'La Bola Negra' wins TIFF's People Choice Award, putting it on Oscar path
“La Bola Negra,” the Spanish queer epic about the intertwined lives of three gay men, won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, confirming its status as a major Oscar contender. TIFF’s top award is voted on by festivalgoers, and it’s become known as one of the most iron-clad Academy Awards predictors. Since 2012, all but one winner of the People’s Choice Award has gone on to score a best-picture nomination at the Oscars.
Munich’s Oktoberfest roars to life as the mayor taps the first keg
MUNICH (AP) — Munich's Oktoberfest has kicked off with the city's mayor tapping the first beer keg, marking the start of the 191st edition of the festival. Thousands of revelers in traditional Bavarian attire flocked to the beer tents on Munich's Theresienwiese fairground. They enjoyed brass music, freshly tapped beer, pretzels and sausages. The festival runs for 16 days, expecting around six million visitors from Munich, southern Germany and worldwide. German authorities have tightened security, using AI-powered cameras to detect large crowds. There are bans on knives, drones and large bags, with more than 600 police officers on duty.
Italy sees mosquitos spread the West Nile virus farther and longer as Europe warms
ROME (AP) — Italian health authorities are seeing evidence that rising temperatures and longer warm seasons are helping mosquitoes spread West Nile virus across a wider area, during more months of the year. Warmer temperatures favor mosquito reproduction and can mean the transmission season sometimes lasts as late as November. Areas once largely unaffected are increasingly reporting infections, reflecting a gradual expansion of the virus across the country. Italy’s experience with the virus is drawing attention from European countries located farther north. More than 650 infections have been reported in Italy so far this year, accounting for roughly half of all cases recorded in Europe.
5 must-see things at George Lucas's new Museum of Narrative Art as it opens to the public
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens to the public on Tuesday in Los Angeles. The $1 billion project has become the life's work of “Star Wars” creator George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson. The museum features a mix of populist and fine art, including works by Norman Rockwell and Banksy. Outside, visitors can see sculptures like Princess Leia choking Jabba the Hutt from “Return of the Jedi.” Inside, a Frida Kahlo self-portrait and Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s “Poker Game” highlight the blend of high and low art. Architect Ma Yansong designed the building with a unique oculus, offering a glimpse of the sky.
America In Focus: Affordability concerns rise as Fed hikes key rate, mortgage rate reaches nearly 7%
The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for the first time since 2023 in an effort to quell stubbornly high inflation, and the central bank signaled another rate hike could occur later this year. The quarter-point increase lifts the Fed’s key rate to about 3.9% and, over time, could result in higher borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. Meanwhile, the weekly average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate home loan has been rising for months and this week climbed to just below 7% — its highest level in over 19 months. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose to 6.95% from 6.76% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the average rate was 6.26%.
For Palestinian aid groups, Macklemore's $1M pledge brings relief and attention to ongoing suffering
NEW YORK (AP) — Macklemore's $1 million donation pledge is coming at a critical time for Palestinian relief nonprofits. The Grammy-winning rapper committed to donate his net earnings from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour after he was dropped for making pro-Palestinian comments onstage. With his gift, Macklemore wants to shift the attention now to where he says it belongs: the Palestinian people. More than a funding windfall, the recipients' leaders welcome the renewed public awareness to the ongoing suffering they continue to treat amid a fragile ceasefire.
Princess Diana's famous 'revenge dress' goes on show ahead of Sotheby's auction
LONDON (AP) — A striking black dress worn by Princess Diana on the day her estranged husband admitted adultery is going up for auction at Sotheby’s. Known as the “revenge dress,” it has a presale estimate of up to $300,000. Diana wore the off-the-shoulder silk dress, designed by Christina Stambolian, to a gala in London on June 29, 1994, the day the then-Prince Charles' TV interview was broadcast. Sotheby’s Morgane Halimi says Diana used the dress to seize control of her story. The dress will tour internationally before its sale in New York on December 9. Diana's enduring appeal continues to captivate collectors and fans worldwide.
A truck driver built a model of NYC with over 800,000 structures for fun. Now it's a museum exhibit
NEW YORK (AP) — A truck driver who spent two decades building a massive scale model of his native New York City was delighted when it went viral on TikTok. Now, Joe Macken’s sprawling balsa wood and foam board creation is on display at the Museum of the City of New York. The immense model is 50 feet long and nearly 30 feet wide, covering all five boroughs, parts of New Jersey and suburban Long Island. More than 800,000 balsa wood structures are laid out in street-level detail across more than 300 large foam boards like interconnecting puzzle pieces. The exhibit runs through Oct. 12.
Mets' Jared Young has concussion symptoms, CT scan negative after scary collision with Nolan McLean
NEW YORK (AP) — Mets first baseman Jared Young was carted off the field in the sixth inning of a 3-0 loss to Philadelphia after he was knocked out when struck on the head by a knee of pitcher Nolan McLean as the two converged on Justin Crawford’s slow grounder. New York manager Andy Green said a CT scan at a hospital was negative and Young had concussion symptoms and full use of his extremities. With the Phillies ahead 1-0, McLean broke to first on contact and Young initially moved back toward the bag. McLean briefly paused, at which point Young reached for the ball with his right hand as he tried to keep a foot on the base.
Knicks pause ticket sales after mistake caused them to be listed at prices too high
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks are pausing ticket sales after a mistake caused them to be listed for amounts that were too high. The NBA champions put individual game tickets for the 2026-27 season on sale this week. The get-in price for the Oct. 20 season opener against Philadelphia was more than $1,000. The team said Thursday they are rolling back to last year’s prices plus an average increase of 12%. They added that sales will restart shortly with the correct prices, and anyone who already purchased individual tickets would be refunded the difference.
