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Board approves more non-lethal weapons for UCLA police after Israel-Hamas war protests
LOS ANGELES — The University of California board of regents approved Thursday additional non-lethal weapons requested by UCLA police, which handled some of the nation’s largest student protests against the Israel-Hamas war. Clashes between protestors and counter-protestors earlier this year on the campus led to more than a dozen injuries, and more than 200 people were…
From street football in Ethiopia to the US Super League
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs charged with racketeering, sex trafficking
NEW YORK — Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been hit with three federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, according to an indictment unsealed on Tuesday. Combs, 54, was arrested in Manhattan by federal agents on Monday night, following a year in which his career was derailed by several…
Historically Black colleges see surge in applications
Japan celebrates historic Emmys triumph for ‘Shogun’
Osaka, Japan — Japan celebrated on Monday the record-breaking Emmy Awards triumph of “Shogun”, although many confessed not having watched the series about the country’s warring dynasties in the feudal era. “Shogun” smashed all-time records at the television awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, taking home an astounding 18 statuettes and becoming the first non-English-language winner…
Tito Jackson, member of the Jackson 5, has died at 70, family says
‘Shogun’ and ‘Hacks’ win top series Emmy Awards
LOS ANGELES — “Hacks” won the comedy series at Sunday’s Emmy Awards, topping “The Bear,” which took home several of the night’s honors. “Shogun” won the best drama series win, collecting a whopping 18 Emmys for its first season, just one of several historic wins. Hiroyuki Sanada won best actor in a drama for “Shogun” on…
The winners: 76th annual Emmy Awards
LOS ANGELES — The 76th annual Emmy Awards were handed out Sunday at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. “Shogun” set a single season record for most wins with 18. “Shogun” won best drama series, and Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai won acting awards for their roles. “Hacks’’ won the award for best comedy series. ”Baby Reindeer”…
Emmys return with ‘Shogun’ and ‘The Bear’ leading the pack
Los Angeles — Hollywood will dole out the annual Emmy Awards, the highest honors in television, Sunday at a red-carpet ceremony where the historical drama “Shogun” and restaurant tale “The Bear” are poised to dominate the night. “Shogun,” a lavish epic about a power struggle in 17th-century Japan, is the front-runner to take the night’s top…
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ No. 1 again; ‘Am I Racist’ cracks top 5
Chainsaw art – turning tree stumps into masterpieces
What is Art? It’s an age-old question: is it paint on canvas, ceramics or sculpture? The fun part is – art can be anything – and can even be created with a chainsaw. That’s the medium of one artist from the U.S. state of Virginia. Maxim Adams has the story. (Camera: Andrey Degtyarev; Produced by: Andrey…
Hispanic Heritage Month puts diversity and culture at the forefront
Muralists paint over traces of violence in Salvadoran neighborhood
MEJICANOS, El Salvador — From the window of her tin-sided shop outside El Salvador’s capital, San Salvador, Esmeralda Quintanilla watches artists get to work in her neighborhood on walls still pockmarked by bullet holes from the country’s civil war and gang conflict. Armed with brushes, paint and spray cans, muralists and graffiti artists have already covered…
Brazilian dog plays footvolley by passing, driving ball with his snout
rio de janeiro — Rio de Janeiro’s main beaches bustle with commotion on sunny weekends. But activity ground to a near standstill on one stretch of sand. People held up their phones to record athletic feats they’d never before witnessed, or even imagined. The game? Footvolley, a combination of soccer and beach volleyball. The athlete? A…
Nightlife now rules in Iraq’s former IS bastion
Mosul, Iraq — If they had tried to do this a few years ago, the group of Iraqi women enjoying a night out in Mosul would probably have risked severe punishment. The northern city was under the harsh rule of the Islamic State group until the jihadists were ousted from their last major Iraqi bastion in…
Ballerina DePrince, whose career inspired many after she was born into war, dies at 29
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Ballet dancer Michaela Mabinty DePrince, who came to the United States from an orphanage in war-ravaged Sierra Leone and performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, has died, her family said in a statement. She was 29. “Michaela touched so many lives across the world, including ours. She was an unforgettable…
Prince Harry turns 40 as the royal scamp moves to middle age
LONDON — Prince Harry was always something different. From the moment he first appeared in public, snuggled in Princess Diana’s arms outside the London hospital where he was born in 1984, Harry was the ginger-haired scamp who stuck his tongue out at photographers. He grew to be a boisterous adolescent who was roundly criticized for wearing…
Brazil officially welcomes return of sacred Indigenous cloak from Denmark
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil formally received on Thursday the return from Denmark of an Indigenous cloak made with 4,000 red feathers of the scarlet ibis bird, a sacred mantle that was taken by Europeans during the 17th century colonial era. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended the ceremony outside Brazil’s National Museum in Rio…
Animal rights groups object to Buckingham Palace guards’ bearskin caps
london — An animal rights group trying to get real fur out of the bearskin caps worn by King’s Guards at Buckingham Palace took aim Thursday at the cost of the ceremonial garb. The price of the caps soared 30% in a year to more than 2,000 pounds ($2,600) apiece for the hats made of black…
‘Groundbreaking’ realism key to ‘Shogun’ success
Tokyo — The samurai in Shogun don’t swing their arms as they walk — just one of many authentic historical details that have helped make the hit television drama this year’s top Emmys contender. The period drama, praised for its meticulous approach to accuracy, made TV history with 25 Emmy nominations, and has already swept up…
Fewer men enrolling in college
Smithsonian honors long-running US TV show
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” has just been renewed for its 25th season. It is the longest-running prime-time drama on U.S. television. The show’s lead character, Captain Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, has become such a fixture in American life she was recently honored by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. VOA’s…
Pope wraps up Asia-Pacific tour, defies health fears along the way
Singapore — Pope Francis wrapped up an arduous 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific on Friday, defying health concerns to connect with believers from the jungle of Papua New Guinea to the skyscrapers of Singapore. The 87-year-old pontiff flies home to Rome from Singapore, completing his longest trip in duration and distance since he became head of…
Nine charged in police breakup of pro-Palestinian camp at US university
ann arbor, michigan — Authorities have filed charges against nine people who are accused of trespassing or resisting police during the May breakup of a pro-Palestinian camp at the University of Michigan. “The First Amendment does not provide a cover for illegal activity,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday, a day after charges were filed in…
Colleges get ready for return of protests
Chess academy helps children learn discipline, problem-solving skills
One Washington teacher’s attempt to help one student has turned into something much larger. VOA’s Philip Alexiou has this story of a chess academy for kids. (Camera and produced by: Philip Alexiou) …
Morgan Wallen leads the 2024 Country Music Association award nominations
NEW YORK — He had some help: Morgan Wallen tops the 2024 Country Music Association Awards nominations with seven. For a third year in a row, Wallen is up for both the top prize — entertainer of the year — and the male vocalist categories. Rounding out the entertainer of the year categories are Luke Combs,…