PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad — The steelpan, a percussion instrument created in Trinidad and Tobago in 1939, is making a comeback as a new generation embraces its bright, melodious sound on stage and on the dance floor. Fans say new technology has made the steelpan more accessible — and affordable — and a growing number of schools…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — For Googoosh, Iran’s most-famous singer, life always has been balancing act of one kind or another. It began as a child, performing with her acrobat father who balanced her on a chair atop another chair resting only on his chin. Then later, as an icon of stage and screen during…
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand Police said Friday they have recovered a stolen James Bond-inspired Fabergé pendant after six days of closely watching the man accused of swallowing the jewelry in an Auckland store. They said the pendant was recovered Thursday night after it exited the suspect’s gastrointestinal tract naturally without medical intervention. The…
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — The fifth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, one of the Middle East’s largest film festivals, opened Thursday in the coastal city of Jeddah, marking a significant moment for the kingdom’s growing film industry. Running from Dec. 4 to 13, the Red Sea International Film Festival brings together filmmakers…
DETROIT — RoboCop has finally found a permanent home in Detroit. A statue looming 11 feet tall (3.3 meters) and weighing 3,500 pounds (1,587 kilograms) has been drawing fans since it began standing guard over the Motor City on Wednesday afternoon, after about 15 years in the making. Even in a snowstorm in the dark,…
PRAGUE — Theodor Pištěk, a Czech costume and stage designer and painter who won an Academy Award for his work on the 1984 film “Amadeus,” has died. He was 93. His death was announced on Thursday by the town of Mukařov, just east of Prague, where he lived and was confirmed by his family to…
WASHINGTON — AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron suffered a minor stroke last month but is recovering rapidly and will continue to lead the world’s biggest movie theater chain, the company said Thursday. Aron, 71, suffered the stroke while on a business trip in London, where he immediately received emergency medical care, the company said. Besides…
DALLAS — From the election of Zohran Mamdani to the intrigue surrounding the jewel heist at the Louvre, keeping up with this year’s news also left some Americans struggling with pronunciations. That’s put both the name of New York City’s incoming mayor and the famed Paris museum on a list of the most mispronounced words…
NEW YORK — If there were any doubt, the first few days of Hollywood’s year-end awards has already made it abundantly clear: Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” is the Oscar front-runner. On Monday, “One Battle After Another” won best film at the 35th Gotham Awards. On Tuesday, it was named best film by…
NEW YORK — The holiday season is here, and with it, a present for fans of end of year data and marketing: Spotify Wrapped is here! And Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny has been named its most-played artist for a fourth time, dethroning Taylor Swift. On Wednesday, the streaming giant unveiled its annual overview of…
