Chief of S Korea's high-stakes exam quits over 'insane' English test

Some critics say the questions were unnecessarily complex, while others argue that's their intended purpose.

House Republicans weigh vote on Obamacare extension

Oscar Predictions: Original Song — ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Seeks ‘Golden’ Moment With ‘Sinners’ and Diane Warren Close Behind

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis.

Reddit launches High Court challenge to Australia's social media ban for kids

It said the landmark policy has serious implications for Australians' privacy and political rights.

The toy aisle is still full of gender bias. Here's how to navigate it these holidays

Parents the world over have begun the task of negotiating Christmas lists written by their children. But buying the right presents for kids can feel like a minefield, with an ever-growing list of choices and factors to consider. Among all of this, the issue of gendered

Trump signs order to fight state AI laws

President Trump signed Thursday night an executive order to impose a national AI standard, a move that would limit states’ efforts to enact their own AI laws. “We have to be unified. China is unified because they have one vote and that’s President Xi [Xinping],” Trump said,

Reddit sues Australia over social media ban, citing free speech threat

Reddit called the ban an intrusion on free political discourse.

How Composer Max Richter Used Elizabethan-Era Instruments and a Women’s Choir to Shape ‘Hamnet’s’ Emotional Tone

Composer Max Richter turned to Elizabethan-era instruments and a women’s choir to help find “Hamnet’s” emotional tone. “Hamnet” is based on Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel, and tells the story of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), as they

‘Troll 2’ review: Mythological Monsters Return in a Slick If Unsurprising Sequel to Global Netflix Hit

After putting a neat Norwegian spin on slasher horror (“Cold Prey”) and 1970s-style disaster thriller (“The Wave”), Roar Uthaug turned to the rampaging-giant-monster genre with “Troll,” and was no doubt as surprised as everyone else when that swiftly became Netflix’s most

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Selects 10 Student Filmmakers as Prize Finalists- Film News in Brief

Ten finalists have been selected for the 2025 Sloan Student Prizes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s nationwide film program. Winners will be honored at an awards ceremony, featuring work-in-progress readings by professional actors, at MoMI in early 2026. The finalists

Senate ACA votes fail

Presented by the Coalition to Strengthen America's Healthcare {beacon} Health Care Health Care PRESENTED BY COALITION TO STRENGTHEN AMERICA'S HEALTHCARE The Big Story Senate ACA votes fail The Senate rejected dueling proposals championed by Democrats and Republicans that each

Liam Neeson Swears He’s Pro-Vaccine — Despite Narrating New, Controversial Anti-Vaxx Doc

The Oscar-nominated actor is narrating Plague of Corruption: 80 Years of Pharmaceutical Corruption Exposed , based on a book by debunked researcher Dr. Judy Mikovits

US sanctions six more ships after seizing oil tanker off Venezuela

The White House plans to move the tanker to a US port and seize the oil on board, a move Caracas has labelled as an act of "international piracy".

New chair of CDC vaccine panel fired from pediatric practice, wife says

The wife of the newly appointed chair of the vaccine advisory panel that recently voted to roll back infant hepatitis B vaccination guidelines said Thursday that he had been fired from his pediatric cardiology practice because of his position on the committee. Kimberly Milhoan,

China keeps buying sushi, Japan’s cars as Xi keeps spat in check

Asia’s top economies might be at loggerheads, but for China’s 1.4 billion shoppers it’s largely business as normal.

With feathers into the afterlife: New results on the Bad Dürrenberg shaman burial

The approximately 9,000-year-old grave of the shaman from Bad Dürrenberg (Saalekreis district) is one of the most spectacular finds in Central European archaeology. Excavated under considerable time pressure in 1934, subsequent investigations at the site from 2019 onwards

New antibiotic could stave off drug-resistant gonorrhoea

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the microbe responsible for gonorrhoea, is developing resistance to most antibiotics, which means we need new drugs to treat the condition. An antibiotic called zoliflodacin might be part of a solution

FactChecking Trump’s Economic Speech

In a campaign-style rally in Pennsylvania on Dec. 9, President Donald Trump honed a message of "lower prices, bigger paychecks" ahead of next year's midterm elections. Some of his talking points on the economy missed the mark. The post FactChecking Trump’s Economic Speech

Lawmakers mull action on ‘dynamic’ AI-powered pricing in wake of ‘shocking’ Instacart report

“Instacart was trying to figure out how much money they could make on Target shoppers,” said Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative.

‘Dust Bunny’ Review: Mads Mikkelsen Is a Reluctant Hero in Morbidly Fantastical Shoot-’em-Up

Terrified of a seemingly imaginary creature under her bed, yet unfazed when street rats crawl around her while she hides under a dumpster, young Aurora (Sophie Sloan) has learned to be precociously independent. In writer-director Bryan Fuller’s morbidly fantastical shoot-’em-up

Supergirl Takes Flight to a Blondie Classic in First Teaser Trailer

House of the Dragon's Millie Alcock stars as a hard-partying Supergirl in the June DCU film

FEMA council meeting canceled

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Highly anticipated FEMA reform meeting canceled A highly anticipated meeting at which the Trump administration was expected to reveal its plans to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was

General contradicts Trump on 'enemy within' during National Guard hearing

The head of U.S. Northern Command on Thursday contradicted President Trump’s assertion that an “invasion [from] within” or an “enemy within” justifies the commander in chief’s National Guard deployments to American cities. “I do not have any indications of an enemy within,”

There’s a lot in the way of South Korea acquiring nuclear subs

The recent US decision to approve South Korea’s possession of nuclear-powered submarines may shift the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula and affect Asian peace and security generally. South Korean nuclear submarines could accelerate the arms race in Asia and impact

