“All of Us Strangers” is a lovely way to begin 2024, not because it's especially seasonal — though one key scene takes place around Christmastime — but because it's just so beautifully acted and tenderly observant. Writer-director Andrew Haigh's drama made a lot of Top 10 lists for 2023. I always miss two or three such films around the holiday crunchtime. The upside, with “All of Us Strangers” in limited theatrical release, is the opportunity to start the year on a high note. We meet Adam, played by Andrew Scott, alone in a newly built London high-rise, conspicuously light on residents. He's a…

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Last year was a tough one for Hollywood with the dual strikes slowing down production, resulting in fewer shows for viewers in the fall. Now that writers and actors have a new contract, production is back in full force. It’s one of the reasons to be hopeful in 2024. New series and new seasons that were held back are on the horizon, so you can expect lots more television to make its way to your screen. Here, The Times’ television writers weigh in on a sampling of shows that they’re looking forward to watching in the new year and that they recommend you put on your calendar and in your queue. ‘T…

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The FBI has an image. The clean-cut, dark-suit, sunglass, earpiece. The ones who are called in to help local police or when there is a serious crime. It’s an image the agency has created from its inception by J. Edgar Hoover. But, whether for Hoover’s political gain or investigative purposes, the agency has gone beyond its initial scope on occasion. Hoover used the FBI to harass and bully any potential threats. The agency has used the newest technology to track, investigate and watch seemingly anyone it chooses. Those in Hollywood are no exception. The FBI targeted magazines that printed gossi…

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WASHINGTON – Republicans in Congress aren't just doing all they can to impeach the Biden name – and possibly President Joe Biden himself – they're also going to extraordinary lengths to protect two billionaire GOP megadonors who helped the party remake the Supreme Court in recent years. For one, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) are trying to stymie Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb's investigation into Federalist Society co-chairman Leonard Leo. Schwalb is looking into allegations that Leo is illegally profiting of…

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Rapper “Ye,” formerly known as Kanye West, made a public apology Tuesday about his past anti-Semitic remarks after years of pushing fringe conspiracy theories while also openly praising Adolf Hitler. Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen this week spilled some more details about meetings that he had with West back in 2021 that were publicized by the tabloid press. Raw Story spoke to Cohen about his relationship with West, and the former Trump lawyer explained that he did some crisis communications management through his company CrisisX. It was then that West explained to Cohen that he purportedl…

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From clean energy breakthroughs to weather extremes, 2023 has been a year of highs and lows. At Euronews Green, our most-read stories of the year show a clear desire for solutions to the climate crisis – and the occasional need for escapism. Win-win resolutions came to the forefront, like pollution-busting free public transport and drought-preventing solar canals. Meanwhile, the popularity of green tech explainers reveals the public drive to make more sustainable choices from an informed standpoint. This is something we're committed to continue helping you with in 2024. Here's the full breakdo…

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By Charlie Duffield Britain's most mispronounced words of 2023 have been revealed. Language-learning platform Babbel has commissioned the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters – the UK's leading organisation for subtitling professionals – to find the top words of 2023. These are the words that newsreaders, public figures, politicians and others have continuously found difficult to pronounce. This annual analysis is now in its eighth year and has been hitting the news headlines since 2016. The UK's 10 most mispronounced words of 2023 come from many subject areas and sources. Entertainment has…

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Expelled congressman George Santos asked his fans and followers if he should leave the Republican party, and most of them said yes. Santos, who is also facing criminal charges from the DOJ, posted a poll on social media on Friday, simply asking, “Should I leave the Republican Party?” At the time of writing, the poll has four hours remaining and it stands with 67.6% people voting for his departure from the party. The poll shows 32.4% saying he should stay. The comments are a mixed bag, with some begging Santos to stay to fix a broken party and others condemning Santos as an alleged criminal. PO…

