Protesters gathered underneath Rio de Janeiro’s famed Sugarloaf Mountain earlier this week to protest construction of four cable lines that will carry tourists over the surrounding forest. The cables, commonly known as zip lines, will carry individuals connected to them by safety harnesses at least 755 meters over the forest to the nearby peak of…
Artist Paints Contemporary Native American Life
Artist Danielle SeeWalker says she is attempting to paint an accurate and insightful representation of contemporary Native American life. Her work is on exhibit in the Western U.S. state of Colorado. VOA’s Scott Stearns gives us a look. Camera: Scott Stearns …
Spain, Morocco Hope Joint Bid for World Cup Will Patch Up Differences
When Morocco stunned Spain – and the world – with a dramatic penalty shootout victory in last year’s World Cup, authorities feared riots would break out. None did and Morocco made history by becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals in what is arguably the world’s biggest sporting event. Now, with the dust…
Army Pulls Recruiting Ads after Jonathan Majors’ Arrest
The arrest of actor Jonathan Majors has upended the Army’s newly launched advertising campaign that was aimed at reviving the service’s struggling recruiting numbers. Majors, who authorities said was arrested Saturday in New York on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment, was the narrator of two ads at the heart of a broader media campaign…
‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Film Comes Out Blazing With $73.5M
“John Wick: Chapter 4,” the fourth installment in the Keanu Reeves assassin series, debuted with a franchise-best $73.5 million at the box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Lionsgate film, starring Reeves as the reluctant-but-not-that-reluctant killer John Wick, exceeded both expectations and previous opening weekends in the R-rated franchise. Since first launching in 2014…
Hundreds Gather in Madrid to Sing for Peace in War-Torn Ukraine
Choirs from across the world joined their voices to sing for peace in Ukraine Sunday, with nearly 300 singers gathering in Madrid where the initiative began a year ago. Under cloudless blue skies, singers from 46 choirs in and around the Spanish capital gathered outside the Reina Sofia art museum and began singing at midday…
Former F1 Champ Fined Nearly $1 Million for Racist, Homophobic Remarks
A former Formula One champion has been fined nearly $1 million in damages for racist and homophobic remarks about Lewis Hamilton, the sport’s only Black driver. Nelson Piquet, 70, a three-time Formula One champion, used a Brazilian racial and homophobic slur in a 2021 television interview about a crash, involving Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who…
Indigenous Artists Help Skateboarding Earn Stamp of Approval
Years ago, skateboarding was branded as a hobby for rebels or stoners in city streets, schoolyards and back alleys. Those days are long gone. Skateboarding, which has Native Hawaiian roots connected to surfing, no longer is on the fringes. It became an Olympic sport in 2020. There are numerous amateur and professional skateboarding competitions in…
Artwork That Secretly Honored Hong Kong Dissidents Removed
A Hong Kong department store took down a digital artwork that contained hidden references to jailed dissidents, in an incident the artist says is evidence of erosion of free speech in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. It was unclear whether the government played a role in the decision to remove the artwork, it came just days…
Basketball Artists School Helps Youth Development in Namibia
In Namibia, the German-supported Basketball Artists School (BAS) has been helping develop the sport while giving hope to at-risk youth. Beyond basketball, the program teaches life skills to disadvantaged youth and offers after-school meals. Vitalio Angula reports from Windhoek, Namibia. Camera: Dantagob Geingob …
Africa’s Premier Basketball League Aims to Empower Women
The Basketball Africa League has been around since 2019. It is part of the U.S. National Basketball Association or NBA and expanding basketball into Africa with its first season in 2021. A new initiative is opening the way for women players as well. Seydina Aba Gueye has this report from Dakar in this story narrated…
Biden Honors Springsteen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mindy Kaling
U.S. President Joe Biden made an observation when conferring the National Medal of Arts on rocker Bruce Springsteen on Tuesday: “Bruce, some people are just born to run, man.” Springsteen and a host of actors, authors, singers and other artists joined Biden in the White House East Room where they received either a National Medal…
‘Winnie the Pooh’ Slasher Film Pulled from Hong Kong Cinemas
Public screenings of a slasher film that features Winnie the Pooh were scrapped abruptly in Hong Kong on Tuesday, sparking discussions over increasing censorship in the city. Film distributor VII Pillars Entertainment announced on Facebook that the release of “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” on Thursday had been canceled with “great regret” in Hong…
Ukrainian Artists Use Their Craft to Counter Russian Messaging in Africa
