María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, during a rally in Guanare, Venezuela, July 17, 2024. Machado, the Nobel laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader, is publishing a book in the United States that lays out her vision for Venezuela’s political future. (Adriana Loureiro Fernández/The New York Times) By ALEXANDRA ALTER María Corina Machado, the Nobel laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader, is publishing a book in the United States that lays out her vision

Zachary Gordon-Abraham surrounded by Britney Spears memorabilia at home in northeastern Pennsylvania, Sept. 25, 2025. The Britney Spears doll that Gordon-Abraham’s mother gave him when he was a child proved a catalyst to his collecting thousands of items of the pop star’s memorabilia. (Noah Kalina/The New York Times) By DERRICK BRYSON TAYLOR In a room in his London house, 52-year-old spray tan artist James Harknett has carefully arranged more than 12,500 items connected, in o

“One Battle After Another” By KYLE BUCHANAN “One Battle After Another” claimed its first televised trophies Sunday night, earning the best-picture prize at the Critics Choice Awards. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film about a burned-out revolutionary searching for his daughter won three awards total, including honors for directing and adapted screenplay. “This is the best time I ever had making a movie, and I feel like it shows,” Anderson said. The Critics Choice Awar

Lola Lafon in Paris, Dec. 12, 2025. Lafon’s book “When You Listen to This Song” is a hit in its native France — now in English, it explores identity, loss and memory in wholly new ways. (Maxime La/The New York Times) By SADIE STEIN When a book editor invited renowned French novelist Lola Lafon to contribute a volume to Edition Stock’s popular “Night at the Museum” series — in which authors camp out in a museum overnight and write about the experience — Lafon was hesitant. “I

The Three Magi, Melchior, Gaspar and Baltazar, bearing the storied gold, frankincense and myrrh, represent royalty, divinity and suffering/death. They also represent three ages of humanity and three distinct races, according to observers of the time. (Pinterest) By Peggy Ann Bliss Special to The Star It wouldn’t be Las Fiestas in Puerto Rico without the annual visit of The Three Kings. And it wouldn’t be Epiphany in Puerto Rico without Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra (PRSO) Em

In an undated image provided by Devolver Digital, a scene from Baby Steps. Autobiographical stories and mystery games resonated in a chaotic year. (Devolver Digital via The New York Times) By YUSSEF COLE In its struggle to understand and make sense of life, art has a way of remaining relevant even when, in chaotic times as ours, it might feel more useful to march in the streets than plug into a video game’s digital distractions. Yet these worlds do contain value. Each of thes

Bad Bunny in New York, Dec. 27, 2024. Bad Bunny, Addison Rae, Audra McDonald, a cotillion class, Bing the dog and many more were subjects of the photographs commissioned by our photo editors this year. (Dana Scruggs/The New York Times) By MARIDELIS MORALES ROSADO, LAURA O’NEILL, JOLIE RUBEN and AMANDA WEBSTER Erykah Badu, Bad Bunny, George Clooney and Audra McDonald were among the many subjects of the images in culture that New York Times photo editors commissioned in 2025. S

Bardot in a publicity photo for A Very Private Affair in 1962 (Wikipedia) By ANITA GATES Brigitte Bardot, the pouty, tousle-haired French actress who redefined mid-20th-century movie sex symbolism in films beginning with “And God Created Woman,” then gave up acting at 39 to devote her life to the welfare of animals, died Sunday at her home in southern France. She was 91. Fondation Brigitte Bardot, which she established for the protection of animals, announced her death. Bardo

Eva Victor and Naomi Ackie in a scene from “Sorry, Baby” (A24) By JASON BAILEY In what has become an annual tradition, this month’s guide to the hidden gems of your subscription services spotlights indies, genre movies and documentaries released this year — potential critics’ list or even award season contenders, available to stream at this very moment. ‘Sorry, Baby’ Eva Victor (“Billions”) is a delightfully off-kilter screen personality, blessed with crackerjack comic timing

By MAYA SALAM Rob Reiner maintained a prolific career as a director, producer and actor until he and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were killed Sunday. A representative for Reiner, 78, declined to comment on his pending projects. But here’s what we know about some of them. ‘Spinal Tap at Stonehenge: The Final Finale’ A concert film follow-up to the rock mockumentaries “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” (2025) and “This Is Spinal Tap” (1984) was supposed to be released next