Entertainment

Harry Styles wins Grammy for Album of the Year, beating Beyonce, Adele

Harry Styles on Sunday won the coveted Grammy for Album of the Year, a surprising victory over heavy favorites Beyonce and Adele.

The pop sensation scored the award, usually seen as the night’s most prestigious, for his third album “Harry’s House,” his most intimate yet, which combined twangy synths and soft acoustics with very personal lyrics.

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“This doesn’t happen to people like me very often, and this is so nice,” he said onstage.

The album’s release marked an evolution for the one-time boy band heartthrob to the teenage masses, who has steadily grown into a heartthrob for all.

“Harry’s House” conjures the sonic equivalent of a warmly lit California afternoon by the pool, and showcases Styles’ developing songwriting skills.

But it was not necessarily tipped for Grammy gold, as it faced off against blockbuster releases from pop’s titans.

Prior to Sunday, Styles had just one Grammy to his name, and was perhaps better known for his flamboyant style and campy stage presence than his musical chops.

Earlier in the night, he also scooped the award for Best Pop Vocal Album.

His Album of the Year triumph was sure to draw comparisons to the 2017 Grammys, when Beyonce lost out to Adele in the top category despite releasing the earth-shaking “Lemonade.”

This year, her album “Renaissance” was considered a near shoo-in for the night’s top award, especially after she became the winningest artist of all time, with 32 lifetime Grammys.

But it was Styles who ended up with the golden statuette.

“On nights like tonight, it’s obviously so important for us to remember that there is no such thing as bests in music,” he told his peers.

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Entertainment

Reese Witherspoon, husband Jim Toth make ‘difficult decision to divorce’

Oscar-winning actor and producer Reese Witherspoon and her talent agent husband Jim Toth said on Friday they had made the “difficult decision to divorce.”

The pair tied the knot in March 2011 at Witherspoon’s ranch in Ojai, California, northwest of Los Angeles. In September 2012, the couple welcomed a baby boy named Tennessee James.

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“We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness, and mutual respect for everything we have created together,” the couple said in a joint statement posted on Witherspoon’s Instagram account.

“Our biggest priority is our son and our entire family as we navigate this next chapter.”

Witherspoon has two older children – daughter Ava and son Deacon with first husband Ryan Phillippe. The couple divorced in 2007.

Witherspoon, 47, who grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, won an best actress Oscar for her work on 2005 country music film “Walk the Line.” She has also produced several films and television shows including “Big Little Lies” and “The Morning Show.”

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Entertainment

Gwyneth Paltrow testifies she was struck from behind in ski collision

Oscar-winning actor Gwyneth Paltrow took the stand on Friday to testify that she was not at fault for a 2016 ski slope collision in Utah that left a man with a concussion and broken ribs, contradicting testimony from the lone witness to the incident.

Paltrow, 50, said during cross examination that she was skiing with her two children, and said that in fact she was struck by Terry Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired optometrist who filed a lawsuit seeking more than $300,000 in damages over the incident at the Deer Valley Resort in Utah.

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In court papers, Sanderson said he suffered “permanent traumatic brain injury” as a result of the collision. He initially had sought $3.1 million in damages.

“I was skiing and two skis came between my skis, forcing my legs apart, and then there was a body pressing against me and there was a very strange grunting noise,” Paltrow said.

Paltrow said that is when they both fell to the ground with Paltrow on top of Sanderson, in a heap of skis and limbs.

Paltrow has filed a counter claim in Summit County District Court seeking a symbolic $1 in damages and lawyer fees.

Paltrow, who is also known for her Goop lifestyle brand, called into question prior testimony from Craig Ramon, a friend of Sanderson’s who said he heard a scream before he saw Paltrow crash into the retired optometrist.

Paltrow denied the accusation, claiming that Ramon was 40 feet away and unable to discern who was at fault.

Paltrow also refuted claims by Sanderson that she had skied off and ignored rules to share contact information with another party after an accident.

A Deer Valley Resort staff member, who was providing Paltrow and her family lessons and did not see the collision, stayed behind to provide contact information to Sanderson, she said.

The instructor, Eric Christiansen, is expected to testify next week.

Paltrow, who said she was upset and cursed at Sanderson after the collision, said she did not ski off until after Sanderson told Christiansen that he was fine.

“I did not cause the accident, so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him,” Paltrow said.

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Entertainment

Cambodian man lands ‘airplane’ house in rice field

A Cambodian airplane fanatic has built his house shaped like a private jet – despite never having been up in the air himself.

Construction worker Chrach Peou spent his $20,000 life savings building the concrete “plane” – complete with wings, tailfin, landing gear and engines – near the town of Siem Reap, gateway to the famed Angkor Wat temple complex.

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The 43-year-old widowed father of three said it took him almost a year to build, using money he had saved over 30 years.

“This is my dream since I was young, so I am happy I could achieve my goal,” Peou said.

The house, which has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, stands elevated on pillars six meters above a rice field.

“We can live here, sleep here, use bathrooms here, and have meals here like on a plane. It is my own, I am so happy,” Peou told AFP.

He said he designed the house after watching countless videos of private jets on the internet.

He charges people 50 cents to $1 to visit and take selfies by the house.

“It is beautiful, attractive, there are palm trees nearby,” Kim Muoy, 28, told AFP during a visit to the airplane house with her family.

But Peou dreams of flying for real one day.

“When I have money and know where I want to go to, I will take a plane to go there,” he said.