Boracay is ready for some wholesome fun

FOR a certain generation, a trip to Boracay meant a weekend of sin: drinking and dancing until the sun came up. Today things are different. After a major cleanup followed by the restrictions to deal with a two-year pandemic, the party island is now offering relatively wholesome fun.

Swatch Omega tie-up adds sneaker-drop hype to staid watch world

AMONG the top things that infuriate watch aficionados: replicas, fashion timepieces and battery-powered movements.

French fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier, 78

LONDON —  French fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier, known for his front covers and portraits of famous figures including the late Princess Diana, has died at the age of 78.

Bridgerton — how period drama made audiences hate the corset

By Serena Dyer
WHEN you think of a corset, you might imagine period drama dames sucking in as they cling onto a bedpost as a feisty lady’s maid aggressively laces them in. Nextflix’s hot Regency inspired drama Bridgerton features similar such tortuous scenes.

World heritage at risk amid Ukraine war, UNESCO says

PARIS —  Dozens of churches, historical sites and museums have been damaged by the war in Ukraine, the UN cultural agency said on Friday, adding that it was particularly worried about the northern city of Chernihiv.

Tom Cruise’s Top Gun sequel to screen at Cannes Film Fest

LONDON —  Tom Cruise will screen his hotly anticipated Top Gun sequel at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where an event will also look back on his Hollywood career, organizers said on Friday.

Will Smith resigns from film academy, says he’s ‘heartbroken’

ACTOR Will Smith has resigned from Hollywood’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, saying on Friday that his slapping of presenter Chris Rock on stage at this year’s Oscars ceremony was “shocking, painful and inexcusable.”

Taiwan puppeteers look to NFTs to keep their art alive

YUNLIN, Taiwan — A group of Taiwanese puppeteers are looking to use non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, to help bring their traditional art form into...

Live events return with P-Pop convention and concert

AFTER two years during which most live activities have not been allowed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, live events are making a comeback with the launch of the 2022 PPOP CON.

Bruce Willis to retire from acting due to cognitive disease

LOS ANGELES — Bruce Willis, the star of the Die Hard franchise and dozens of other action movies, will retire from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a disease that has hampered his “cognitive abilities,” his family said on Wednesday.

Will Smith refused to leave Oscars, academy says as it weighs discipline

LOS ANGELES — Will Smith refused a request to leave the Oscars ceremony after he slapped presenter Chris Rock, Hollywood’s film academy said on Wednesday as it started a process that could lead to the best actor winner’s expulsion from the group.

Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon to debut in August

HBO announced on Wednesday that its hotly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, will debut on Aug. 21.