American Musician Preserves Syrian Religious Music
The war in Syria destroyed more than its cities. It destroyed its soul, says American drummer and photographer Jason Hamacher, who has recorded a large collection of Syrian religious music
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No Visa, No Veil? Saudi Arabia May Ease Rules for Tourists
Saudi Arabia has announced plans to build a “semi-autonomous” visa-free travel destination along its northwestern Red Sea coast. The Red Sea area will include diving attractions and a nature
Read MoreDid Alexander Hamilton Hold This Coin?
Old inns along the Revolutionary War trails boast of George Washington sleeping there. But coin experts say they have found the first silver piece minted by the United States —
Read MoreSam Shepard, Pulitzer-winning Playwright, Dead at 73
Sam Shepard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Oscar-nominated actor and celebrated author whose plays chronicled the explosive fault lines of family and masculinity in the American West, has died. He was
Read MoreLos Angeles Reaches Deal with Olympic Leaders for 2028 Games
Los Angeles reached an agreement Monday with international Olympic leaders that will open the way for the city to host the 2028 Summer Games, while ceding the 2024 Games to
Read MoreItalian Poster for "Casablanca" Attracts $478,000 at Auction
The only known surviving Italian issue poster for the classic movie “Casablanca” has sold for $478,000 in Dallas at a public auction of vintage movie posters. The firm Heritage
Read MoreMongolian Melody: Hip-hop Duo Splices Traditional Singing and Urban Beats
Ulaanbaatar’s urban music scene is buzzing with a new vibe created by a hip-hop duo mixing into their sound the traditional art of throat singing, or “Khoomei,” as Mongolians refer
Read MoreCelebrated Photo Editor John Morris Dies at 100 in Paris
John Morris, a celebrated American photo editor who brought some of the most iconic photographs of World War II and the Vietnam War to the world’s attention, has died at
Read MorePope’s Choir Tours US as It Recaptures Its Glory
The Vatican’s Sistine Chapel Choir is embarking on its first U.S. tour in 30 years, hoping to show audiences in New York, Washington and Detroit that it has abandoned the
Read MoreJessica Williams Says It’s a Great Time to Be Actor of Color
Jessica Williams says it’s a great time to be an actress of color, and applauds Netflix for leading the way in promoting diversity. Williams, who cut her teeth as
Read MoreShik Shik’s Storefront Art Draws In Customers in Mogadishu
A collection of yawing mouths and extracted teeth, booming stereo speakers and colorful hookah pipes adorn shop fronts in Somalia, a colorful contrast to the airbrushed artworks of big business.
Read MoreFrom Art to Aliens – Austrian Bodypainting Festival has Colorful Characters
Models endured waits of up to six hours in their quest to become elaborate human canvases in an Austrian town this weekend, as the 2017 World Bodypainting Festival and world
Read MoreNepal Woodcarvers Inspired to Restore Quake-toppled Temples
In the rubble of Nepal’s 2015 earthquake, a team of dedicated woodworkers is finding inspiration to re-create what was lost. The centuries-old Char Narayan and Hari Shankara temples were destroyed
Read MoreNational Parks Traveler Celebrates One Year Milestone
In June of 2016, Mikah Meyer set out on an ambitious journey — to visit all 417 national park sites in America. He estimates it will take him three years
Read MoreLOL to Heart Eyes: New Emojis Must Pass Muster
Cheery Hi-5, a snobbish Poop and a conflicted Meh have starring roles in the animated The Emoji Movie, which imagines a world inside cellphones where emojis rebel against portraying just
Read MoreHitler Exhibition in Berlin Bunker Asks: How Could It Happen?
More than 70 years after Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his Berlin bunker in the final days of World War II, an exhibition in the capital examines how he became
Read MoreMick Jagger Releases 2 Tracks in New Audio-visual Project
Mick Jagger has released two songs which he says are urgent responses to the “confusion and frustration with the times we live in.” The Rolling Stones leader released the
Read MoreHBO Announces Five-part Miniseries on Chernobyl Accident
HBO says production will begin next year on a miniseries about the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The five-part series will star Jared Harris as a Soviet scientist tapped by the
Read MorePolice: Bieber Accidentally Hits Photographer with Pickup Truck
Justin Bieber left a photographer with minor injuries after police in California say the singer accidentally hit the man with his pickup truck. Beverly Hills police Sgt. Matthew Stout
Read MoreMadonna Accepts Damages from Publisher Over Privacy Invasion
A lawyer for Madonna says the star and her twin daughters Stella and Estere have accepted damages form the publisher of the Mail Online website over an article that was
Read MoreLebanese Rock Singer Urges Men to Champion Women’s Rights in Middle East
The lead singer of a Lebanese rock band, which has courted controversy for its songs dealing with homophobia and sexism, has urged more men to champion women’s rights in the
Read MoreArtist Uses Iraq Refugees, War Veterans in Radio Project
In 2016, an Iraqi-American artist sat down with Bahjat Abdulwahed — the so-called “Walter Cronkite of Baghdad” — with the idea of launching a radio project that would be part
Read MoreStories of Survival, Women to Highlight Toronto Film Festival
Stories of survival in turbulent times, including David Gordon Green’s world premiere of Stronger about a victim of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, are among the highlights in store at
Read MoreIn ‘Detroit,’ Bigelow Revisits Still-burning Flames of 1967
Kathryn Bigelow hasn’t forgotten the out-of-body experience she felt when she won the best director Academy Award for her 2009 The Hurt Locker. At that moment, she became the first
Read MoreBarbara Sinatra, Frank’s 4th Wife and Philanthropist, Dies
Barbara Sinatra, the fourth wife of legendary singer Frank Sinatra and a prominent children’s advocate and philanthropist who raised millions of dollars to help abused children, died Tuesday at 90.
