American culture

Barely 24 hours after Disney's initial copyright on Mickey Mouse expired, two new indie horror films starring the beloved character have been announced.

"Mickey's Mouse Trap" will feature a masked killer dressed as Mickey stalking a group of young friends through an amusement arcade, while another untitled horror-comedy sees a sadistic mouse tormenting unsuspecting ferry passengers.

If you're the creative type and you're struggling to come up with your next idea, do not fear: some big works, including the original version of Mickey Mouse, entered the public domain Monday in the United States.

And if, on the other hand, you prefer your Disney characters to be cute, cuddly and never-changing, well, … you might want to stop reading.

Homer Simpson may be maturing, or so he says.

The character, voiced by Dan Castellaneta, hinted that he would no longer choke his son, Bart, appearing to acknowledge that one of the oldest recurring bits on "The Simpsons" was a clear form of animated child abuse that was played for laughs.

The US Embassy in Athens and its Consular Section, the US Consulate General in Thessaloniki, and all US Government offices in Greece will be closed on Monday in observance of Juneteenth, the federal US holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

Vegas Golden Knights players showed off the Stanley Cup and celebrated their NHL title on June 17 with about 100,000 supporters in an evening parade along the famed Vegas Strip.

The expansion club captured the trophy after only six seasons with a 9-3 home triumph over Florida on June 13 to claim the best-of-seven championship series four games to one.

American novelist Barbara Kingsolver won the prestigious Women's Prize for Fiction Wednesday with "Demon Copperhead," the Dickens-inspired tale of a boy's struggle against the odds in a corner of America scarred by opioid addiction.

Kingsolver's Appalachian coming-of-age tale was announced as winner of the 30,000 pounds ($38,000) award at a ceremony in London.

Celebrated author Cormac McCarthy, an unflinching chronicler of America's bleak frontiers and grim underbelly, died on June 13 aged 89, his publisher said.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who wrote "The Road" and "No Country for Old Men" - both of which became feature films - passed away at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A nearly 400-item lot of James Dean-related memorabilia featuring artifacts from the late Hollywood legend, including signed photos, letters and a Warner Bros. contract garnered a sum of more than $260,000.

American literature will be the special focus at this year's 19th Thessaloniki Book Fair on May 4-7, which will feature authors, translators and professionals from around 40 countries and a rich program of events.

Adam Sandler placed his hand on the bronze bust of Mark Twain and speculated that it "one day might be the weapon used to bludgeon me in my sleep."

A host of comedic and entertainment royalty gathered at Washington's Kennedy Center as Sandler was presented with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.