Teri Garr, comic actor of ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘Tootsie,’ has died

LOS ANGELES — Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as Young Frankenstein and Tootsie, has died. She was 79.  Garr died Tuesday of multiple sclerosis “surrounded by family and friends,” publicist Heidi Schaeffer said. Garr battled other health problems in recent years…

Authorities in Shanghai crack down on Halloween celebrations

In Shanghai, police, not trick-or-treaters and partygoers, are taking to the streets this week as the city approaches Halloween. The strengthened police force accompanies official notices prohibiting citizens from “role-playing” on Halloween, signaling the government’s paranoia over the social instability the holiday’s festivities could bring. Videos online show police cars lining the streets of Shanghai,…

Nigeria praises CAF decision in controversy over Libya’s treatment of Nigerian footballers

Abuja, Nigeria — Africa’s football governing body has sided with Nigeria in that country’s dispute with Libya over a canceled qualifying game. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded Nigeria a 3-0 victory over Libya following accusations Libya deliberately breached competition guidelines. Libya’s football federation is appealing. The decision by the CAF puts Nigeria at the…

Texas Country Boys give charity concerts in war-torn Ukraine

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a musical group of American Christians calling themselves the Texas Country Boys have been playing charity events in Ukraine. Tetiana Kukurika met with the band members to find out why Ukraine is so important to them. Anna Rice narrates her story. (Camera: Sergiy Rybchynski; Produced by:  Vitaliy Hrychanyuk and Anna…

Music students find community through ‘international chat’ program

State University of New York at Fredonia is trying a new method to help international music students feel at home. A professor at the school hosts informal chats — known as “international chat” — several times a semester. The goal, the school says in an article, is to function “as a study group session for…

Bavarian tradition honors St. Leonhard, patron saint of farmers, horses and livestock

WARNGAU, Germany — Farmers and their horses walked in a festive parade through the small Bavarian town of Warngau on Sunday to honor their patron saint, St. Leonhard. Their manes neatly combed, the massive horses were decorated with ribbons and greenery as they pulled the adorned carriages to a local church as part of the procession…

‘Venom: The Last Dance’ misses projections as superhero films’ grip on theaters loosens

New York — “Venom: The Last Dance” showed less bite than expected at the box office, collecting $51 million in its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, significantly down from the alien symbiote franchise’s previous entries. Projections for the third “Venom” film from Sony Pictures had been closer to $65 million. More concerning, though, was…

War casts shadow over Lebanon’s ancient Baalbek

Baalbek, Lebanon — Since war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah, the famed Palmyra Hotel in east Lebanon’s Baalbek has been without visitors, but long-time employee Rabih Salika refuses to leave — even as bombs drop nearby. The hotel, which was built in 1874, once welcomed renowned guests including former French President Charles de Gaulle and American…

Thousands turn out for Thai royal barge pageantry 

Bangkok — Thousands of well-wishers lined the banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River Sunday to watch King Maha Vajiralongkorn ride a glittering royal barge procession to mark his 72nd birthday. A flotilla of 52 ornately decorated boats, paddled by more than 2,000 oarsmen decked out in scarlet and gold, carried the king and Queen Suthida in…

Major Vatican meeting sidelines talks of women priests, deacons

Rome — A major Vatican meeting gathering clerics and laity across the globe to discuss the future of the Catholic Church closes this weekend, thwarting discussion of women becoming priests or deacons in the world’s largest Christian denomination. But that didn’t stop a half-dozen Catholic women from “ordination” in a secret ceremony in Rome that was…

Bassist Lesh, founding member of Grateful Dead, dies at 84 

los angeles — Phil Lesh, a classically trained violinist and jazz trumpeter who found his true calling reinventing the role of rock bass guitar as a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday at age 84. Lesh’s death was announced on his Instagram account. He was the oldest and one of the longest-surviving members of…

Portland State U has tough time enrolling international students

Portland State university has a problem with its international student enrollment, and it wants to find out why. The school says it’s found potential fraud in about 14% of international applications. It’s also found that of the 46 students from India and Bangladesh it accepted, 20 sent deposits but only three actually enrolled. Read the…

Student from Bangladesh pursues academic passions at Mississippi school

Shihab Hossain Saran, a student from Bangladesh studying at the University of Southern Mississippi, is studying marine science with an emphasis on physical oceanography. Here, he talks about his successes and his visions for the future. (October 2024)  …

New US campus protest rules spur outcry from college faculty

Dissent is thriving this fall at American colleges, and not just among student activists. With student protests limited by new restrictions, faculty have taken up the cause.   To faculty, new protest rules threaten freedom of speech — and the freedom to think, both central to university life. This semester, some of the most visible…

Ukrainians find normalcy between shellings in Sumy ‘art yard’  

In the front-line city of Sumy, Ukraine, some residents are trying to create a sense of normalcy despite constant Russian shelling. One particularly determined Sumy native has created an oasis of art in his yard. Olena Adamenko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Yuriy Andriushchenko        …

Miami U. student’s fieldwork aids US officials in Serbia

An international student at Miami University in Ohio is helping the Serbian government and the U.S. Embassy through her research. Anastasija Mladenovska, who’s originally from Macedonia and who speaks English, Russian, Serbian and French, is studying political science, finance and Russia. As part of that, she did field research in Belgrade, Serbia. “By integrating herself…

‘Smile 2’ grinning to No. 1 at box office; ‘Anora’ glitters

Horror movies topped the domestic box office charts, and an Oscar contender got off to a sparkling start this weekend. “Smile 2,” in its first weekend, and “Terrifier 3” in its second proved to be the big draws for general movie audiences in North America, while the Palme d’Or winner “Anora” got the best per-theater…

Cher, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne among Rock Hall of Fame inductees

NEW YORK — Cher, Mary J. Blige and Ozzy Osbourne were among this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, an elite group formally introduced into the music pantheon Saturday at a star-studded concert gala. Kool & the Gang, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, and Peter Frampton round out the 2024 class…

6-time Olympic cycling champion Hoy reveals he has terminal cancer

Britain’s six-time Olympic track cycling champion Chris Hoy has revealed he has “two to four years” to live after he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer which metastasized to his bones. The announcement comes after the 48-year-old Scot said in February he was feeling “optimistic and positive” as he was undergoing treatment for an unspecified…

Nepal’s Sherpas deserve more, says teen who scaled world’s 14 tallest peaks

KATHMANDU, Nepal — A Nepali teenager, the youngest person ever to scale all 14 of the world’s tallest peaks, says he wants to use his skills to benefit the Himalayan nation’s Sherpa community and turn out world-class athletes. Sherpas, an ethnic group living mainly in the vicinity of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, are known…

Acik Radyo falls silent as Turkish media regulator revokes license

ISTANBUL — With a farewell song of “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys, a Turkish radio station fell silent this week after nearly 30 years of broadcasts. The final Acik Radyo broadcast on Wednesday came as a court upheld the Turkish media regulator’s order to revoke the Istanbul-based station’s license over the mention of “Armenian genocide”…

Death of ex-One Direction member Liam Payne at 31 shocks fans around the world

Buenos Aires, Argentina — The death of Liam Payne, who shot to stardom as a member of British boy band One Direction and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world Thursday as Argentine investigators continued their investigation at the scene. Fans, music-industry figures and fellow musicians paid tribute…

One Direction singer Liam Payne dead after falling from Buenos Aires hotel balcony

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after the 31-year-old fell from his third-floor room balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentine police said on Wednesday. Police said in a statement that they were called to the CasaSur hotel in the capital’s leafy Palermo neighborhood after being notified of…