NFL Season Kicks Off With Many Changes
American football, the most popular sport in the United States, kicks off its season tonight, but instead of the usual holiday-like atmosphere surrounding opening day, the event is clouded by
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NYC Bohemia Fighting to Survive COVID-19
NYC has always attracted creative people – those who are happy to wait tables in the evening as long as it pays the bills, only to run to auditions and have time
Read MoreRonald Bell, Co-Founder of Legendary Music Group Kool and the Gang Dies
Ronald “Khalis” Bell, a co-founder of the legendary group Kool and the Gang, died Wednesday at his home in the U.S Virgin Islands. He was 68 years old.Bell’s publicist did
Read More‘Octopus Teacher’ Lets Filmmaker Into Secret World
South African nature filmmaker Craig Foster was burned out. He had lost his passion for working on documentaries such as “Blue Planet 2.” To re-energize, he started free diving without
Read MoreTop Film Awards Impose New Diversity Requirements
The organization that honors movies with the Academy Awards said Tuesday it will require films to meet new standards in order to promote diversity both on the screen and behind the scenes. The Academy
Read More‘Little Africa’ Tour Showcases Paris’ Hidden Gems
Images of picture-postcard Paris rarely include its scruffy, heavily immigrant Goutte d’Or neighborhood. Many Parisians consider the area a no-go zone of prostitutes, drug dealers and petty criminals. It’s also seen clashes between
Read MorePrince Harry Repays Taxpayer Money for UK Home Renovation
Prince Harry has repaid 2.4 million pounds ($3.2 million) in British taxpayers’ money that was used to renovate the home in Windsor intended for him and his wife Meghan before
Read MoreCzech Oscar-Winning Director Jiri Menzel Dies at Age 82
Jiri Menzel, a Czech director whose 1966 movie Closely Watched Trains won the Academy Award for the best foreign language film has died. He was 82.Menzel’s wife, Olga, announced his
Read More‘Tenet’ Tallies $20.2M as Americans Step Back Into Theaters
In a litmus test for American moviegoing in the pandemic, Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” brought in an estimated $20.2 million through the holiday weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters. The result
Read MoreSt. Louis Cardinals Base-Stealing Great Lou Brock Dies at 81
Hall of Famer Lou Brock, who became baseball’s premier base stealer as he helped make the St. Louis Cardinals one of the sport’s dominant teams of the 1960s, died on
Read MoreAfrican Couples Find Ways to Marry Across Distance, Virtually
Marriage. In these socially distanced times, even the ceremony itself can’t always bring couples – and their families – together. In Africa, some digitally savvy couples are finding virtual workarounds
Read MoreAuthentic Holds Off Tiz the Law to Win Kentucky Derby
Authentic held off a late challenge by favorite Tiz the Law to win the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs and give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a
Read MoreBoseman Honored as Hometown Hero in Native South Carolina
Chadwick Boseman was remembered as a hometown hero who brought a sense of pride to his native Anderson, South Carolina.The city paid tribute to Boseman in a public memorial on
Read MoreTop Stars at Venice Film Fest Praise Gender-Neutral Prizes
Two stars at the Venice Film Festival, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton, have praised the decision by the Berlin festival to award gender-neutral prizes, with Swinton predicting other award ceremonies
Read MoreAudiobook Compiles ’60 Minutes’ Interviews with Barack Obama
More than a dozen “60 Minutes” interviews with former President Barack Obama, beginning when he was a U.S. Senator, have been compiled into an audio release. Simon & Schuster Audio
Read MoreRights Groups Slam Xi’s Latest Calls to ‘Sinicize’ Tibetan Buddhism
International rights groups and officials of the Tibetan government in exile say Chinese President Xi Jinping’s latest calls to “Sinicize” Tibetan Buddhism are a threat to Tibetan identity and culture. FILE
Read MoreLawsuit Filed to Keep Kanye West Off Virginia Ballot
A law firm with ties to prominent Democrats has filed a lawsuit attempting to keep rapper Kanye West off presidential ballots in Virginia. Attorneys for Perkins Coie filed a lawsuit
Read MoreNew York City Museums Reopen After COVID Lockdown
Masks, sanitizers, and the most shocking of all – no crowds. After almost six months of closure and strict lockdown, New York City museums are finally reopening. The Metropolitan Museum
Read MoreIn Mock Funerals And ’42’ Jerseys, Kids Mourn Black Panther
In their driveways or in their bedrooms, using little cardboard boxes or piles of backyard dirt, young fans of “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman paid their respects with lots of
Read MoreAmerican Artist Makes Lethal Virus Her Muse
With the coronavirus outbreak, people worldwide have become preoccupied with a threat so physically small that it can’t be seen. The invisible world of viruses has long fascinated multi-media artist
Read MoreUS Singer Akon Looks to Break Ground on $6B Futuristic City Project in Senegal
American singer Akon says he is moving ahead with plans to break ground on a $6 billion futuristic self-named city in Senegal next year. On Monday, Akon traveled with government officials to the site
Read MoreNational Security Law Threatens Hong Kong’s Publishers, Booksellers
Hong Kong’s booksellers and publishers, long known as champions of freedom of expression in the Chinese territory, are now under greater threat following the new National Security Law enacted in
Read MoreLady Gaga Dominates at MTV VMAs, The Weeknd Wins Top Award
Lady Gaga cleaned house at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, while The Weeknd took home the top prize — and both pop stars sent important messages to viewers about
Read MoreChadwick Boseman’s Death Leaves Saddening Mark on Rough 2020
Kobe Bryant. Rep. John Lewis. And now, Chadwick Boseman.So far, 2020 has been marred with bad news and tragedy with the deaths of several popular Black icons including Bryant, Lewis
