25 December 2025 Extremely stupid, extremely catchy … La Bionda in Italy, 1980. Photograph: Mondadori Portfolio/Archivio Marco Piraccini/Marco Piraccini/Mondadori/Getty In a year when the conversation around new music was dominated by fresh albums and emerging artists, a quieter but equally passionate shift was happening in playlists, record collections and secondhand-shop bins as listeners kept returning to old music they had somehow overlooked, illuminating forgotten gems a

24 December 2025 In an era marked by prosperity but also by unease and moral drift, Christmas stands as a season for reflection that goes far beyond festive lights, shopping lists and Santa-centric imagery. In his reflective essay Christmas: The Time for Hope, Jonathan Clarke invites readers to consider the deeper spiritual significance of the holiday and to reframe it as a moment when hope grounded in faith and rooted in something greater than ourselves can be reclaimed and

23 December 2025 Military precision … Taylor Swift performing in Lyon in 2024. Photograph: John Shearer/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management When Taylor Swift: The End of an Era debuted on Disney+ earlier this month, it promised viewers an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the culmination of the Eras Tour, one of the most culturally consequential concert runs in modern memory. What audiences received instead was a sprawling six-episode chronicle that, while visually

22 December 2025 Julie Christie and Tom Courtenay on set. Photograph: Everett Collection Inc/Alamy This year marks the 60th anniversary of Doctor Zhivago, the sweeping historical romance directed by David Lean, and as film lovers revisit the 1965 classic they are reminded that its power lies less in strict historical accuracy than in its grand emotional sweep and enduring depiction of love persisting amid turmoil and upheaval. Released at a cultural inflection point between t

21 December 2025 Darkness closing in … Michael B Jordan (left) and Miles Caton in Sinners. Photograph: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Ryan Coogler’s Sinners at 60 is an unapologetically bold, genre-defying film that has quietly reshaped what blockbuster storytelling looks like in 2025 by fusing deep cultural currents, historical weight and visceral horror into an experience that feels as significant for what it says about Black American history as it does for how it thrill

20 December 2025 Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua. Credit : Ed Mulholland/Getty When Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua stepped into the ring on December 19, 2025 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, fans knew they were witnessing one of the most talked-about boxing events of the year. The matchup, officially billed as Judgment Day, paired YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul against former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in a professional bout that drew global attention, massive view

15 December 2025 Creator: Jesse Grant / Credit: Getty Images for TCM Rob Reiner’s early work behind the camera remains one of the most remarkable runs in modern Hollywood history and even now stands as testament to a filmmaker whose instincts, versatility and emotional intelligence set him apart from his peers. Reiner first found fame as an actor in the 1970s as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family but it was his shift into directing in the

14 December 2025 Peter Greene in 2012. CREDIT: Charles Norfleet/FilmMagic Peter Greene, the quintessential character actor whose intense portrayals of villains made him a memorable presence in some of Hollywood’s most iconic films of the 1990s and beyond, has died at the age of 60. His body was found on December 12, 2025 in his Lower East Side apartment in New York City, his manager confirmed, and authorities do not believe foul play was involved though the official cause of

13 December 2025 Dick Van Dyke / Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images On December 13, 2025, Dick Van Dyke, the beloved American actor, comedian, singer and dancer whose career has spanned more than seven decades, celebrated his 100th birthday, a milestone that caps a life filled with infectious charm, joyful creativity and a profound impact on popular culture. Van Dyke’s journey from a small-town boy in West Plains, Missouri to one of Hollywood’s most cherished figures reflects not j

12 December 2025 Pink Floyd Photograph: Storm Thorgerson/Sony Music Entertainment Half a century after its original release in September 1975, Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here continues to resonate as one of the most thoughtful, haunting and beloved albums in rock history and has now been commemorated with a rich 50th anniversary edition that invites both old fans and new listeners to explore its emotional depth and musical complexity. The anniversary, marked on December 12, 2

11 December 2025 In a recent interview with Who What Wear, award-nominated actress Amanda Seyfried stood her ground and emphatically stated that she will not apologise for a stark social media comment she made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his fatal shooting in September 2025. Seyfried’s remarks have reignited debate about celebrity voices in politics and the delicate balance between free expression and public sensitivity. Her refusal to retract her opini

10 December 2025 Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in the forthcoming adaptation. Photograph: Warner Bros On a crisp afternoon in Haworth, West Yorkshire the village pub serves a pint called “Emily” to locals and visitors alike as excitement swirls around the upcoming film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s gothic classic. The beer list reads like a literary family tree: a porter for Branwell, an IPA for Charlotte and the amber “Emily” ale for the novel’s singular author. Today that

09 December 2025 Raul Malo, who brought a Latin flair to country music, performs with the Mavericks in New Orleans in 2014. (Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images) The music world is in mourning at the loss of Raul Malo, the golden-throated frontman of The Mavericks, who died on December 8, 2025 at the age of 60. His wife announced the heartbreaking news on Monday night, sharing that Malo had been battling cancer. Malo’s final months were marked by courage and candour. He first reve

08 December 2025 A Golden Globes statue is seen in the ballroom during preparations for the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, January 2, 2025. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images The first big wave of this year’s awards buzz hit on December 8, 2025, the nominees for the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards were announced, and the usual mix of surprises, snubs and early frontrunners is already fueling chatter across Hollywood and

07 December 2025 A surprising last-minute addition to the latest federal spending bill has imposed a sweeping ban on the sale and distribution of most cannabis seeds in the United States, a move that industry experts warn could obliterate the legal seed market that has flourished over the past decade. The change comes after years of growers and seed companies operating under legal definitions that treated low-THC cannabis seeds as hemp, a status set by the 2018 Farm Bill and

06 December 2025 Sylvester Stallone receives a medal from Donald Trump in the Oval Office, in Washington DC on 6 December. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters This year’s Kennedy Center Honors, America’s most prestigious annual celebration of contributions to the performing arts became a milestone not only for its recipients, but also for a dramatic shift in how the event is run and who controls it. On December 6, 2025, President Donald Trump hosted the gala for the first time

05 December 2025 Netflix will have access to the storied Hollywood studio's vast catalogue of films and TV shows. (Reuters: File) The news that Netflix has struck a deal to acquire Warner Bros. for roughly $82.7 billion, a move that would fold iconic studios, HBO Max, and a vast film and television library into the streaming giant has unleashed fierce backlash from Hollywood insiders, lawmakers, and theater owners alike. Opponents warn the merger would concentrate too much p

04 December 2025 Every year as winter draws near, millions log into Spotify to see their annual music snapshot most-played songs, top artists, favourite genres. In 2025 the streaming giant added a new twist: “listening age,” a playful metric that tries to guess your musical generation by comparing your listening habits to those of typical age groups. The results have ranged from hilarious to unsettling. Some users are finding themselves decades older or younger than they real

03 December 2025 Paul Thomas Anderson: ‘I didn’t expect this actually.’ Photograph: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for The Gotham Film & Media Institute The political thriller-comedy “One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has rapidly emerged as the frontrunner for this season’s top film accolades after a spate of early wins that have industry watchers calling it a likely contender for Best Picture at next year’s Academy Awards.

02 December 2025 Sean "Diddy" Combs sent a cease-and-desist to Netflix over "Sean Combs: The Reckoning." (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean "Diddy" Combs) Getty Images for Sean "Diddy" Combs The new four-part documentary “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” lands with undeniable force. Created by executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and director Alexandria Stapleton, the series offers a sweeping, unflinching look at the towering ascent and precipitous collapse of..