“Creed III” punched above its weight at the domestic box office in its first weekend in theaters. The MGM release knocked “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” out of first place and far surpassed both industry expectations and the opening weekends of the first two movies in the franchise. Playing in 4,007 locations in North America,…
Ohtani, Star-Studded US Eye World Baseball Classic Crown
The battle to find baseball’s global champions gets under way this week when the pandemic-delayed World Baseball Classic returns after a six-year absence with Shohei Ohtani hoping to inspire Japan to a record third title. Teams from 20 countries are participating in the fifth edition of the tournament, with the four first round groups hosted…
Despite War, Ukrainian Women Continue Knitting for Top Designer Brands
Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, Alexandra Alonso Rojas and many others produce their collections with hand-knitted products made by Ukrainian women. It’s been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, but despite the war, Ukrainian women continue to work. Nina Vishneva has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by Vladimir Badikov, Natalia Latukhina. …
War, Anger Cloud Ukrainian Athletes’ Path to Paris Olympics
Ukrainian diver Stanislav Oliferchyk proudly bears the name of his late grandfather, who died in brutalized Mariupol. Russia’s troops turned the Ukrainian port city into a killing zone in the process of capturing it. The elder Stanislav could no longer get the cancer treatment he needed in the ruins, his grandson says. He was 74…
Ancient Restaurant Highlights Iraq’s Archeology Renaissance
An international archeological mission has uncovered the remnants of what is believed to be a 5,000-year-old restaurant or tavern in the ancient city of Lagash in southern Iraq. The discovery of the ancient dining hall — complete with a rudimentary refrigeration system, hundreds of roughly made clay bowls and the fossilized remains of an overcooked…
Archaeologists Find Well-Preserved 500-Year-Old Spices on Baltic Shipwreck
Archaeologists say they have uncovered a “unique” cache of well-preserved spices, from strands of saffron to peppercorns and ginger, on the wreck of a royal ship that sank off Sweden’s Baltic coast more than 500 years ago. The wreck of the Gribshund, owned by King Hans of Denmark and Norway, has lain off the coast…
Tom Sizemore, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ Actor, Dies at 61
Tom Sizemore, the “Saving Private Ryan” actor whose bright 1990s star burned out under the weight of his own domestic violence and drug convictions, died Friday at age 61. The actor had suffered a brain aneurysm on Feb. 18 at his home in Los Angeles. He died in his sleep Friday at a hospital in…
Alaskan Dogsled Race Begins with Smallest Field Ever
The second half-century for the world’s most famous sled dog race is getting off to a rough start. Only 33 mushers will participate in the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Saturday, the smallest field ever to take their dog teams nearly 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) over Alaska’s unforgiving wilderness. This…
Oscar-Nominated Film Reminiscent of Women’s Struggle in Iran
“The Red Suitcase,” a short film by Iranian-born filmmaker Cyrus Neshvad, will compete for an Oscar at the Academy Awards on March 12. The director and his star tell VOA’s Mike O’Sullivan that the film looks at a young woman’s struggle to determine her own future. Camera: Mike O’Sullivan. …
Nobel Peace Prize Activist Sentenced to 10 in Prison in Belarus
Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison by a Belarus court. Bialiatski is the founder of Viasna, a prominent human rights group in Belarus that has provided legal and financial support to protesters, following a wave of unrest in 2020, following disputed election results that returned Belarus strongman…
New Chamber Discovered in Egypt’s Great Pyramid
Scientists in Egypt have discovered a 9-meter hidden corridor near the main entrance of one of the Great Pyramids of Giza. The discovery was made as part of the Scan Project that uses noninvasive technology to look into Egypt’s ancient and mysterious structures without causing any harm. The discovery was found within the Great Pyramid…
Wayne Shorter, Jazz Saxophone Pioneer, Dies at 89
He was in bands led by Miles Davis and Art Blakely, and founded the fusion band Weather Report …
California Names First Asian American Poet Laureate
California has a new poet laureate. And for the first time, that state poet is Asian American. For VOA, Genia Dulot traveled to Fresno, California, to hear from Lee Herrick about his roots and his poetry …
More of Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Youth Abandoning Religious Lifestyle
In Israel, the ultra-Orthodox, who strictly observe Jewish law, are currently about 13% of Israel’s population, although their numbers are growing due to a high birthrate. At the same time, a growing number of ultra-Orthodox youth are opting out of the community, often cutting all ties to their past. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem. VOA…
Slam Poetry Gives Voice to Young Senegalese
In Senegal, slam poetry is making its mark on urban culture and offering young people a way to voice their opinions about their lives and society. Seydina Aba Gueye has this report from Senegal, narrated by Salem Solomon. …
South African Solar-Powered Cinema Inspires African Youth
A South African group is bringing films to African youth in impoverished areas with poor services through solar-powered, portable cinemas. The group, Sunshine Cinema, works in four countries aiming to inspire more youth on the continent through African films. Zaheer Cassim reports from Pankop, South Africa. …
‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Dominates at SAG Awards
The unlikely awards-season juggernaut “Everything Everywhere All at Once” marched on at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, and even gathered stream with wins not just for best ensemble, Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan but also for Jamie Lee Curtis. The SAG Awards, often an Oscar preview, threw some curve balls into the…
The SAG Awards, Streaming Sunday, Oscar Bellwether?