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By Vikki White The first woman to amass a fortune of $100bn is a reclusive intellectual who brought scandalous family secrets to the surface when she launched a court battle to protect her mother. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers is the heiress of L'Oreal and the world's richest woman, owning with her family a 35 per cent stake in the company. With shares rising 35 per cent in a year after beauty sales bounced back strongly in the years since the pandemic, the 70-year-old L'Oreal vice-chair is now worth £790m. But how much do we really know about her? L'Oreal was founded in 1909 in the Parisian su…

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It has certainly been a year of extremes for the nation's LGBTQ community. Besides seeing a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills in 2023, LGBTQ people also experienced the mainstreaming of anti-trans hate, the erosion of protection against hate speech on social media, and a new U.S. House speaker with an extensive history of anti-LGBTQ views. But despite the recent explosion in hateful rhetoric, the community also celebrated victories it says should not be eclipsed by negativity. “The silver lining in this year of challenge is the incredible way LGBTQ people and our allies continue to show up for…

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BUJUMBURA (Reuters) – Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye has called on citizens to stone gay people, escalating a crackdown on sexual minorities in a country where LGBT people already face social ostracism and jail terms of up to two years if convicted of same-sex offences. “If you want to attract a curse to the country, accept homosexuality,” Ndayishimiye said in a question and answer session with journalists and the public held in Burundi's east on Friday. “I even think that these people, if we find them in Burundi, it is better to lead them to a stadium and stone them. And that canno…

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Luke Macfarlane opened up about his experience costarring with Full House star Candace Cameron Bure in a Hallmark Channel movie. “I will admit that I was nervous to work with her,” the 43-year-old openly gay actor said while on the “Tosh Show” podcast. “But, she could not have been more lovely.” Host Daniel Tosh then pointed out Cameron Bure, 47, “probably” doesn't approve of Macfarlane's “lifestyle” as a gay man, as she was recently slammed for her November 2022 interview were she seemingly bashed the LGBTQ community. However, Macfarlane insisted his sexuality did not come up, saying, “We nev…

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Comedian Dave Chappelle abruptly walked off stage during his gig at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, RadarOnline.com has learned. The incident occurred on Wednesday, December 27, during the second night of his five-night stand at the 7,000-seat venue. According to outlets, Chappelle spotted a fan in the crowd using his cell phone, which led to the comedian's swift exit. Chappelle, 50, reportedly alerted security to the disruptive fan before scolding the audience for their lack of respect. He then shook his head disappointedly and left the stage. The news has since spread, eliciting frustr…

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Survivor alum Parvati Shallow found love after a public breakup, and she's celebrating her new romance with non-binary comedian Mae Martin. Shallow posted a sweet snapshot of the couple sharing a kiss before the new year. “We're here. We're queer. Happy new year ,” the reality star wrote in a Saturday, December 30, Instagram caption. The TV personality's fellow Survivor cast members were excited about the pair's courtship. “So happy for you two! You look so happy! ,” season 9 competitor Eliza Orlins commented. “Get it girl!!!!!!! Here for you being queer! ,” Season 29 winner Nata…

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Ohio's Republican governor on Friday vetoed a transgender bill that would have both banned gender-affirming care for youth in the state and prohibited transgender girls from participating in school sports matching their gender identity. The announcement by Gov. Mike DeWine — which was celebrated by LGBTQ rights advocates as a “huge win for trans youth and their families” — came after a series of conversations with doctors and families of trans youth. The proposed bill, which was advanced by the state's Republican-led legislature earlier this month, would have prohibited doctors from offering g…

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In a recent legal development, legendary entertainer Cher has taken the necessary steps to secure control over her son Elijah Blue Allman‘s estate. The 77-year-old filed for a conservatorship, citing concerns about her 47-year-old son's ability to manage his own financial resources. According to documents obtained by The Blast, Elijah is “substantially unable” to handle his finances effectively. Due to Elijah's current mental and physical health issues, Cher has been unable to discuss his preferences regarding the appointment of a temporary conservator. The confidential supplemental informatio…