Read MoreKenyan Artists Use their Craft to Spread Messages About COVID-19
The job losses in Kenya that resulted from the COVID-19 lockdown have also hurt Kenyan artists, who are trying to find different ways to promote their craft and make a
Read More2020 Tango World Cup Held Virtually
The 2020 Tango World Cup, an annual event held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was held virtually this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.For the champions of the stage category Valentín
Read MoreCanals, Carpets and Kisses: Fun Moments from Venice Festival
It starts with a boat ride in, and for the lucky few, ends with a kiss on the side of the trophy.The Venice Film Festival is an early stop for
Read MoreAs COVID-19 Cases Rise, Tour de France Sets Off
The legendary Tour de France began Saturday, two months later than usual, and a day after France recorded its sharpest single-day coronavirus caseload since late March.The crowds, usually packing the
Read More‘Black Panther’ Star Chadwick Boseman, 43, Dies from Colon Cancer
Chadwick Boseman, the star of the ground-breaking superhero movie “Black Panther,” has died from colon cancer, his publicist told AFP on Friday.Boseman, who was in his 40s, had not publicly
Read MoreNBA Games Set to Resume Saturday After Player Protests
The National Basketball Association playoffs are set to resume Saturday after players reached a deal with the league that includes increased access to voting in the U.S. presidential election.The deal
Read MoreNew Films Explore New Orleans Post-Katrina Cycle of Trauma
Two films explore the cycle of violence, trauma and incarceration in the Black community of post Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke with filmmakers and community organizers of the documentary “Freedia Got a Gun” and of the drama feature “RZA’s Cutthroat City.” They chronicle causes of
Read MoreMilwaukee Bucks Lead Widespread Sports Protest to US Racial Injustice
Players from the National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee Bucks opted not to play in a playoff game scheduled for Wednesday night in order to call attention to injustices against the African
Read MoreNBA Games Called Off Amid Player Protest Against Racial Injustice
All three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed, with players around the league choosing to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice.Called off: Games between
Read MoreNBA Star LeBron James’ Group Plans Effort to Recruit Poll Workers for November
A group of athletes led by NBA star LeBron James will roll out a multimillion-dollar program in the next few weeks to recruit poll workers in heavily Black electoral districts
Read MoreJamaican Olympic Champion Usain Bolt is Self-Quarantining After Testing Positive for COVID-19
World-record sprinter and eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt is self-quarantining at home in Jamaica, after testing positive for the coronavirus following a party celebrating his 34th birthday attended by several sports stars. Jamaica’s health ministry confirmed
Read MoreKanye Campaign Workers in Wyoming Got Too Close To Polls, Official Says
Rapper and music producer Kanye West’s campaign ran into trouble Tuesday on his first day of trying to get on the presidential ballot in his home state of Wyoming. People
Read More2 Men Charged in ’02 Killing of Run-DMC Star Jam Master Jay
Nearly two decades after the slaying of Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay, federal prosecutors said Monday they have solved one of New York City’s most enduring mysteries, charging two men
Read MoreApple Music Launching Shows With Snoop Dogg, Shania Twain
Apple Music is launching several new radio shows hosted by A-list musical acts, including Snoop Dogg, Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood. The streaming service announced that it will debut two
Read MoreAfrican Fans Bow Down to Beyonce’s ‘Black Is King’
Beyonce’s musical film, “Black is King,” is gaining global fans and critics for its portrayal of African culture. In South Africa, where several scenes in the 85-minute feature were filmed, many say it’s more than just a movie. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Johannesburg. …
Read MoreFeds Urge Judge to OK Prison Deals for Loughlin, Giannulli
Federal prosecutors urged a judge Monday to accept deals that call for “Full House” actor Lori Loughlin to spend two months in prison and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli,
Read MoreBlack Creatives in Italian Fashion Demand Cultural Reform
The only Black designer belonging to Italy’s influential fashion council is demanding a “long overdue cultural reform” from her colleagues under the slogan: Do Black Lives Matter in Italy? The
Read MoreTrump’s Ex-Lawyer Michael Cohen Says to Reveal President’s ‘Skeletons’ in Upcoming Book
Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, on Thursday promised to show how Trump cheated in the 2016 election with Russian help in an upcoming book
Read MoreAMC Reopening Theaters August 20
AMC Entertainment Holdings announced Thursday it is set to reopen many of its movie theaters starting August 20. Its first phase of reopening will include more than 100 of its
Read MoreCOVID-19 Pandemic Prompts Two Major US College Athletic Conferences to Postpone 2020 Football Seasons
The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to have an effect on the sporting world, as two major U.S. college athletic conferences announced Tuesday they are postponing their upcoming fall (gridiron) football
Read MorePhil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’ Is Sales Hit Again After 39 Years, Thanks to Twins’ Reaction Video
Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” is officially a hit single again 39 years after its release, thanks to a pair of twins from Gary, Indiana, whose spontaneous reaction to
Read MoreIsraeli Jeweler Makes $1.5m Gold Coronavirus Mask
An Israeli jewelry company is working on what it says will be the world’s most expensive coronavirus mask, a gold, diamond-encrusted face covering with a price tag of $1.5 million. The
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