FIFA revealed eight different armbands highlighting social causes that sides will be able to wear at the women’s World Cup as world football’s governing body seeks to avoid a row that erupted at last year’s men’s World Cup. Captains from a number of European countries, including England and Germany, planned to wear a “OneLove” armband…
Alan Arkin, Oscar-Winning ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ Actor, Dies at 89
Alan Arkin, the wry character actor who demonstrated his versatility in everything from farcical comedy to chilling drama as he received four Academy Award nominations and won an Oscar in 2007 for “Little Miss Sunshine,” has died. He was 89. His sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony confirmed their father’s death through the actor’s publicist on…
Nigerian Student in New York Joins Ocean Expedition Near Greenland
A Nigerian student working toward a doctorate in geological sciences at the State University of New York, Binghamton, has joined an ocean expedition near Greenland and Iceland. “I was captivated by the potential for groundbreaking research and knew immediately that I wanted to be part of such a significant scientific endeavor,” Halima Ibrahim told BingUNews.…
Hollywood Actors May Join Writers Strike
Hollywood actors may be on the verge of joining screenwriters in what would be the first two-union strike in the industry in more than six decades, with huge consequences for film and television production. Here is a look at how it could play out, and why it’s happening. What’s happening with actors’ negotiations? The contract…
California Screenwriters Continue Strike Costing Hollywood Millions Daily
A screenwriters’ strike in Hollywood has been going on for two months, grinding scripted TV production basically to a halt and costing California millions in losses each day. Angelina Bagdasaryan has more in this story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian …
Examining International Student Loan Options for African Students
After School Africa offers an in-depth look at the best international student loans for African students and details the ins and outs of getting them. In the U.S., federal student loans are often touted as the best option. But many foreign students find they’re not eligible and end up looking at private student loans. Read…
UNESCO Expected to Accept US Return
Members of the U.N.’s cultural agency are gathering Thursday for the start of two days of meetings in Paris that are expected to include a vote to accept the return of the United States to the organization. The United States withdrew in 2018 complaining of anti-Israel bias and mismanagement at the agency. Before leaving, the…
International Students Worry AI Detectors Wrongly Flag Them as Cheaters
Some universities are using AI detectors to root out cheating. But international students worry that they’ll be wrongly targeted by the algorithms. A recent study from Stanford University underscores the concern, finding that AI detectors can be “unreliable and biased against non-native English writers,” the Financial Express reports. Among other things, the study found that…
Actor Julian Sands Died While Hiking on California Mountain, Authorities Confirm
Actor Julian Sands, who starred in several Oscar-nominated films in the late 1980s and ’90s including “A Room with a View” and “Leaving Las Vegas,” was found dead on a Southern California mountain five months after he disappeared while hiking, authorities said Tuesday. An investigation confirmed that it was Sands whose remains hikers found Saturday…
Klimt Portrait Sets European Auction Record: $108 Million
A portrait of an unnamed woman by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt sold for 85.3 million pounds ($108.4 million) on Tuesday, setting a record price for any work of art sold at an auction in Europe, London-based auction house Sotheby’s said. The painting, which had been given a guide price of 65 million pounds ($82.9…
Can US Reverse College Enrollment Declines?
Due to a shrinking youth population, the dislocations of the pandemic and rising tuition costs, fewer Americans are choosing college. However, it remains a good choice – graduates earn more and even live longer. Katharine Meyer of the Brookings Institution offers recommendations, such as financial aid for older people and partnerships with local businesses and…
Italy Looks for Man Seen in Viral Video Carving Names Into Rome’s Almost 2,000-Year-Old Colosseum
Italy’s culture and tourism ministers have vowed to find and punish a tourist who was filmed carving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend in the wall of the Colosseum in Rome, a crime that resulted in hefty fines in the past. Video of the incident went viral on social media. The message reading…
Women’s World Cup Guide: How to Watch, Schedule and Betting Favorites
The United States will be playing for an unprecedented three-peat at this year’s Women’s World Cup. It won’t be easy for the No. 1 team in the world. Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the quadrennial tournament kicks off on July 20 and features an expanded field of 32 teams, up from 24. There are…
How Are US-China Tensions Affecting Student Exchange?
