Entertainment News Roundup: Chanel's Manchester fashion show draws celebrities and protesters; Disney begins integrating Hulu into Disney+ streaming service and more

The formal launch of the integrated service is scheduled for March. Taylor Swift named Time's 'Person of the Year,' capping her record-breaking 2023 After launching a record-shattering global tour and becoming the world's most-streamed musical artist in 2023, Taylor Swift notched yet another accolade on Wednesday when Time magazine named the mega pop star as its "Person of the Year." Swift took the award in a year when her nearly two decades of fame and influence came to a peak, the magazine said in announcing the title.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Chanel's Manchester fashion show draws celebrities and protesters

French luxury label Chanel took its annual Metiers d'Art runway show to a rainy northern England street late Thursday where an international fashion crowd viewed a special collection highlighting the brand's craftwork. Guests including actors Tilda Swinton, Hugh Grant and Kristen Stewart, model Alexa Chung and British rapper Aitch gathered on a stretch of Manchester's Thomas Street under a transparent canopy, where they snacked on mulled cider and mini cheese toasties as pro-Palestinian protesters chanted.

'Everything Everywhere' and other A24 movies heading to HBO and Max

Oscar-winning film "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and other movies from independent studio A24 will become available on Warner Bros Discovery's HBO, Cinemax and Max under a deal announced on Wednesday. The agreement provides the company with dozens of films to attract subscribers to the HBO and Cinemax premium cable channels and the Max streaming service.

Benjamin Zephaniah, poet, performer, Black rights activist, dies aged 65

British poet, musician and actor Benjamin Zephaniah, known for fighting racism and social injustice, has died at the age of 65, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, his family said on Thursday. Zephaniah's poetry, often backed by dub reggae music, was influenced by the culture of Jamaica and sought to make the art form accessible to all, while breaking down social barriers.

Disney begins integrating Hulu into Disney+ streaming service

Walt Disney began offering Hulu as part of its namesake streaming service on Wednesday, bolstering Disney+'s family-friendly content with more general entertainment fare, such as FX's intense kitchen drama "The Bear" and the popular reality show "The Kardashians." The combined offering, known as "Hulu on Disney+", will be available in an early "beta" version to domestic subscribers to the Disney Bundle of streaming services. The formal launch of the integrated service is scheduled for March.

Taylor Swift named Time's 'Person of the Year,' capping her record-breaking 2023

After launching a record-shattering global tour and becoming the world's most-streamed musical artist in 2023, Taylor Swift notched yet another accolade on Wednesday when Time magazine named the mega pop star as its "Person of the Year." Swift took the award in a year when her nearly two decades of fame and influence came to a peak, the magazine said in announcing the title. She was the first person from the arts to be honored for her success as an entertainer, it said.

Ready for it? Taylor Swift ruled pop culture in 2023. She will dominate again in 2024

Pop superstar Taylor Swift rocked concert stages, cinemas, local economies - and even the Earth - in 2023. Swift's Eras Tour sold out stadiums and pumped millions of dollars into each city it visited. A movie version of the show lit up theaters, racking up $250 million in ticket sales.

'Oppenheimer' to screen in Japan next year after nuclear controversy

Universal Pictures' "Oppenheimer" will screen in Japan next year, a local distributor said on Thursday - a launch that had been in doubt amid criticism that the film largely ignores the devastation of the atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Christopher Nolan-directed biopic about atomic bomb pioneer J. Robert Oppenheimer has grossed over $950 million globally since its July opening.

UK's ITV tried to verify rumour about star Schofield's affair, report said

Britain's ITV investigated rumours of a relationship between its star presenter Phillip Schofield and a junior staff member but could find no evidence to act, a lawyer said in a report on a scandal that made headlines in May. Schofield, 61, a TV fixture for more than three decades, resigned after admitting lying about a relationship with a young employee on daytime show "This Morning".

Sean 'Diddy' Combs accused in gang-rape of teenager in New York

Hip-hop star Sean "Diddy" Combs was accused in federal court on Wednesday of taking part in the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in his Manhattan recording studio in 2003, marking the fourth lawsuit leveling sexual assault allegations against him in recent weeks. Combs, 54, founder of the landmark label Bad Boy Records and a hugely successful rap performer, issued a statement on Wednesday categorically professing his innocence and declaring his accusers were "looking for a quick payday."

Milan's La Scala launches opera season with Verdi's Don Carlo

Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlo was being performed on Thursday at the traditional gala night to mark the opening of the new season at Milan's La Scala opera house. Based on a play by German writer Friedrich Schiller, the opera tells the story of Philip II, 16th century king of Spain, and his son Don Carlo who both want to marry the same woman -- Elisabeth of Valois.