Ukraine is supporting artists painting murals in Europe and Africa to counter Russian disinformation about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Dubbed ”The Wall,” a nod to the album by British rock band Pink Floyd, the project was recently launched in Kenya’s capital and also employs local artists. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi. Kenya footage by Jimmy…
Adam Sandler Receives Mark Twain Prize for Lifetime in Comedy
A host of comedic and entertainment royalty gathered at Washington’s Kennedy Center to present comedy icon Adam Sandler with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Among those scheduled to honor Sandler on Sunday night were Jennifer Aniston, Judd Apatow, Drew Barrymore, Steve Buscemi, Dana Carvey, Luis Guzmán, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David…
Vatican Unveils New Ethnographic Display of Rwanda Screens
The Vatican Museums officially reopened its African and American ethnographic collections Thursday by showcasing intricately restored Rwandan raffia screens that were sent by Catholic missionaries to the Vatican for a 1925 exhibit. The display at the Anima Mundi Ethnological Museum featured a scientific presentation of the restoration process as well as the research that preceded…
What Really Helped Michelle Yeoh Win an Oscar
As tough as action film star Michelle Yeoh is, it still might have been hard for her to clinch the best actress Oscar and become the first Asian woman to win the coveted award in its 95-year history—if everything hadn’t fallen into place. Besides her hard work and talent, Yeoh’s history-making win Sunday is a…
Reporter’s Notebook: FYI on Initialisms, AKA Acronyms
Returning to the United States seven years ago, I was puzzled how the Bureau of Land Management had seemingly become involved with race politics. Then I deciphered that the hashtag #BLM had taken on a new meaning during my quarter century abroad: Black Lives Matter. I was likewise confused when newscasters recently began speaking about…
Muay Thai World Champion Trains Children in Cameroon
Dany Bill is a Cameroon native and seven-time Muay Thai world champion. He was recently in Los Angeles, raising money for his foundation in Africa, which trains young people in the sport. Genia Dulot caught up with him there. …
‘Everything Everywhere’ Dominates Oscars
The comedy-fantasy ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ dominated the Academy Awards Sunday night. The film earned seven Oscar statuettes, including for best picture. Mike O’Sullivan reports the movie’s directors and three of its stars also received Oscars. Produced by Jason Godman …
Japan’s Kenzaburo Oe, Awarded Nobel for Poetic Fiction, Dies
Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo Oe, whose darkly poetic novels were built from his childhood memories during Japan’s postwar occupation and from being the parent of a disabled son, has died. He was 88. Oe, who was also an outspoken anti-nuclear and peace activist, died on March 3, his publisher, Kodansha Ltd., said in a statement…
Full List of Winners at the 2023 Oscars
The 95th Academy Awards took place at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday and were broadcast live on ABC television. The following is the full list of 2023 Oscar winners: Best Picture: “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Best Actor: Brendan Fraser, “The Whale” Best Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert,…
Unconventional ‘Everything Everywhere’ Wins Best Picture at the Oscars
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” won the prestigious best picture trophy at the Academy Awards on Sunday as Hollywood embraced an offbeat story about a Chinese-American family working out their problems across multiple dimensions. The movie claimed three of the four acting Oscars for star Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Yeoh…
Best of Oscars Fashions – 2023
List Of 2023 Oscar Winners
Best supporting actor: Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Best supporting actress: Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Best animated feature: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” Documentary feature: “Navalny” Live action short: “An Irish Goodbye” Cinematography: James Friend, “All Quiet on the Western Front” Makeup and hairstyling: “The Whale” Costume design:…
Oscars Red Carpet: Smooth Elegance, Lots of Trains, Candy Glam
The Oscars is the pinnacle of Hollywood’s awards season, and thus the A-listers in attendance typically save their best looks for last. On Sunday, the stars did not disappoint. As the guests filed into the Dolby Theatre, a few trends emerged: lots of understated white, silver and cream gowns; loose flowing hair; dresses with trains;…
‘Scream VI’ Tops Box Office With Franchise-Best $44.5 Million
Oscar weekend belonged to “Scream VI” in theaters, as the horror sequel notched a franchise-best $44.5 million in domestic ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group co-production sailed past expectations, easily surpassing the previous series high of $32 million that “Scream 2” opened with in 1997. The film’s…
South Africa Rapper Costa Titch, 28, Dies During Performance
The South African rapper Costa Titch died on stage while performing, police said Sunday, as they opened an investigation into the circumstances of the 28-year-old’s sudden death. The artist “collapsed while he was performing” Saturday evening at the Ultra South Africa concert in the Johannesburg suburb of Nasrec, police told AFP. They…