LOS ANGELES — Las Vegas will be flooded with so many pre- Super Bowl events that Shaquille O’Neal lowered the prices to his popular carnival-themed “Shaq’s Fun House.” Instead of raising the rate, O’Neal decided to offer potential attendees more bang for their buck to the NBA legend’s sixth annual event planned for Friday in Sin…
Annette Bening Honored as Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Annette Bening, a two-time Golden Globe winner who recently received her fifth Oscar nomination, was feted Tuesday with a raucous parade full of colorful costumes and drag performers as part of festivities honoring her as Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals 2024 Woman of the Year. A few hours later, Benning endured a celebrity…
Singer-Songwriter Toby Keith Dies After Battling Stomach Cancer
Taylor Swift Wins Album of the Year At The Grammy Awards for 4th Time
LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift won album of the year at the Grammy Awards for “Midnights,” breaking the record for most wins in the category with four. She began her speech by thanking her producer and friend Jack Antonoff and added, “I would love to tell you this is the happiest moment of my life,” she…
Pakistan’s Wedding Season Heats Up in Cool Weather
Karachi, Pakistan — There’s a scrum of people trying to get photos with the married couple at the Radiance banquet hall, and you can barely hear someone talk above the din of 400 guests tucking into biryani and chicken tikka, music and the drone whirring around the room. The bejeweled bride and her natty groom are…
Documentary About Holocaust Photographer Captures Images of Jewish Life
A new documentary called “Vishniac” tells the story of 20th century Jewish photographer Roman Vishniac, who was born in Russia, escaped the Holocaust, and eventually settled in America. His iconic photographs later helped inform the movie “Schindler’s List.” Anna Nelson has this report, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by: Elena Matusovsky, Natalia Latukhina. …
‘Argylle,’ With Checkered Reviews, Flops With $18M for Big-Budget Apple Release
New York — Apple has had its first box office flop. “Argylle,” the $200-million star-studded spy thriller from Apple Studios, debuted with $18 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film, directed by Matthew Vaughn, managed to lead the weekend box office, but still found little interest from moviegoers. Although Apple has been…
6 Shoes, $8 Million: Auction of Michael Jordan’s Sneakers Sets Record
New York — A collection of sneakers that superstar Michael Jordan wore as he and the Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships has fetched $8 million at auction, setting a record for game-worn sneakers, Sotheby’s said. The six Air Jordan shoes — one apiece from the last games of the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and…
Taylor Swift Chases Album of Year Record at Female-Focused Grammys
LOS ANGELES — Luminaries of the music business gather to hand out the annual Grammy awards on Sunday at a red-carpet ceremony that may culminate with another record for Taylor Swift. The 34-year-old pop superstar in the middle of the world’s highest-grossing tour is competing for an unprecedented fourth album of the year trophy with “Midnights.”…
Music from Africa Rising on Global Charts, with Help from TikTok
LOS ANGELES — When the biggest names in music gather Sunday for the industry’s top honors at the Grammy Awards, they will hand out a new trophy for best African music performance. The prize reflects the growing popularity of Afrobeats, and other music from the continent, which is gaining a global audience with help from social…
New Amazon TV Series Filmed in Hong Kong but Unavailable There
Hong Kong — Frustrated Hong Kong residents say they have been unable to watch the online TV series Expats, starring Hollywood star Nicole Kidman, which was launched globally on Amazon Prime Video late last week and focuses on the former British colony. The six-part show, directed by Chinese-born American filmmaker Lulu Wang, is based on a…
Too Pretty? Easter Poster of Jesus Prompts Criticism in Spain
MADRID — A poster in the southern Spanish city of Seville that depicts a young, handsome Jesus wearing only a loincloth has unleashed a storm on social media, with some calling it an affront to the figure of Christ and others posting lewd remarks and memes poking fun at the image. The poster by internationally recognized…
Carl Weathers, Linebacker-Turned-Actor in ‘Rocky,’ ‘Predator’ Movies, Dies
NEW YORK — Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, facing off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore,” has died. He was 76. Matt Luber, his manager, said Weathers died Thursday. His family issued a…
February Is Black History Month in the US
