NEW YORK, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Not everyone will be struck by
Cupid’s arrow on Valentine’s Day, but for the many people who
are, they will be popping the question and proposing to their
loved one, according to a new survey.

Six million Americans are expecting or planning a marriage
proposal on Valentine’s Day, two million more than last year,
and the average price of a ring to seal the deal will be $2,410,
data from American Express showed.

NEW YORK, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Furs, richly beaded gowns and
tuxedo jackets were all over the runways on Tuesday at New York
Fashion Week as designers opted for feminine elegance in their
fall and winter 2013 collections.

Deep V-necks, draping and long-sleeve gloves were in
abundance, along with brocades in muted as well as rich colors
and plenty of black.

NEW YORK, Feb 11 (Reuters) – Hundreds of fashion designers
are showing their fall and winter 2013 collections at New York
Fashion Week, but not all of them are on the runway.

The semi-annual event, which is followed by fashion weeks in
London, Paris and Milan, includes up to 500 fashion shows
around New York and attracts about 232,000 people, from buyers
to foreign press and wealthy customers.

Feb 10 (Reuters) – Despite a blizzard in the U.S. Northeast,
“Identity Thief,” a newly released comedy starring Melissa
McCarthy, collected $36.6 million in weekend ticket sales in the
United States and Canada, making it the top-performing film.

Produced by Jason Bateman, who plays the hapless man whose
identity is stolen by McCarthy’s character, “Identity Thief”
easily swiped the top spot from last weekend’s champion, the
zombie love story “Warm Bodies,” which earned $11.5 million.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Whether it is sexy and sophisticated, colorful and playful or bold and edgy, Korean fashion designers showing their fall and winter 2013 collections at New York Fashion Week on Thursday brought an Asian flair to the runway.

Five designers selected to be part of the Concept Korea project to showcase Korean talent proved the nation’s fashion industry is thriving with tailored, razor-sharp cuts, creative use of color and fabrics, whimsical patterns and architectural shapes.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Australians Mark Bourne and Suzy Walsham were the fastest man and woman to race up the 1,576 steps of the Empire State Building on Wednesday in the run up of the iconic New York landmark.

Bourne finished in 10 minutes, 12 seconds and Walsham clocked 12:05 in the race up 86 floors that is described as a vertical marathon, the New York Road Runner (NYRR), which organizes the annual Empire State Building Run-Up, said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Cruise lines carried 20.3 million passengers last year and expect the numbers to rise in 2013 as more companies focus resources on luring Asian clients, industry experts said on Wednesday.

A year after the Costa Concordia disaster off the coast of Italy with the loss of 32 lives, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents cruise lines around the globe, said it expects to reach 20.97 million passengers this year.

NEW YORK, Jan 30 (Reuters) – It made its debut in the heyday
of cross-country train travel, faced demolition in the era of
the auto, and got a new lease on life with a facelift in its
eighth decade.

Now Grand Central Terminal, the doyenne of American train
stations, is celebrating its 100th birthday.

By Lisa Richwine and Patricia Reaney

(Reuters) – A grown-up “Hansel & Gretel” grabbed the weekend box office title, pulling in $19 million (12 million pounds) in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales with its reinvention of the fairy tale characters as fierce bounty hunters.

“Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” knocked last weekend’s winner, low-budget horror flick “Mama,” into second place. “Mama” earned $12.8 million from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates, followed by “Silver Linings Playbook” with $10 million.

Jan 27 (Reuters) – A grown-up “Hansel & Gretel” grabbed the
weekend box office title, pulling in $19 million in U.S. and
Canadian ticket sales with its reinvention of the classic fairy
tale characters as fierce bounty hunters.

“Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” knocked last weekend’s
winner, low-budget horror flick “Mama,” into second place.
“Mama” earned $12.8 million from Friday through Sunday,
according to studio estimates, followed by “Silver Linings
Playbook” with $10 million.