PRAGUE – The local government in Prague said Monday that it “unequivocally” opposes a scheduled performance by Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko in the Czech capital while Russia wages war on Ukraine. Deputy Mayor Jiri Pospisil, who oversees culture in the city, said that all the members of Prague’s governing coalition shared the same view. … Read more
NEW YORK – CNN is making dramatic changes to its lineup, announcing Monday that it was giving Abby Phillip and Laura Coates new weeknight shows and launching new weekend programs with Christiane Amanpour and Chris Wallace. Virtually no daypart goes unchanged in the revamp, as the network struggles with ratings challenges worsened by the quickening … Read more
LOS ANGELES – “Barbie” has legs. Director Greta Gerwig ‘s film phenomenon remained a runaway No. 1 at the box office in its fourth week, bringing in $33.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Margot Robbie-led and produced film from Warner Bros., still in 4,137 theaters, refused to drop off as most box-office toppers … Read more
NEW YORK – For a vast number of book writers, artificial intelligence is a threat to their livelihood and the very idea of creativity. More than 10,000 of them endorsed an open letter from the Authors Guild this summer, urging AI companies not to use copyrighted work without permission or compensation. At the same time, … Read more
NEW YORK – Tom Jones, the lyricist, director and writer of “The Fantasticks,” the longest-running musical in history, has died. He was 95. Jones died Friday at his home in Sharon, Connecticut, according to Dan Shaheen, a co-producer of “The Fantasticks,” who worked with Jones since the 1980s. The cause was cancer. Jones, who teamed … Read more
SAN ANTONIO – With the sweltering summer temperatures still in full swing, the City of San Antonio has extended the pool season through most of September. Nine community pools will remain open from Aug. 14 through Sept. 24, according to city officials. Admission is free and open to the public. Listed below are the nine … Read more
ROME – Italy celebrated the return Friday of 266 antiquities from the United States, including Etruscan vases and ancient Roman coins and mosaics worth tens of millions of euros (dollars), that were looted and sold to U.S. museums and private collectors. The returned items include artifacts recently seized in New York from a storage unit … Read more