How 'Love is Blind' is reshaping global views on love, from Japan to Brazil
Netflix's “Love Is Blind” explores love beyond appearances, with adaptations in various cultures. The show has aired in nine U.S. cities and has international versions in places like Japan and Brazil. Each adaptation reflects local cultural norms, from Japan's reserved approach to Brazil's bold emotions. The show has faced criticism for contestant treatment and diversity issues. Despite this, it continues to resonate globally, showcasing different cultural norms and types of love. Fans are advocating for more diverse representations, including queer and polyamorous love, as the show evolves.
William and Kate win privacy case against French magazine over family holiday photos
LONDON (AP) — The Prince and Princess of Wales have won a legal case against a French magazine for publishing photos of their children on a skiing holiday. The royal couple took action against Paris Match after it ran photos in April of them and their children in the French Alps. The latest edition of Paris Match includes a notice saying a judge found the images and article infringed on the couple's privacy. William and Kate's office said the magazine had published a "grossly intrusive article." It said William and Kate are committed to protecting their family's privacy and will take action to enforce those boundaries.
Movie Review: 'Nouvelle Vague' is a meticulous ode to the French New Wave
To a remarkable degree, Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague”” has fully imbibed the spirit of the French New Wave, resurrecting one of the most hallowed eras of movies to capture an iconoclast in the making. The result is something endlessly stylish and almost absurdly uncanny, even if “Nouvelle Vague” never adopts the brash daring of its subject. Instead, “Nouvelle Vague” is more of a straightforward though deeply affectionate ode to a singularly unconventional filmmaker in Jean-Luc Godard, writes AP Film Writer Jake Coyle. The contrast makes “Nouvelle Vague” a curious thing: a meticulous recreation of a rule-breaking cinematic revolution. Godard would have hated it. That doesn’t make it any less enchanting.
Universal Music and AI song tool Udio settle lawsuit and partner on new platform, sparking backlash
LONDON (AP) — Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs seeks speedy appeals court hearing while he serves a 4-year sentence
NEW YORK (AP) — Hip-hop producer Sean “Diddy” Combs wants a federal appeals court to quickly consider the legality of his conviction on prostitution-related charges and his more than four-year prison sentence. His lawyers filed papers with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, asking that oral arguments in his appeal occur in April. Combs was convicted in July of flying his girlfriends and male sex workers across state lines to engage in drug-fueled sexual encounters. However, he was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life.
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Be inspired and bewitched by culinary creations on 'Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking'
LONDON (AP) — What tastes delicious but also floats, explodes or levitates? The showstopper cakes in competition on Food Network’s “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” are inspired by the films made about Hogwarts. On the second season premiering Sunday, they have to be delicious but also charmed. On the set, the show’s hosts James and Oliver Phelps say that the cakes made by the paired professionals competing are so good, the Weasley twins actors hang around with spoons to try them out. Judges Jozef Youssef and Carla Hall are both Harry Potter fans and say to expect even more elaborate creations this season.
Janelle Monáe embraces HalloQueen role, creating an empire where art and freedom collide in October
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Janelle Monáe has transformed Halloween into a creative empire with her HalloQueen events. The artist blends play, performance and purpose in a monthlong celebration. This week, the festivities include Vampire Beach at the Santa Monica Pier and the annual Wondaween party. Monáe's love for Halloween began with dressing up and has grown into a movement of self-expression. The events, like the DJ set at Cinespia, capture the essence of Monáe’s artistic universe. Monáe hopes to expand HalloQueen to other cities, keeping the spirit alive year-round. Monáe’s creative foundation began with the Wondaland collective, co-founded with Nate “Rocket” Wonder and Chuck Lightning in Atlanta. That community of musicians, writers and filmmakers evolved into a multidisciplinary hub for world-building.
40 years later, Michael J. Fox looks back on 'Back to the Future'
NEW YORK (AP) — For Michael J. Fox, traveling through time with “Back to the Future” has been part of life. It’s the film that strapped a flux capacitor to his career and that has, ever since, stayed in his rear view. On Friday, “Back to the Future” is, again, back in theaters. The anniversary celebration also includes a new 4K trilogy gift set that comes complete with an OUTATIME license plate. What was once so firmly lodged in the space-time continuum has, over the years, turned curiously timeless. Watch “Back to the Future” now and you might be astonished at how effects-free most of Robert Zemeckis’ science-fiction landmark is.
This Spanish tenor's already a star in Europe. Now he's made a big splash at the Met
NEW YORK (AP) — He's a Spanish tenor who has captivated audiences with his extraordinary voice. Conductor Riccardo Frizza and the Metropolitan Opera’s Peter Gelb have praised Xabier Anduaga's talent. At 30, Anduaga is a star in Europe. He recently made a splash in the U.S., headlining the Met’s production of Bellini's “La Sonnambula.” Anduaga grew up in Spain, starting as a boy soprano. His wife, Elena Barbé, remains his coach and critic. As his voice evolves, he’s exploring new roles. Opera houses are eager to book him. Gelb says he was blown away by the sound when Anduaga made his house debut two season ago.
Brad Paisley says he's 'Mr. More Baseball' after performing at another World Series marathon game
Country superstar Brad Paisley has made history. And Monday night, it wasn’t for platinum records. The singer performed the national anthem during a landmark World Series game. The Los Angeles Dodgers finished an 18-inning Game 3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays nearly seven hours after Paisley sang. Paisley has performed the anthem ahead of four World Series games that went to extra innings, including two 18-inning games that are tied for the longest in Fall Classic history. In an interview with The Associated Press, Paisley said to call him “Mr. More Baseball.”

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