Last year, the top winners at the Screen Actors Guild Awards all corresponded exactly with the Academy Awards winners. Will Sunday’s SAGs offer the same preview? The 29th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will begin at 8 p.m. EST Sunday and be streamed live on Netflix’s YouTube page. After the awards, presented by the film…
Cruise, ‘Everything Everywhere’ Honored at Producers’ Awards
Tom Cruise was honored for his nearly three decades of work as a producer, and “ Everything Everywhere All at Once ” solidified its status as the frontrunner for the best picture Oscar by taking the top prize at Saturday night’s Producers Guild of America Awards. “We love you! We love you!” another Oscar favorite…
Angela Bassett, ‘Wakanda Forever’ Top NAACP Image Awards
Angela Bassett won entertainer of the year at Saturday’s NAACP Image Awards on a night that also saw her take home an acting trophy for the television series “9-1-1.” The Bassett-led Marvel superhero sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” won best motion picture at the ceremony, which was broadcast live on BET from Pasadena, California. Viola…
Media Drop ‘Dilbert’ After Creator’s Black ‘Hate Group’ Remark
The creator of the Dilbert comic strip faced a backlash of cancellations Saturday while defending remarks describing people who are Black as members of “a hate group” from which white people should “get away.” Various media publishers across the U.S. denounced the comments by Dilbert creator Scott Adams as racist, hateful and discriminatory while saying…
French Documentary ‘On The Adamant’ Wins Top Berlinale Prize
The French documentary On the Adamant (Sur l’Adamant) directed by Nicolas Philibert was named best film Saturday at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. The film takes viewers onto a Seine barge in Paris that serves as a floating day care center for adults suffering from mental disorders. “That a documentary is awarded and celebrated,…
Africa’s Largest Film Festival Offers Hope in Burkina Faso
Most film festivals can be counted on to provide entertainment, laced with some introspection. The weeklong FESPACO that opened Saturday in violence-torn Burkina Faso’s capital goes beyond that to also offer hope, and a symbol of endurance: In years of political strife and Islamic extremist attacks, which killed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million in…
Ukrainian Dancers Form Ballet Company in Exile
Sixty Ukrainian ballet dancers fled Ukraine to escape Russia’s invasion over the past year. They ended up in the Netherlands, where they continue to dance together. Mariia Ulianovska has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Kostiantyn Golubchyk …
Ukrainian Dance Production Shows Similarities of Russia’s War, Apartheid
Ukrainians living in South Africa are marking one year since Russia’s invasion with a dance production titled ‘We Stand for Freedom.’ The performance, supported by the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, draws parallels between racial oppression under apartheid and Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Vicky Stark meets some Ukrainians who fled the war in this…
Singer R. Kelly Avoids Lengthy Add-on to 30-Year Prison Sentence
A federal judge on Thursday handed singer R. Kelly a 20-year prison sentence for his convictions of child pornography and the enticement of minors for sex but said he will serve nearly all of the sentence simultaneously with a 30-year sentence imposed last year on racketeering charges. U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber also ordered that…
Killer of US Rapper Nipsey Hussle Jailed for at Least 60 Years
The man who shot dead Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle on a Los Angeles street in 2019 was jailed for at least 60 years Wednesday. Eric Holder had not denied killing Hussle — a fast-rising star whose death sent shockwaves through the music world — but his lawyers argued it was an impulsive crime that took…
NY Met to Let French Make 3D Copies of Two 16th-Century Sculptures
Two 16th-century sculptures, jewels of French Renaissance art, have been on display since 1908 at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. But thanks to modern technology and an unusual agreement, precise 3D copies will be made and installed in the French castle where the originals long resided. The facsimiles plan is the fruit of a…