Read MoreVenezuela Maduro’s ‘Despacito’ Political Remix Backfires Quickly
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro’s attempt to use Latin hit “Despacito” – which means ‘slowly’ – to inject some cool into his controversial new congress has backfired quickly. Maduro’s unpopular leftist
Read More‘Game of Thrones’ Author Teases 2 Possible New Books in 2018
Author George R.R. Martin has hinted at the possibility of not one but two new “Game of Thrones” books in 2018, whetting the appetites of fans who have been waiting
Read MoreNext James Bond Film Set for November 2019, No Word on 007 Star
James Bond is returning to movie theaters in November 2019, producers said Monday, but they did not say who will play Britain’s most famous fictional spy. Eon Productions and MGM
Read MoreUS Golfer Jordan Spieth Wins British Open
Jordan Spieth won golf’s British Open on Sunday, outdueling fellow American Matt Kuchar over the final holes to capture his third major championship. Spieth, just shy of turning 24 in
Read MoreSpecial Place in Tour de France History Draws Nearer for Froome
Chris Froome stands on the doorstep of the Tour de France’s greatest champions. Sewing up his fourth Tour crown with a cool-as-a-cucumber ride in a high-pressure time trial in heat-baked
Read MoreActor John Heard, Dad in ‘Home Alone’ Movies, Dies at 71
Actor John Heard, whose many roles included the father in the Home Alone series and a corrupt detective in The Sopranos, has died. He was 71. His death was confirmed
Read MoreFor NYC Foodies and Locals, Restaurants Are Out, Food Halls Are In
With so many dining choices in New York City, keeping up with the trendiest restaurants can seem next to impossible even for a dedicated gourmand. But lately, it’s not
Read MoreBeyond Bending Gender, US Model Rain Dove Explodes Conventional Norms of ‘Beauty’
You may have seen her in magazines, modeling the latest fashions, whether they be for men or women. Rain Dove is becoming a fashion icon, and along the way, altering
Read MoreNigeria’s ‘Queen of Golf’ Trains Her Potential Successors
Nigeria’s top female golfer, Uloma Mbuko, has won more than 200 trophies in her 17-year career as an international player. Now, she’s passing on her crown, training the next crop
Read MoreNigeria’s ‘Queen of Golf’ Mentors Next Generation of Potential Pros
About 30 youngsters were on a golf course, practicing their swing on a hot Saturday morning in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. The students were as young as 3 and as
Read MoreBody of Surrealist Painter Dali Exhumed for Paternity Test
A team of forensics experts Thursday opened the tomb of famed Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali to take DNA samples to settle a paternity suit. In a spectacle that most likely
Read MoreTelevision Amps Up, Movies Simmer Down at Comic-Con
From the dragons of Westeros and the “Walking Dead” zombies to the deadly humanoid robots of “Westworld,” the golden age of television is dominating the limelight at San Diego’s annual
Read MoreNew App Reveals Little-known History of Rio de Janeiro Port
Rio de Janeiro’s port area may be one of the city’s most inviting spots since being renovated for the Olympic Games last year. But while the area is home to
Read MoreUS Piano Sellers Change Their Tune to Stay in the Money
A dramatic illustration of the economics of pianos can be found in Dean Petrich’s workshop and piano sheds. Petrich is a longtime piano tuner based on Whidbey Island, Washington. So
Read MoreNevada Parole Board Votes to Release OJ Simpson
A Nevada parole board voted Thursday to release O.J. Simpson as early as Oct. 1, when he will have served the minimum of his nine-to-33-year sentence. He was convicted of
Read MoreMalaysia Bans ‘Despacito’ on State Radio, TV
Malaysia has banned Despacito on state radio and television, though it might be hard to slow the song’s record-breaking popularity. The ban applies only to government-run radio and TV outlets,
Read MoreSummer-release Movies Grabbing Oscar Buzz
The stranglehold that autumn prestige films have on Oscar season just might be wilting in the summer sun. Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic Dunkirk hits theaters Friday, but the overflowing
Read MoreLatin Dance Hit ‘Despacito’ Sets Global Streaming Record
Catchy summer dance song Despacito has set a record as the most streamed music track of all time, with 4.6 billion plays across leading platforms, record company Universal Music said
Read MoreFleetwood Mac to Earn Musicares Person of the Year
Fleetwood Mac will be named the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year, becoming the first group to receive the honor. The Recording Academy announced Wednesday that the 28th annual
Read MoreSyrian Artist Depicts Life in Raqqa Under Islamic State
Images of life under Islamic State rule are rare because taking photos, drawing or painting was discouraged or even banned. An artist who escaped from Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold
Read MoreKenny, Dolly Announce Final Performance Together
Two of country music’s biggest stars, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, whose onstage chemistry spawned hit duets like “Islands in the Stream” and “Real Love,” will be making their final
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