Arts & Entertainment

CNN's documentary about Chevy Chase, directed by Marina Zenovich, looks at his career and personal history. It is reported as a difficult watch that does not downplay troubling episodes.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly welcomed the return of activist Alaa Abd El‑Fattah. Some commentators say Britain treats online speech unevenly and that this has stirred public concern.

The Times Square countdown to 2026 in New York City begins at 6 p.m. ET and the Constellation Ball will descend at 11:59 p.m. ET. The night will include live performances and multiple national broadcasts and livestreams.

Victoria Park will host family programming beginning in the early evening and later-night performances with fireworks. Many retail, banking and government services are reported closed on New Year's Day, and waste collection schedules will shift by one day.

A body was recovered in a field near the San Antonio home of 19-year-old Camila Mendoza Olmos during the search for the missing teen. Her mother repeatedly said the discovery felt very close to home. Officials say the medical examiner is working to identify the remains and foul play is not expected.

Timothée Chalamet chose to perform his own spanking scene, and a prop paddle broke so a real paddle was used during filming.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s board is preparing to turn down a revised takeover offer from Paramount Skydance. Paramount added assurances including a $40.4 billion financing guarantee, but the board remains focused on a competing Netflix deal.

Queen Camilla said she was assaulted on a train when she was a teenager and that she fought back. She told the BBC the experience stayed with her for years and she has begun speaking about violence against women.

Media reports say Prince William and King Charles had a tense disagreement after the royal Christmas Day walk over the decision to include Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Coverage notes that details come from unnamed insiders and vary across reports.

Ryan Seacrest will host Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve live tonight. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. on Channel 2 and the show will stream on Hulu the next day.

Harley Finkelstein, a Jewish-Canadian entrepreneur, says recent disruptions and vandalism show Jewish people in Canada are being targeted for their identity. Public data and reports note that Jewish people are disproportionately affected by religion-motivated hate crimes in the country.

Jodi Hildebrandt is serving prison time after pleading guilty in a 2023 child abuse case linked to Ruby Franke. A Netflix documentary about the case was released on Dec. 30, 2025.

Isiah Whitlock Jr., the actor known for The Wire and Veep, has died at 71 after a short illness in New York, his manager announced. Colleagues and filmmakers have shared tributes to mark his passing.

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom were seen together in London on Dec. 30 attending Paddington: The Musical with their daughter Daisy; photos from the show also included Bloom's son Flynn. The pair announced earlier this year that they are shifting their relationship to focus on co‑parenting after ending their engagement.

Call the Midwife returns for season 15, set in 1971 with a UK premiere on 11 January and a North American broadcast on PBS on 22 March. The new episodes are reported to explore the Women's Liberation movement, medical changes and the position of Nonnatus House within a modernising NHS.

Queen Camilla told the BBC she fought off an attack by a man on a train when she was a teenager. Reports of the incident appeared earlier in a book but had not been previously confirmed by Buckingham Palace.

Five high-profile criminal cases drew nationwide attention in 2025. Outcomes included guilty pleas and convictions, acquittal on major charges in one trial, and continuing pretrial rulings in another.

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will co-host CNN's New Year's Eve Live from Times Square beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 31, and the special will stream on CNN's subscription platform and its mobile and connected TV apps. The Times Square ball will descend at 11:59 p.m. ET, and a post-midnight America250 moment is planned.

Female artists led UK music sales in 2025, with Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl the year's top seller. The British Phonographic Industry said combined sales rose nearly 5% to 201 million and streaming made up about 89% of the market.

Tatiana Schlossberg, an environmental journalist and the daughter of Caroline Kennedy, has died at 35. She had written in November that she was battling a rare cancer.