Culture

Colin Farrell Bets Big in Macau For New Film Alongside Tilda Swinton

Colin Farrell plunges into an intoxicating fever dream among the high-stakes baccarat tables of Macau casinos with Ballad of a Small Player, a rare major Western film shot on location in Asia's gambling capital. The surreal, dark and twisty drama co-stars Tilda Swinton as an investigator in pursuit of Farrell's velvet-suited conman and gambling ...

The Model Behind Courbet’s 'L’Origine du monde'

It is hard to imagine today the scandal Courbet’s painting sparked in 1866. Commissioned by Ottoman diplomat Khalil Bey, the canvas depicts, without embellishment, the genitals of a reclining woman — with no face and no background. Rendered with almost photographic realism, it disturbed, shocked, and unsettled. For more than a century, the ...

The Creator of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ Returns With Ambitious New Thriller

Best-selling American author Dan Brown, creator of the publishing phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, released his latest thriller Tuesday in 16 languages simultaneously. The Secret of Secrets, which runs to nearly 700 pages in English, marks Brown's return eight years after his last novel, Origin. Brown called it "by far the most intricately plotted ...

Giorgio Armani’s Family Bids Private Farewell at Historic Rivalta Church

The private funeral of fashion legend Giorgio Armani was set to take place Monday in a picturesque village near Piacenza, in the northern Italian region where the designer grew up. Only about 60 people were expected at the 3:30 pm (1330 GMT) ceremony, according to local media, at the 14th-century Church of San Martino in Rivalta, south of ...

Channing Tatum Earns Acting Credibility in 'Roofman' Role

Channing Tatum says his performance in Roofman, which tells the true story of a man who robbed dozens of McDonald's and hid out in a toy store, helped the stripper-turned-actor overcome "imposter syndrome." "I was getting (acting) jobs before I knew anything about what I was doing," Tatum told reporters Sunday, a day after the film's world ...

Maestro Christoph von Dohnányi Dies in Munich Aged 95

German conductor Christoph von Dohnányi, hailed as one of the greats of his generation, has died aged 95, public broadcaster NDR said Monday. Dohnanyi, who was long music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, died in Munich "a few days before his 96th birthday", which would have been Monday, NDR said. Dohnanyi was principal conductor of the NDR ...

Vienna State Opera Celebrates Season with Free Gala Concert

No dress code, no stiff atmosphere, and no entry fees: Thousands flocked to a Viennese park Sunday as the Vienna State Opera opened its 2025-26 season with a star-studded open-air gala concert for the first time. The free, open-air concert was the state opera's latest effort to «open the house to all – especially new listeners», it said in a ...

Russell Crowe Stuns at Toronto International Film Festival with Chilling Nazi Role

Russell Crowe's nerve-shredding portrayal of a notorious Nazi on trial and Angelina Jolie's deeply personal dive into the world of French fashion led a busy Sunday of world premieres at the Toronto Film Festival. Crowe's depiction of the second-ranking Nazi, Hermann Goering, in Nuremberg, as he plays a cat-and-mouse game with a psychiatrist (Rami ...

Ariana Grande Wins Top Prize at MTV Video Music Award

Ariana Grande won the MTV Video Music Awards' top honor on Sunday, taking home Video of the Year for Brighter Days Ahead, which also claimed Best Pop Song at the ceremony near New York City. Visibly emotional while accepting the evening's most prestigious award, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter and actor delivered an extended thank you to her ...

Reinvent Yourself with Color: The Rise of 'Dopamine Dressing'

For years, winter wardrobes were bound by a narrow palette of neutrals. Black, gray and beige reigned supreme, built on the comforting notion that discretion was the height of elegance. But the fashion landscape is shifting. A surge of unapologetically bold hues is sweeping runways and city streets, from high-end collections to ready-to-wear ...

Versace Leads Milan Farewell To Fashion Legend Giorgio Armani

Thousands of mourners paid homage Saturday to Italian fashion legend Giorgio Armani, who died this week aged 91, as his coffin was put on public display in Milan. Italian fashion icon Donatella Versace was among those who filed past Armani's closed casket at the headquarters of his multi-billion-euro lifestyle company, which marked its 50th ...

Jim Jarmusch Wins Venice Gold with 'Father Mother Sister Brother'

At the end of a politically charged edition, the 82nd Venice Film Festival awarded its top prize on Saturday to Jim Jarmusch’s quiet, independent film about family, while giving a strong runner-up nod to The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania. To the audience’s surprise, Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother took home the coveted ...