HONG KONG (AP) — Shoppers in China have been tightening their purse strings, raising questions over how faltering consumer confidence may affect Saturday’s annual Singles’ Day online retail extravaganza. Singles Day, also known as “Double 11,” was popularized by e-commerce giant Alibaba. In the days leading up to the event, sellers on Alibaba and elsewhere […]
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Niger fashion designer Alia Bare took center stage at the Joburg Fashion Week with a collection that she hopes will spread a positive image of her troubled country, suffering from instability and economic sanctions that followed a military coup earlier this year. Bare is one of several African designers that descended on
When “Chelsea Lately” aired its final episode on E! in 2014, Heather McDonald, a staff writer and regular panelist on the show, needed a new gig. As a stand-up comedian, her performance schedule wasn’t as consistent as a full-time job — then she heard about a fellow comic who launched a podcast to get his
By the end of the century, the U.S. population will be declining without substantial immigration, older adults will outnumber children and white, non- Hispanic, residents will account for less than 50% of the population, according to projections released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The population projections offer a glimpse of what the nation may
Pop culture depictions of puberty are common. TV, movies, books and music all frequently showcase the tumult of tweens coming of age. Until recently, the same could not be said of the reverse puberty many women experience as their hormones shift approaching the end of their periods in middle age. Then along comes former first
NEW YORK (AP) — The proportion of U.S. kindergartners exempted from school vaccination requirements has hit its highest level ever, 3%, U.S. health officials said Thursday. More parents are questioning routine childhood vaccinations that they used to automatically accept, an effect of the political schism that emerged during the pandemic around COVID-19 vaccines, experts say.
NEW YORK (AP) — Once again, U.S. labor unions are flexing their muscles in the national spotlight. In Hollywood, the actors union reached a tentative deal with major studios late Wednesday to end a months-long strike. Las Vegas hotel workers also scored breakthough agreements with Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International this week — and
Diwali is the most important festival of the year in India — and for Hindus in particular. It is celebrated across faiths by more than a billion people in the world’s most populous nation and the diaspora. Over five days, people take part in festive gatherings, fireworks displays, feasts and prayer. Diwali is derived from
After delaying college for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jaden Todd wasn’t sure a four-year school was the right place to start. “I was extremely concerned that I forgot how to learn,” he said. Community college appealed as a stepping stone, but he also had heard stories of students who had to start
NEW YORK (AP) — It may be time to get out those fairytale ballgowns. The theme of the next Met Gala has been unveiled: “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” In this case, though, the title refers not to a princess with a pricked finger, but to the fabulous gown she might be wearing. The stars of
