Entertainment

Marvel superheroes return to Chinese cinemas after nearly four years

Marvel's superheroes began their return to China's massive movie market after an apparent ban of nearly four years on Tuesday, with fans streaming into cinemas to watch "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever".. Marvel blockbusters have raked in billions globally, and their return to one of the world's biggest movie markets means hundreds of millions of dollars in potential earnings for Disney -- the first Black Panther film alone took in $105 million at Chinese cinemas.

Tue, Feb 7, 2023 2 mins read

Entertainment

Disney+ in Hong Kong drops 'Simpsons' episode with 'forced labour' mention

An episode of "The Simpsons" that refers to "forced labour camps" in China is nowhere to be found on the Disney+ streaming service in Hong Kong amid growing censorship concerns in the city.. It is the second time in three years that the streaming service's Hong Kong version has dropped a Simpsons episode that satirised China.

Tue, Feb 7, 2023 1 mins read

Entertainment

Canada canoe ice races back after pandemic hiatus

Defying a polar freeze, 50 long canoes are lined up at the foot of Old Quebec City, their boaters preparing to brave dangerous ice slabs and swirling currents to cross the St. Lawrence River under heavy snow.. The objective is to race from the port of Quebec to the city of Levis, on the opposite shore of the river, and back -- a distance of 3.2 kilometers (two miles).

Mon, Feb 6, 2023 2 mins read

Entertainment

Rushdie says 'very difficult' to write after stabbing

British author Salman Rushdie said he finds it "very difficult" to write after being stabbed last year, in an interview published Monday ahead of the release of his new novel "Victory City.". "Victory City" will be released in Britain on Thursday. jwp-pdh/mlm

Mon, Feb 6, 2023 3 mins read

Entertainment

Florida presses bid to roll back Disney special status

Florida lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill that would allow the state to take control of the area around Walt Disney World that has until now been controlled by the entertainment giant.. The new bill will be debated in the Florida House of Representatives this week before being sent to the Senate. 

Mon, Feb 6, 2023 1 mins read

Entertainment

Google to release ChatGPT-like bot named Bard

Google said Monday it will release a conversational chatbot named Bard, setting up an artificial intelligence showdown with Microsoft which has invested billions in the creators of ChatGPT, a language app that convincingly mimics human writing.. Before the emergence of ChatGPT, which was released in late November, Google had been reluctant to launch its own language-based AI fearing the reputational risk of releasing technology that wasn't ready.

Mon, Feb 6, 2023 2 mins read

Entertainment

Rushdie says 'very difficult' to write after stabbing

British author Salman Rushdie has said he finds it "very difficult" to write after being stabbed in New York last year, in his first interview since the attack.. "I've found it very, very difficult to write.

Mon, Feb 6, 2023 2 mins read

Entertainment

Thai cadets break world record with mass martial arts ritual

Thousands of Thai army cadets, university students and a handful of volunteers performed a record-breaking Muay Thai "wai khru" ceremony on Monday, all under the watchful eyes of six massive statues of former kings.. The 50-year-old Hua Hin local, who lives close to the army grounds where they performed, said she knew the army cadets had been practising for a month.

Mon, Feb 6, 2023 1 mins read

Entertainment

Russian Patriarch Kirill spied in Switzerland for KGB in 70s: media

The Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a strong supporter of President Vladimir Putin, worked for Soviet intelligence while living in Switzerland in the 1970s, Swiss newspapers reported, citing declassified archives.. Kirill, who today is a fervent supporter of Putin's war in Ukraine, lived in Geneva in the early 1970s, officially as a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church at the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Mon, Feb 6, 2023 1 mins read

Entertainment

From reggaeton to Iran, five key moments on Grammys night

Music's biggest stars turned out in force at the Grammys on Sunday in Los Angeles -- and a LOT happened.. - Special award for Iranian song -  In the night's most political moment, First Lady Jill Biden came to Los Angeles to present a special Grammy for Best Song for Social Change.

Mon, Feb 6, 2023 4 mins read