The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported there was a spike in Islamophobia and a surge in hate crimes against Muslims in the United States last year. The council recommends bringing minority communities together to try to defuse tensions. One such effort is linked to celebrations to mark the end of the Muslim month of…
Soccer’s Governing Body Announces More Bans on Russia
The UEFA Champions League, soccer’s governing body, announced Monday the Russian women’s soccer team will be banned from the Women’s European Championship in July and from participating in qualifying for next year’s World Cup over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian team will be replaced by the Portuguese team for the tournament that will be…
Freedom on Wheels
Skateboarding tends to be the domain of the young and agile. But as Genia Dulot reports from Los Angeles, Tracie Garacochea finds age and limited mobility are no barriers to the sport or other aspects of her life. Videographer: Genia Dulot Produced by: Genia Dulot, Jack Lacy …
Cairo Celebrates Eid al-Fitr Following Two-Year Coronavirus Ban
Egyptian worshippers, workers, families, and friends are celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the three-day Islamic holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. …
Russia’s Bolshoi Scraps Performances by Critical Directors
Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre has announced it is cancelling the performances directed by Kirill Serebrennikov and Timofey Kulyabin who have spoken out against Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. Late Sunday, Russia’s top theatre announced that instead of the three performances of “Nureev,” a ballet directed by Serebrennikov, the audiences this week will see a production of…
The Judds, Ray Charles Join the Country Music Hall of Fame
Ray Charles and The Judds joined the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday in a ceremony filled with tears, music and laughter, just a day after Naomi Judd died unexpectedly. The loss of Naomi Judd altered the normally celebratory ceremony, but the music played on, as the genre’s singers and musicians mourned Naomi Judd…
Taekwondo Champion Who Fled Afghanistan, Then Ukraine Hopes to Represent Afghanistan
Afghan Taekwondo champion Nisar Ahmad Abdulrahimzai fled Afghanistan for Ukraine and is now in Switzerland. Despite his circumstances, he says he is ready to represent Afghanistan in competition. VOA’s Waheed Faizi has the story. …
Naomi Judd, of Grammy-winning Duo The Judds, Dies at 76
Naomi Judd, the Kentucky-born singer of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died. She was 76. The daughters announced her death Saturday in a statement provided to The Associated Press. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the…
Muslim Students at Princeton University Break Ramadan Fast Together
For many students, living and studying at one of the most prestigious schools in the United States can be stressful and sometimes a little lonely. But some Muslim students at Princeton University can find comfort in their community during the month of Ramadan. VOA’s Nida Samir reports. …
Australian Musical Charts Family’s Escape from Nazis in Europe
A musical that depicts the remarkable escape from the Holocaust of a renowned Jewish sculptor and his family is about to open in Australia. Driftwood recounts the journey of Karl Duldig, his wife Slawa Horowitz-Duldig – inventor of the modern foldable umbrella – and their baby daughter, Eva. They fled the Nazis from Vienna in…
Turkey’s Soaring Inflation Mars Ramadan Celebrations
Muslim worshippers in Turkey’s southeastern city of Diyarbakir say they are struggling to purchase essential groceries for Ramadan celebrations because of the country’s high inflation rate. VOA’s Xecican Farqin has details in this report narrated by Rikar Hussein. Camera: Xecican Farqin …
Hong Kong Actor Kenneth Tsang Dies in Quarantine Hotel
Veteran Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang has died while in a COVID-19 quarantine hotel in the southern Chinese city, local media reported. Tsang was best known internationally for his action roles in the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day,” John Woo’sThe Killer” in 1989, Rush Hour 2” in 2001 starring Jackie Chan and Chris…
Flutists Worldwide Unite in Music to Show Support for Ukraine
Belarusian-American composer Eugene Magalif has organized an international musical event to honor and show support for Ukraine. Maxim Moskalkov has the story. Videographer: Andrey Degtyarev …
Harvard Pledges $100 Million to Atone for Role in Slavery
Harvard University is vowing to spend $100 million to research and atone for its extensive ties with slavery, the school’s president announced Tuesday, with plans to identify and support direct descendants of dozens of enslaved people who labored at the Ivy League campus. President Lawrence Bacow announced the funding as Harvard released a new report…
Robotics Company Makes Sensor-Packed Filmmaking Equipment
