Teff, an ancient grain from the Horn of Africa, has found new enthusiasts in the United States. It’s being cultivated in the American West and Midwest, where growers note its appeal as a gluten-free “super food.” VOA’s Tewelde Tesfagabir reports from Nevada, narration by Vincent Makori. Videographer: Trésor M. Matondo …
Will Smith Apologizes to Chris Rock for Oscars Slap
Actor Will Smith apologized to comedian Chris Rock one day after slapping him across the face during Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony following a joke Rock made about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith’s apology Monday came after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a formal statement condemning his behavior for slapping…
Academy Condemns Will Smith Oscars Slap, Opens Investigation
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a formal statement Monday condemning Will Smith’s behavior for slapping comedian Chris Rock and announced it was initiating an investigation. Smith slapped Rock across the face during a live broadcast of the 94th Academy Awards ceremony Sunday after the comedian made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, poking fun…
ready – Rising Inflation in US Is Increasingly Hitting Ethnic-food Vendors
Rising costs are impacting day to day living for many Americans. In the Thai community in Los Angeles, many are having to make some hard choices. Nopparat Chaichalearmmongkol has a story reported by Supakit Pattarateranon. Camera: Supakit Pattarateranon …
Chris Rock Not Pressing Charges After Will Smith Oscar Slap
Comedian Chris Rock will not be pressing charges against actor Will Smith following a physical altercation at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Smith slapped Rock across the face during a live broadcast of the ceremony after the comedian made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada…
US Supreme Court to Decide Copyright Fight over Warhol’s Prince Paintings
In a case that could help clarify when and how artists can make use of the work of others, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide a copyright dispute between a photographer and Andy Warhol’s estate over Warhol’s 1984 paintings of rock star Prince. The justices took up the Andy Warhol Foundation’s appeal…
Women, Minorities Making History at the 94th Academy Awards
The 94th Academy Awards ceremony ended in a climactic way, giving the Oscar for Best Picture to “CODA,” a seeming underdog that celebrated deaf representation. Other highlights included an unexpected scuffle and women sweeping the Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Song. VOA’s Penelope Poulou has more. …
List of 2022 Oscar Winners
After a movie year often light on crowds, the Academy Awards named an unabashed crowd-pleaser, the deaf family drama “CODA,” best picture Sunday, handing Hollywood’s top award to a streaming service for the first time. The feel-good moment came after one of the most shocking moments in Oscars history: Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage…
Deaf Actor Kotsur Makes Oscars History, Debose Wins Supporting Actress
Troy Kotsur made history on Sunday as the first deaf man to win an Oscar for his role in “CODA,” and Ariana DeBose took the supporting actress trophy for “West Side Story” as Hollywood returned to all-out glitz at this year’s Academy Awards. In “CODA,” an acronym for “child of deaf adults,” Kotsur played Frank…
Ukrainian Students Overseas Fret About Relatives, the Future
At a boarding school in the Rocky Mountains, a group of Eastern European teenagers made crepes to raise money for the millions of people whose lives have been uprooted by Russia’s war on Ukraine. The students, studying at a pine-dotted campus in northern New Mexico, worry from a world away about their relatives in the…
Oscars Set for Return to Normal, Except All the Changes
For the first time in two years, the Academy Awards are rolling out the red carpet at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre for what the film academy hopes will be a back-to-normal Oscars. Except for all the stuff that’s changed. The telecast for the 94th Academy Awards will begin, as usual, at 8 p.m. EDT on…
Drugs Found in Taylor Hawkins System; Investigation Continues
Taylor Hawkins, for 25 years the drummer for Foo Fighters and best friend of frontman Dave Grohl, has died during a South American tour with the rock band. He was 50. There were few immediate details on how Hawkins died, although the band said in a statement Friday that his death was a “tragic and…
Foo Fighters Drummer Taylor Hawkins Dead at 50
Taylor Hawkins, for 25 years the drummer for Foo Fighters and best friend of frontman Dave Grohl, has died during a South American tour with the rock band. He was 50. There were no immediate details on how Hawkins died, although the band said in a statement Friday that his death was “tragic and untimely…
‘CODA,’ ‘Audible’ Spread Awareness of Deaf Culture
Two films, CODA and Audible, have received multiple Oscar nominations. Whether they will nab the coveted statuettes remains to be seen, but their real victory is that both have made the hearing world more aware of Deaf culture. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke with Audible filmmaker Matthew Ogens, Audible executive producer Nyle Dimarco, and faculty members…
