The breathless Korean sci-fi monster movie 'Hope' leaves the Cannes Film Festival floored
CANNES, France (AP) — Sprawling action movies with aliens do not generally compete for the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or. But Na Hong-jin’s “Hope” is not your average science fiction. Few movies were more anticipated in Cannes. It’s been 10 years since Na’s last film, the well-regarded 2016 thriller “The Wailing.” While some of Na’s fellow Korean genre masters, like Bong Joon Ho, have found global renown, for many cinephiles, Na is overdue for the kind of global introduction a Cannes premiere provides. The headlong rush of “Hope” left Cannes awed, befuddled and thrilled by Na’s bonkers would-be international blockbuster.
Ronda Rousey stops Gina Carano with an armbar 17 seconds into their double comeback bout
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Ronda Rousey stopped Gina Carano with her signature armbar just 17 seconds into the iconic fighters’ mixed martial arts comeback bout. The 39-year-old Rousey ended a 9 1/2-year absence from MMA when she took the cage with the 44-year-old Carano, who hadn’t fought in 17 years since 2009. Rousey wasted absolutely no time when the cage door finally close, charging and tackling Carano an instant after the opening bell. Rousey quickly moved into position and applied her famous finishing move, wrenching Carano’s arm as the fight was stopped. This improbable double comeback bout united two of the most important fighters from MMA’s past two decades.
Conor McGregor to make long-awaited UFC return in July fight against Max Holloway
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Conor McGregor is returning the octagon. UFC CEO Dana White announced on Saturday McGregor will return for a rematch against Max Holloway in the UFC 329 main on July 11 in Las Vegas. The 37-year-old Irishman has not fought since breaking his leg in a fight against Dustin Poirier in 2021 and has faced a series of legal issues. An Irish jury found him liable in a civil sexual assault case from an incident in 2018, which was upheld by Ireland’s High Court in July. McGregor was scheduled to return for a fight against Michael Chandler in July 2024, but withdrew due to a toe injury. McGregor was the UFC’s first double champion in 2016 with a win over Eddie Alvarez, but has lost three of his past four matches. He also fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a boxing match in 2017.
Humpback whale released after spectacular rescue effort found dead off Denmark
BERLIN (AP) — Authorities say a humpback whale found dead this week off a Danish island has been identified as the animal released two weeks ago in a spectacular and contentious rescue effort. The whale had repeatedly become stranded off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast. The dead whale was stranded on Thursday just off the small island of Anholt in the Kattegat, the broad strait between Denmark and Sweden that connects the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. The site is south of the location where the whale that gained the nicknames “Timmy” and “Hope” was released on May 2 after being transported toward the North Sea in a barge.
Starbucks to lay off 300 US corporate workers and close regional offices
Starbucks said Friday it’s laying off 300 corporate employees and closing some U.S. offices as part of its ongoing turnaround. No coffeehouse employees are affected. The cuts will impact employees in support functions like marketing, human resources and supply chain management. Starbucks said no international employees are affected for now, but it's reviewing its corporate structure outside the U.S. Starbucks said it’s also closing underused offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago and other cities. Starbucks expects to the moves to result in $400 million in restructuring charges, including $120 million in employee separation benefits.
Claudine Longet, singer and actor at center of a notorious manslaughter trial, dies at 84
NEW YORK (AP) — French singer and actor Claudine Longet has died at age 84. She became infamous after being charged with the fatal shooting of her boyfriend, Olympic skier Vladimir “Spider” Sabich, in 1976. Longet claimed the shooting was accidental. The trial in Aspen, Colorado, drew worldwide attention. Her ex-husband, singer Andy Williams, supported her throughout. In 1977, a jury found her guilty of criminally negligent homicide. She received probation and a fine. Her entertainment career ended, and she became a subject of mockery. Longet later married her defense attorney and lived a private life in Aspen.
Winner pays $9 million in charity auction for a private lunch with Warren Buffett and Stephen Curry
Someone paid more than $9 million to have lunch with basketball player Stephen Curry and Warren Buffett, and the legendary investor also promised to match the winning bid so both their favorite charities will benefit. The auction on eBay was intended to revive an event that Buffett hosted for more than two decades that raised $53 million for the GLIDE Foundation homeless charity in San Francisco. This year’s auction that wrapped up Thursday night also raised month for Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation that he established with his wife, Ayesha. The annonymous winner paid $9,000,100 to win a private lunch with Buffett and the Currys in the 95-year-old investor’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, next month.
Small cities in big Texas metro areas lead as the fastest growing municipalities in the US
Small cities in big Texas metro areas are the fastest-growing in the U.S. The Census Bureau reported Thursday that Celina, Princeton, Melissa and Anna were at the top of the list from mid-2024 to mid-2025. All are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Fulshear, near Houston, ranked second. These cities saw growth rates from nearly 15% to 25%. Texas cities like Fort Worth and Austin also saw significant population gains. Seattle was the only non-Southern city in the top 10 for numeric growth, driven by international migration. Meanwhile, Twentynine Palms, California, and Key West, Florida, experienced the highest rates of population losses because of tight housing markets.
NASA's Psyche spacecraft buzzing Mars on its way to a rare metal asteroid
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft chasing a rare metal asteroid is swinging past Mars for a gravity boost. The Psyche spacecraft will slingshot past the red planet at more than 12,000 mph Friday. It will be an especially close encounter, with Psyche passing within 2,800 miles. Then it will be on to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that is home to its enticing target. All of the spacecraft’s science instruments will be on for the flyby. Cameras will snap thousands of pictures. The spacecraft is named Psyche like the asteroid it's after. The spacecraft should reach the metal-rich asteroid in 2029.
Postal Service releases special edition bald eagle stamps for America's 250th
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service is releasing special edition stamps featuring the bald eagle for America's 250th birthday. The stamps issued Thursday depict the eagle across five life stages, from hatchling to adult. The eagle has long symbolized American values like strength, freedom and independence, but the bird is also considered a major conservation success story. In the mid-1900s, eagles nearly vanished due to pesticide poisoning. A 1972 ban on the chemical helped their recovery. The artist behind the collection spent nearly a year on the illustrations and hopes the stamps inspire appreciation for the natural world.
