LOS ANGELES: It took a year of searching and nearly 1,000 candidates, but the Walt Disney Studios has found its Mulan. The studio says Wednesday that Chinese actress Liu Yifei will play the warrior in the live-action epic from director Niki Caro. The 30-year-old actress, who is also known as Crystal Liu, is well known in China as a model, actress and singer, but less so stateside. She has appeared in films like “The Forbidden Kingdom” with Jackie Chan and “Outcast&rd...

LOS ANGELES: Pink, Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera led female artists of pop music dominating the American Music Awards stage on Sunday with powerful performances, despite being edged out by male artists in most award categories this year. Bruno Mars won Artist of the Year, former One Direction member Niall Horan won New Artist of the Year and Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi, Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee won Collaboration of the Year for the catchy “Despacito.”  

LONDON: Prince Harry, fifth in line to the British throne, will marry American actress Meghan Markle in the spring, palace officials announced Monday, confirming months of speculation. Markle, a humanitarian campaigner and lifestyle blogger who succeeded in show business before falling for Harry, will become a senior member of the royal family as the wife of one of the monarchy’s most popular figures.   Harry, a bad-boy-made-good by his tireless devotion to wounded v...

NEW YORK: If you’d stop thinking about her reputation, you’d actually appreciate the musicality of Taylor Swift’s “reputation.” Sure, she named the album that so there will be blog posts and essays deciphering the lyrics — was that about Kanye? Calvin? — but listen to the music, and you’ll discover pure pop magic. On 2014’s “1989,” Swift showed she could deliver great pop songs. On “reputation,” her sixth al...