Beyoncé, Billie Eilish to Sing Nominated Songs at Oscars
Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and other nominees for best original song will perform at Sunday’s Oscars, the show’s producers announced Tuesday. Beyoncé will perform her nominated song “Be Alive” from “King Richard,” and Eilish and her brother and co-writer Finneas will perform “No Time To Die” from the James Bond film of the same name. Sebastián…
Oscar Preview: 5 Big Questions Ahead of Sunday’s Awards
The Academy Awards have always loved a comeback story. This year, the Oscars are attempting to star in one, too. On Sunday, the Academy Awards will try to bounce back from a 2021 ceremony that was plagued by pandemic restrictions, a botched ending and record-low ratings. The 94th Academy Awards will return to their usual…
Russian, Belarusian Swimmers Banned from World Championships
Russian and Belarusian swimmers, divers, water polo players and artistic swimmers will no longer be able to compete in the upcoming world championships over the war in Ukraine, swimming’s governing body announced Wednesday. Soon after the invasion, swimming’s governing body, FINA, said it would allow the swimmers to compete, but as neutral athletes who didn’t…
Rachel Zegler Invited to Present at Oscars, Report Says
“West Side Story” star Rachel Zegler may get her Oscars moment after all. The 20-year-old actor has been invited to be a presenter at the ceremony, according to a report in The Hollywood Reporter. The gesture came two days after Zegler, who plays Maria, posted on social media that she had not been invited to…
Surprise Hit ‘Flee’ Tells Human Story of Refugees
An Oscar-nominated Danish documentary chronicling a gay Afghan refugee’s perilous journey to Europe tries to show that being a refugee is what happens to you, not who you are, its director told AFP. “Flee,” an animated film which is up for three Academy Awards, is in the spotlight ahead of Sunday’s Oscars ceremony as the…
Nicaraguan Entrepreneur in LA Joins Aid Effort for Ukraine
As the war unfolds in Ukraine, the owner of Amazing Piñatas in Los Angeles, has found a creative way to help Ukrainian refugees. Originally from Nicaragua, Lorena Robletto tells VOA’s Verónica Villafañe why she wants to help. …
Paris Olympics Sets $26 Rate For 1 Million Tickets
One million tickets for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be sold for $26.50 (24 euros) each with availability for all 32 sports, organizers said Monday. The Paris proposal to the International Olympic Committee sets the basic price lower than that of the 2012 London Olympics, where the tickets cost more than $31. “This is something…
Everything You Need to Know About the 2022 Oscars
Final preparations are underway for the 94th Academy Awards and a long awaited return to Hollywood’s glamorous normalcy after a muted ceremony and ratings low last year. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 Oscars, including where to watch the live show, who’s expected to win and what the big controversies are this…
Campus Ministries Soothe, Rally Students Shaken Over Ukraine
Entering Yale University’s St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel, Oksana Goroshchuk spotted sunflowers adorning a candlelit altar and thought of the fields full of her country’s national blossom near her grandmother’s home in Ukraine. A mezzo-soprano launched into a traditional folk tune that Goroshchuk used to sing growing up, and the postdoctoral medical researcher broke down…
Iditarod Ends as Last Musher Crosses the Finish Line in Nome
The last musher has arrived in Nome, ending the 50th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race across Alaska. Musher Apayauq Reitan of Kaktovik, Alaska, crossed the finish late Saturday night, winning the Red Lantern award and $1,000 for being the final sled dog team to reach the Bering Sea coastal community on Alaska’s…
‘CODA’ Gains Oscar Momentum With Top Prize at PGA Awards
“CODA” won the top prize at Saturday night’s Producers Guild Awards, giving momentum to the possibility that the small film could have a big night at next week’s Oscars. The story of three adult family members who are deaf and a fourth who is not and seeks a singing career beat out bigger contenders including…
‘The Batman,’ Still No. 1, Crosses $300 Million
“The Batman” is still going strong three weeks into its theatrical run, with a tight grip on the top spot at the box office. Robert Pattinson’s debut as the Dark Knight earned an additional $36.8 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. It also slid past the $300 million mark ahead of projections.…
During Pandemic, Sisters Open Denver’s First Vietnamese Coffee Shop
With many small businesses failing during the economic downturn of coronavirus lockdowns, three sisters in the U.S. state of Colorado chose the pandemic to open Denver’s first Vietnamese coffee shop. VOA’s Scott Stearns went to their café to hear their story. …
Ballet Greats Unite For London Ukraine Benefit Gala
World-famous ballet dancers from Russia and Ukraine, Argentina, Cuba, France and Japan come together Saturday for a gala to raise funds for Ukraine and send a message of peace. “We as artists have talent and we need to use this talent to say what we believe in,” Ukraine’s Ivan Putrov, co-organizer of the event to…