according to vi...
May 12, 2024
Factbox-Switzerland won Eurovision's jury vote, while viewers favoured Croatia, Israel
MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Swiss artist Nemo won the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, beating 24 rivals with the song "The Code", while Israel's Eden Golan finished fifth despite calls for a boycott over the war in Gaza. The w...
May 12, 2024
Swedish host city braces for Eurovision final and fresh protest
By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Swedish host city Malmo geared up for the Eurovision grand final on Saturday as excitement mingled with the tension of heightened security threats and political protests over Israel's participati...
May 11, 2024
Dutch artist misses Eurovision rehearsal after 'incident', organisers say
MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Dutch singer Joost Klein was missing from Friday's rehearsals of the Eurovision Song Contest following an "incident", the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the event, said in a statement. "We are currently...
May 10, 2024
Beach Boys book covers 60 years of sun, surf and Good Vibrations
By Sarah Mills LONDON (Reuters) - The Beach Boys share their story in a new book chronicling their rise from a small garage band formed in a Los Angeles suburb in the early 1960s to one of the world's greatest groups. "The Beach Boys by The Beach B...
May 10, 2024
Italy's public TV apologises for mistakenly publishing Eurovision results
ROME (Reuters) - Italian public broadcaster RAI apologised on Friday for mistakenly revealing domestic voting results for the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, blaming it on a technical glitch. The Eurovision Song Contest is the world's bi...
May 10, 2024
US Supreme Court rules against Warner Music in copyright damages case
By Blake Brittain WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favor of a Miami music producer in a legal fight with Warner Music over a song by rapper Flo Rida, resolving a dispute over the time limit for claiming monetary da...
May 09, 2024
Warner Bros Discovery misses estimates for quarterly revenue
(Reuters) -Warner Bros Discovery missed Wall Street estimates for first-quarter revenue on Thursday, weighed down by a weak advertising market and strike-related delays at its studio segment. Shares of the company were down 1.9% in premarket trading. S...
May 09, 2024
Spanish court dismisses second tax case against singer Shakira
MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish court on Thursday dismissed a tax investigation against Colombian pop star Shakira, after the offices of the prosecutor and state attorney opted not to bring charges against the singer. Shakira, who last year reached a ...
May 09, 2024
Israel in spotlight at Eurovision semi-final as pro-Palestinian protests loom
By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - The second semi-final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Sweden on Thursday, with Israel's performance expected to draw attention due to large pro-Palestinian protests plan...
May 09, 2024
'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' cast harnessed their inner apes
By Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When Freya Allan arrived on set for the first day of filming "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," she was in for a surprise. "I walked into this basement and Owen just came towards me as an ape, and ther...
May 09, 2024
Blackstone likely winner for Hipgnosis Songs as Concord maintains lower bid
(Reuters) - Apollo-backed Concord said on Thursday it will stick with its offer of $1.25 apiece for Hipgnosis Songs Fund, days after Blackstone outbid it for the music rights owner of artists such as Shakira and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The $1.51 bil...
May 09, 2024
Olympics-French rapper Jul lights Paris 2024 cauldron in Marseille
MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - Marseille-born French rapper Jul lit the Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron as the flame reached French soil on Wednesday. The Olympic flame relay will set off from Marseille on Thursday and make its way to Paris for the July...
May 08, 2024
Warner Bros Discovery plans new cost cuts, hike in Max price, Bloomberg News reports
(Reuters) -Warner Bros Discovery is looking at additional opportunities for cost-cutting and raising prices for its Max streaming platform, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The cost-cutting plans could i...
May 08, 2024
Russia's last Eurovision singer, now 'cancelled', still seeks to spread hope
By Marie-Louise Gumuchian LONDON (Reuters) - The last singer to represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest before it was banned, now herself ostracised at home, hopes that a new track released on the eve of this year's final will give others ...
May 08, 2024
Isabelle Huppert to head Venice Film Festival jury
ROME (Reuters) - Isabelle Hubbert will head the main competition jury at this year's Venice Film Festival, organisers said on Wednesday. Hubbert won the best actress award in Venice in 1988 for her performance in "Story of Women" and in 1995 for "L...
May 08, 2024
SXSW festival to launch European edition in London next year
LONDON (Reuters) - South by Southwest, the music, technology and film festival (SXSW) held annually in Austin, Texas is coming to London next year in a new European edition. The inaugural SXSW London will take place in June 2025 in the English capi...
May 08, 2024
Factbox-How to vote for your favourite in Eurovision 2024
By Isabelle Yr Carlsson MALMÖ, Sweden (Reuters) - The world's biggest live music event, Eurovision Song Contest, will take place in Sweden in the second week of May with 37 participating countries. Roughly 100,000 visitors from 89 countries are exp...
May 07, 2024
Security guard wounded in shooting at rapper Drake's Toronto mansion, CBC reports
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Toronto police are investigating a shooting at Canadian rapper Drake's mansion that left a security guard badly injured, CBC News reported on Tuesday, citing a source. The shooting happened around 2:10 a.m. (0610 GMT), and early ...
May 07, 2024
Kevin Spacey overturns UK ruling in sex assault case over lawyers' mistake
By Sam Tobin LONDON (Reuters) - Oscar-winning U.S. actor Kevin Spacey on Tuesday overturned a London court ruling which effectively found him liable for an alleged sexual assault on a British man, after his lawyers mistakenly failed to serve a defe...
May 07, 2024
Disney posts surprise profit in streaming, raises earnings forecast
By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney's streaming entertainment unit posted its first profit on Tuesday, two quarters ahead of schedule, and the media company raised its annual earnings per share outlook as it said turnaround efforts...
May 07, 2024
Zendaya in blue, sparkling J Lo arrive at garden-themed Met Gala
By Ben Kellerman NEW YORK (Reuters) - Zendaya posed wearing a blue gown adorned with clusters of grapes on the green and white carpeted entrance to the lavish annual Met Gala on Monday, which this year has a garden theme. Stars were told to dress i...
May 07, 2024