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…
Everything to Know about the Oscars Tonight
Hollywood is gearing up for the 95th Academy Awards, where “Everything Everywhere All at Once” comes in the lead nominee and the film industry will hope to move past “the slap” of last year’s ceremony. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Oscars, including when they are, where to watch the live show…
Defending Champion Leaves Iditarod Race Over Health Concerns
Brent Sass, the defending Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion, withdrew from this year’s race on Saturday, citing concerns for his health. Sass scratched at the Eagle Island checkpoint, a statement from the Iditarod said. Eagle Island is about 966 kilometers into the nearly 1,609-kilometer race. “He didn’t feel he could care for his team…
Oscar Nominee ‘Stranger at the Gate’ Tells How Love Conquered Hate
When Richard McKinney was getting married last year, friends stepped in to help. Bibi Bahrami cooked Afghan dishes — from rice with carrots and raisins to chicken and beef — for the wedding guests. Her husband officiated the Islamic part of the ceremony. At first glance, nothing seems unusual about that off-camera wedding scene —…
Tom Hanks is the Best of the Worst at the 2023 Razzies for ‘Elvis’ Role
In the 2022 Elvis film, Tom Hanks’ depiction of Elvis Presley’s real-life former manager, Colonel Tom Parker, is cruel, corrupt, and according to the 2023 Razzie award results, deserving of worst supporting actor and worst screen combo awards. Before celebrating the best films of the season during the Oscar ceremony Sunday, the Razzie Awards called out…
Jaded By Education, More Americans Skip College
When he looked to the future, Grayson Hart always saw a college degree. He was a good student at a good high school. He wanted to be an actor, or maybe a teacher. Growing up, he believed college was the only route to a good job, stability and a happy life. The pandemic changed his…
Oscars’ Race: Clock Ticks as Film Buffs Binge on Nominees
A film buff from Oklahoma City, Elyssa Mann has scant time to waste, needing to cross just four more movies off her Oscars binge list before Sunday’s Academy Awards broadcast: Two animated films, one for cinematography and another for costume design. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Steve Tornello has just one left — the…
John Williams: Hollywood’s Maestro Goes for More Oscars History
From “Star Wars” to “Jaws” to “Schindler’s List,” John Williams has written many of the most instantly recognizable scores in cinema history. The 91-year-old is already the oldest person to receive an Oscar nomination for a competitive award, which he earned thanks to his spare yet poignant compositions for Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans.” With 53…
Ukrainian Art Exhibition Opens in LA; Aims To Raise Money To Build Children’s Hospital
An exhibition of Ukrainian traditional clothing and unique art pieces opened in Los Angeles to support Ukrainian artists. The goals are twofold, help the artists but also help children in Ukraine. Khrystyna Shvchenko has the story. …
Heat Takes Toll as Iditarod Mushers Trek Across Alaska
Mushers and their dogs in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race face plenty of variables in the Alaska wilderness. An unexpected one this year has been heat that is taking a toll in a sport better suited for temperatures well below zero. Jason Mackey said a thermometer hanging from the back of his sled hit…