Dissident Russian Rockers Held in Thailand Fly to Israel, Band Says
Bangkok — A dissident Russian-Belarusian rock band held in Thailand on immigration charges have left the kingdom to fly to Israel, according to a post Thursday on the group’s official Facebook page. Bi-2 have criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine, and their arrest sparked fears they would be deported to Russia where…
With Bonfires, Hope, Iran’s Minority Zoroastrians Mark Sadeh Holiday
TEHRAN, Iran — Lighting fires that brightened the night sky, followers of Iran’s minority Zoroastrian religion marked the Sadeh festival in several cities Tuesday, celebrating the end of the coldest winter days. Every year on January 30, Zoroastrians gather after sunset to celebrate the 50 days and 50 nights remaining until spring. Sadah, which means “the…
Kimchi Consumption Grows, Thanks to K-Content, Health Claims
washington — South Korean kimchi exports hit a record high amid a global surge in the popularity of Korean culture, hitting 44,041 tons in 2023, a 7.1% increase from 42,544 tons exported in 2021. Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish made by fermenting cabbage or other vegetables, was exported to 92 countries from South Korea last year,…
Oscar Nomination ‘Bittersweet,’ Says ’20 Days in Mariupol’ Filmmaker
US to Get Olympic Gold Medals After Skater Valieva Disqualified
Momaday, Pulitzer Prize Winner and Giant of Native American Literature, Dead at 89
NEW YORK — N. Scott Momaday, a Pulitzer Prize-winning storyteller, poet, educator and folklorist whose debut novel “House Made of Dawn” is widely credited as the starting point for contemporary Native American literature, has died. He was 89. Momaday died Wednesday at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, publisher HarperCollins announced. He had been in…
Somalia’s Traditional Archery Handed Down for Generations
In Mogadishu, the troubled capital of Somalia, elderly citizens gather every afternoon in the Bondere district for an archery contest. The activity is part of a deeper historical tradition. Jamal Ahmed Osman has more about this unique activity, in this story narrated by Kevin Enochs. Camera and video editing by Abdulkadir Zubeyr. …
Revelers Pack Tampa, Florida, Waterfront for Gasparilla Pirate Fest
Tampa, Florida — Revelers clad in pirate finery packed Tampa’s waterfront this weekend as a flotilla of boats arrived for the city’s annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Led by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the invading pirates docked to make a final demand for the key to the city. Once ashore, the festivities celebrating their annual invasion…
New Orleans Thief Steals 7 King Cakes From Bakery in Very Mardi Gras Way
New Orleans, Louisiana — With their purple, gold and green colors and toy babies hidden inside, king cakes are staples of Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, but apparently they’re also valuable enough to steal — at least this time of year during the Carnival season. A thief stole seven king cakes — about as many…
A Quiet Weekend at the Box Office With ‘The Beekeeper’ on Top
Artist Who Performed Nude Sues Museum Over Sexual Assault Claims
albany, new york — A performer who appeared naked in a show by world-renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art is suing the museum, saying it failed to take action after he was sexually assaulted multiple times by attendees during the performances nearly 14 years ago. The suit was filed…
Some Mayan Ruin Sites Unreachable Because of Gangs, Land Conflicts, Mexico Says
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s government has acknowledged that at least two well-known Mayan ruin sites are unreachable by visitors because of a toxic mix of cartel violence and land disputes. But two tourist guides in the southern state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala, say two other sites that the government claims are still open…
Top Skiers Crashing at an Alarming Rate on World Cup Circuit
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Mikaela Shiffrin, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Petra Vlhova, Alexis Pinturault, Corinne Suter. All five former overall World Cup ski champions or Olympic gold medalists have been involved in severe crashes during races over the past 15 days. And they’re not the only ones. Marco Schwarz, a former world champion who was leading the…
Sabalenka Overpowers Zheng to Retain Australian Open Crown
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Aryna Sabalenka continued to be an irrepressible force at the Australian Open as she powered to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen on Saturday to successfully defend her title and add a second Grand Slam trophy to her cabinet. The Belarusian second seed has barely put a foot wrong…