There are currently only about 350 Americans studying in China, down from 15,000 a decade ago. Meanwhile, there are over 300,000 Chinese nationals studying in the U.S. The mismatch is due to growing mistrust in the U.S. of China’s government, as well as the impact of China’s “zero-COVID” strategy on foreign travel – and it…
UNESCO Members to Decide on US Rejoining
UNESCO member states meet later this week on the Biden administration’s bid to rejoin the Paris-based U.N. scientific and cultural body, a move that will inject hundreds of millions of welcome dollars into its coffers and give the United States a say in shaping programs ranging from climate change to education and artificial intelligence. Few…
‘Emotional’ Elton John Closes Out Glastonbury Festival
Elton John gave the final concert at Britain’s legendary Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, bringing down the curtain on the annual spectacular with what could be his final U.K. performance. “I never thought I’d ever play Glastonbury,” he told the crowd. “It’s a very special and emotional night for me — it might be my very…
International African American Museum, Reclaims Sacred Ground for Enslaved Kin
When the International African American Museum opens to the public Tuesday in South Carolina, it becomes a new site of homecoming and pilgrimage for descendants of enslaved Africans whose arrival in the Western Hemisphere begins on the docks of the Lowcountry coast. Overlooking the old wharf in Charleston at which nearly half of the enslaved…
‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Reclaims Box Office, ‘The Flash’ Drops
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” slung its webs back atop the box office ranks while “The Flash” saw a drop faster than the film’s speedy character. The Spidey animated sequel — starring Shameik Moore as the teenage webslinger Miles Morales — reclaimed the No. 1 spot in its fourth week in North American theaters, scoring $19.3…
In Push for More Black US Players, MLB Hopes Results Are on the Horizon
Zion Rose is well aware that the percentage of Black U.S. players in Major League Baseball has been on the decline for decades. But the 18-year-old catcher from Chicago, still sweaty from a workout during MLB’s Draft Combine this week at Chase Field in Phoenix, said he’s got some news: That’s not going to be…
Ambitious Saudi Plans To Ramp Up Hajj Could Face Challenges from Climate Change
Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans to welcome millions more pilgrims to Islam’s holiest sites. But as climate change heats up an already scorching region, the annual Hajj pilgrimage — much of which takes place outdoors in the desert — could prove even more daunting. The increased number of pilgrims, with the associated surge in international…
Europe Repurposes Churches as Faithful Dwindle
The confessionals where generations of Belgians admitted their sins stood stacked in a corner of what was once Sacred Heart Church, proof the stalls — as well as the Roman Catholic house of worship — had outlived their purpose. The building is to close for two years while a cafe and concert stage are added…
Upcycling Turns Would-Be Trash into Ice Cream and Pizza
At Tyler Malek’s ice cream parlors, one cook’s trash is another chef’s frosty treat. The head ice cream maker at the Portland, Oregon-based Salt & Straw uses the whey leftover from yogurt makers in upstate New York to make his lemon curd flavor. For chocolate barley milk, he mixes in the remnants of rice and…
How Do I Apply for a US Student Visa?
US News & World Report just released an updated guide to the process. It describes the types of visas, the typical processing time and what to bring to your visa interview. Read the explainer from Anayat Durrani. (June 2023) …
Four Ukrainians Intern at New York’s Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera in New York not only organizes concerts and campaigns to support Ukraine but also has offered four Ukrainians an internship. Iryna Solomko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. …
Big Names in Fashion, Tech, Entertainment Attend DC Dinner for India’s Modi
Titans of business, fashion, entertainment and more made the guest list for Thursday’s big White House dinner in honor India’s Narendra Modi, with the likes of designer Ralph Lauren, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and tennis legend Billie Jean King rubbing shoulders with tech leaders from Apple, Google and Microsoft. Shyamalan powered past reporters as he…
Will Men Become an Underrepresented Group on Campus?
Women make up 58% of American undergraduates, and many colleges are struggling to attract male applicants and get them to graduate on time. The gender gap is sharpest among minorities, rural communities and low-income students. Many men struggle to ask for help and believe they “do not belong” in college. Andrew Smith has more for…
Hope for Baseball Flourishes in Nigeria, Despite Lack of Resources
Introduced in Nigeria by the U.S. Peace Corps in the 1960s, baseball is slowly becoming a sport of note, thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated enthusiasts of the game. Timothy Obiezu reports from Ekiti state. …
Drone Photo and Video Competition Shows Stunning Views of Earth
Drone photographers and videographers from around the world submitted more than 65,000 pieces of work in an annual online competition. VOA’s Julie Taboh highlights some of the winning entries. Editing: Adam Greenbaum …