West Virginia governor: Hospitalized National Guard member's parents 'optimistic' about recovery

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) on Thursday gave a positive update on the condition of U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who was shot in Washington, D.C., last month. At a news conference, Morrisey said that Wolfe, while hospitalized, is smiling, moving more of

Swiss Eurovision winner Nemo to send trophy back in protest over Israel's participation

ZURICH, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Swiss Eurovision winner Nemo on Thursday said they were ​handing back their trophy in the latest ​protest about Israel's continued participation in the contest over the war in Gaza. Nemo, the ⁠non-binary singer who won in 2024 with "The Code," a

White House doubles down on TikTok with 'Cabinet' account

The White House is doubling down on their use of TikTok with an account for the Trump administration Cabinet. “NEW ON TIKTOK: The great U.S. Cabinet!” the White House posted Thursday on the social platform X. Breitbart first reported about the account. The first post on the

Even as border clashes with Thailand continue, some in Cambodia are digging in their heels

The clashes between Thailand and Cambodia have led to the evacuation of more than half a million people on both sides.

Ryan Coogler Says Declining Academy Invite Was “Not Out of Animosity,” He Just Doesn’t Like “Judging Things”

"I don’t buy into this versus that, or ‘this movie wasn’t good enough to make this list,’” the 'Sinners' director previously told The Hollywood Reporter.

‘Dynamic pricing’ used to raise costs of everything from food and Uber rides to museum visits

Variable pricing is nothing new, but artificial intelligence has made it easier for companies of all sizes to leverage dynamic pricing – and “when something is easier to use, it becomes easy also to take advantage of,” said Pascal Yammine, CEO at Zilliant, an AI-driven pricing

How Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Are Made

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are probably my favorite big brand candy (perhaps only bested by Reese’s Pieces), so it was a real treat ( groan ) to see how the company makes them cups. But did you know Reese’s purposely over-roasts their peanuts just enough to bring out a bold

6 more states approved for food stamp soda bans

The Trump administration has approved six additional states for bans that would prevent people from using food stamps to buy sugary sodas and unhealthy foods, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Wednesday. The six additional states that will be able to impose the

China’s 2026 stimulus plan isn’t exports, it’s economic reform

TOKYO — There’s little doubt that China’s export engine is working its magic to get Asia’s biggest economy across the finish line to 5% growth. Clearly, China blowing past his tariffs in 2025 to rack up a record $1 trillion trade surplus wasn’t on Donald Trump’s bingo card.

US helped Machado escape Venezuela

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado confirmed on Thursday that she received assistance from the United States in her secret departure from the South American country after more than a year in hiding.

Democrats sound the alarm over escalation with Venezuela after US seizes oil tanker

Democrats are sounding alarm bells after the Trump administration seized a Venezuelan oil tanker Wednesday, with lawmakers worrying that the move could lead to increased conflict or even war in the region. The U.S. has been attempting to ratchet up pressure on Caracas in recent

‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ Costume Designer on Puppet Fittings and Easter Eggs: ‘I Wanted Her to Echo the Marionette’

SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot points for “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” currently playing in theaters. Costume designer Whitney Anne Adams’ first order of business for “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2”? A deep dive into the cult-classic video game’s animatronic filled

‘Europe’s New Faces’ Review: An Intimate if Scattered Portrait of Displacement Reframes the Immigration Narrative

“Europe’s New Faces” presents an experience that headlines have termed the “European migrant crisis” in a novel way. Unlike other films on the subject, the documentary offers no narrative threads to follow, no protagonists whose voice and POV carry the story. What Sam Abbas, as

Trump's economy pitch rankles Senate GOP

Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story GOP senators rip Trump for brushing off affordability “You can’t call it a hoax and suggest that people are going to believe it,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)

Powerball jackpot reaches $1B for second time in 2025

For the second time this year, the Powerball jackpot has reached $1 billion, giving players a chance at one of the largest prizes in game history.

Mortgage rates could dip in 2026 but not by much, forecasts show

Mortgages rates may dip in 2026 — but don't expect a big drop.

Cinnamon recalled in 14 states over potential lead contamination

"For adults, chronic lead exposure is associated with kidney dysfunction, hypertension, and neurocognitive effects," a recall notice explains.

The Game Awards live coverage: Every reveal and announcement as it happens

Keep up with all the news and awards at The Game Awards 2025.

House panel advances kids safety bills despite Democratic opposition

A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee advanced a slate of 18 kids' online safety bills to the full panel Thursday despite Democratic opposition to key legislation that could complicate the effort down the line. While lawmakers cleared about a dozen bills without any

Judge bars Trump from axing FEMA disaster preparedness grants

A federal judge in Massachusetts on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from cutting a program meant to make communities better prepared for storms. Judge Richard Stearns, a Clinton appointee, ruled that the administration cannot terminate the Building Resilient

Smokey Robinson Rape Accuser Denies Raiding His Storage Unit: ‘Some Type of A.I. Fabrication’

“Our client has flatly denied any sort of involvement with this alleged burglary,” a lawyer for the Jane Doe accuser said at a court hearing Thursday

Argentina's inflation reaches 2.5% in November

Argentina's Consumer Price Index (CPI) accelerated in November, reaching 2.5% for the month, according to data released on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec).

Crypto mogul Do Kwon sentenced to 15 years in prison over $40B ‘epic fraud’

Kwon, 34, was accused of misleading investors in 2021 about TerraUSD, a so-called stablecoin designed to maintain a value of $1.