Sensor-packed robots are changing how movies and commercials are made. Deana Mitchell has the story. …
New Kenyan Play Targets Gender-Based Violence
Kenya saw a jump in cases of gender-based violence (GBV) during its COVID-19 lockdowns, which heightened social and financial stress. To address the problem, Kenyan authorities are turning to the dramatic arts. At the Kenya’s National Theatre in Nairobi, some 65 young people are putting their acting skills to use, as part of Kenya’s latest…
Despite Pandemic Easing, Ramadan Drive-Through Iftars Still Commonplace in US
During Ramadan, communal iftars, or breaking of fasts for Muslims in mosques, are the norm in the United States, but since the coronavirus pandemic began, drive-through food distributions have become popular. VOA’s Faiza Bukhari takes us behind the scenes at one of Virginia’s Islamic centers, where a daily drive-through iftar for roughly 800 people is…
Struggling Marymount California University to Close
Marymount California University, a half-century-old private Catholic institution, will close this summer, its board of trustees announced. The liberal arts school located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula south of Los Angeles has been struggling in recent years due to declining enrollment, rising costs and the coronavirus pandemic, the university said in a statement Friday. “This…
Jon Stewart to Receive Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
A host of celebrities and comedy royalty will gather Sunday night at the Kennedy Center as comedian, talk show host and political influencer Jon Stewart receives the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in humor. Stewart, the 23rd recipient of the prize, will be honored by testimonials and skits from fellow comedians and previous Mark…
Asian Games to Go Ahead in Hangzhou: Malaysian Official
The 2022 Asian Games in China will go ahead, the Olympic Council of Malaysia said Saturday, denying claims that it was facing the possibility of being postponed. The Olympic-sized event is scheduled to be held in September in Hangzhou, a major metropolitan area less than 200 kilometers southwest of Shanghai. Shanghai is currently grappling with…
Female Artists Dominate the Venice Biennale For 1st Time
For the first time in the 127-year history of the Venice Biennale, the world’s oldest and most important contemporary art fair features a majority of female and gender non-conforming artists, under the curatorial direction of Cecilia Alemani. The result is a Biennale that puts the spotlight on artists who have been long overlooked despite prolific…
Iraq Exhibits Restored Art Pillaged After 2003 Invasion
Verdant landscapes, stylized portraits of peasant women, curved sculptures — an exhibition in Baghdad is allowing art aficionados to rediscover the pioneers of contemporary Iraqi art. Around 100 items are on display in the capital, returned and restored nearly two decades after they were looted. Many of the works, including pieces by renowned artists Jawad…
Mask Mandates Return to US College Campuses as Cases Rise
The final weeks of the college school year have been disrupted yet again by COVID-19 as universities bring back mask mandates, switch to online classes and scale back large gatherings in response to upticks in coronavirus infections. Colleges in Washington, D.C., New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Texas have reimposed a range of virus measures,…
Argentine Architect Honors Classic Design at Coachella
The Buenos Aires design and architecture firm Estudio Normal is honoring Argentina’s iconic butterfly chair in a towering art installation at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California. From the festival, Genia Dulot has the story. Camera: Genia Dulot …
From War to Circus: Ukrainian Dancers Find Comfort on US Stage
Onstage, they dance through hoops and perform acrobatics with smiles on their faces. Off it, they hold anguished phone calls with family back in Ukraine. Dancers Anna and Olga have found a sense of calm performing in a circus near New York, but they are still living the war they fled thousands of miles away.…
Cabrera Remains One Hit Away From Baseball’s 3,000 Club
Miguel Cabrera’s pursuit of a rare baseball feat — a 3,000th career hit — remained on hold Thursday, with the New York Yankees taking heat for intentionally walking the Detroit Tigers slugger. Cabrera needs one hit to become just the 33rd player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 3,000-hit milestone, and Tigers fans…
Cooking Show Re-Creates Age-Old Recipes
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes to the lives of many people, and for some, new jobs. Mike O’Sullivan spoke with Max Miller, whose love for history and food led to a post-pandemic career as YouTube creator. …
Cristiano Ronaldo Says One of His Newborn Twins Has Died
Cristiano Ronaldo took to social media on Monday to say one of his newborn twins has died. “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away,” the Manchester United striker wrote in a post also signed by his partner, Georgina Rodriguez. “It is the greatest pain that…