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Barbra Streisand is “too old to care” if people like her style. The 81-year-old star shied away from wearing provocative outfits early in her career – but these days, she doesn't worry at all about her critics. She told the New York Times newspaper: “I was too afraid to be seen that way at that time. Now I'm too old to care.” Streisand also rubbished the suggestion that people should “dress their age”. The award-winning star – whose career has spanned more than six decades – explained: “People should express themselves and wear whatever they feel on any given day. And that has nothing to do wi…

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By Steve Dinneen “There are two types of people in the world. The people that are in Dubai right now. And us.” So went the meme, shared tens of millions of times across the world this weekend. The occasion – as if you haven't already heard – was the launch of a self-described “icon”, the Atlantis The Royal hotel in Dubai, a $1.4bn monument to excess built over eight years on a strip of land dragged up from the sea itself like some parable from the bible. And who better to launch an icon than the biggest icon of them all, Queen Bey, the world's most bankable megastar, who hasn't played a gig si…

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A mass migration of Northeasterners and Midwesterners into Florida, many of them conservatives leaving Democratic states, has led to the state's politics turning sharply to the right, experts say. New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau this month showed that movement is continuing, with hundreds of thousands of people leaving states such as New York, Illinois and California and moving to Florida and Texas in 2022 and 2023. “The notion of the ‘Big Sort' … is really proving itself,” said Matt Isbell, a Democratic elections analyst. “That's the idea that people move based on the politics. … Fo…

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Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) as spreading via sex in Congo in November. That is a significant departure from previous flare-ups, where the virus mainly sickened people in contact with diseased animals. Mpox has been in parts of central and west Africa for decades, but it was not until 2022 that it was documented to spread via sex; most of the roughly 91,000 people infected in approximately 100 countries that year were gay or bisexual men. In Africa, unwillingness to report symptoms could drive the outbreak underground, said Dimie Ogoi…

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Clouds as dark as anthracite crested a mountain and thundered across a valley before they crashed into the quiet town Stephanie Fritsch calls home. The late-June storm blew dust up and down the hilly streets of tiny Wiconisco, Pennsylvania, in Dauphin County. American flags thrashed outside homes where miners once lived. Rain pelted cars rusting out back. Stephanie stood on her front porch, taking in the beauty. Her pink hair whipped around in the wind. “This is a real Appalachian thunderstorm,” she said. “Welcome to rural Pennsylvania.” Stephanie, 58 at the time, is a transgender woman living…

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A full-time employee of the Trump administration appears to have taken part in the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to a new analysis. USA Today reported that Oliver Krvaric, who was working at the time as a “confidential assistant” for the Office of Personnel Management, can be seen in photos and videos crossing the threshold of the west door of the upper west terrace of the U.S. Capitol immediately ahead of far-right influencer “Baked Alaska.” “I was not in the Capitol,” Krvaric told the newspaper. “I did not go into any offices, I didn't wander the halls. I was not on the premises.” A reporte…

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The DeSantis campaign is denouncing GOP presidential rival Nikki Haley for failing to cite slavery as a cause of the Civil War, but critics were quick to recall Gov. Ron DeSantis' own controversy from the summer on the history of American slavery. “Maybe you should sit this one out,” wrote Carlos Guillermo Smith, a former Democratic state representative from Orlando and current state Senate candidate, addressing the DeSantis campaign's comments. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, the first state to secede from the union in 1860, said in response to a questioner in New Hampshire on W…

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The powerful backlash against Russian celebrities who attended an “almost naked” party was escalated at the command of President Vladimir Putin's administration, sources in the government, the State Duma and the presidential administration told The Moscow Times. Days after donning lingerie, mesh and leather at a Moscow nightclub, some of the country's most famous pop stars and bloggers this week posted makeup-free apology videos. They were facing fierce criticism online, losing contracts and sponsorships and looking at possible prosecution. In short, they were getting canceled. And this cancel…

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