Organizers of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival have cancelled this year’s event due to the latest surge in COVID-19 cases in the region.In a statement on the festival’s website, the organizers said they made the decision based on “recent exponential growth of new COVID cases in New Orleans and the region and the…
Jury Selection Set to Begin in R. Kelly Sex Trafficking Case
After several delays, the first phase of the sex trafficking trial of R&B hitmaker R. Kelly will begin with jury selection Monday in New York City. A judge in federal court in Brooklyn will question potential jurors about whether they can keep an open mind about Kelly two years after he was charged with abusing women…
Bobby Bowden, Folksy Coach of Florida State Dynasty, Dies at 91
Bobby Bowden did it all. He put Florida State on the map by taking the football team from an afterthought to a dynasty, and he left an indelible mark on the game with a rare combination of coaching acumen, gracious demeanor and a compassion for those he coached and competed against. The beloved, folksy Hall of Fame coach who built one of the most prolific…
Emotional Messi Says He Wasn’t Prepared to Leave Barcelona
Struggling to control his emotions, Lionel Messi said Sunday in his farewell to Barcelona that he wasn’t prepared to leave the club.Messi began crying even before he started speaking at his farewell ceremony at the Camp Nou Stadium.”This is very hard for me after so many years, after being here my entire life,” he said.…
Kool & the Gang Co-founder Thomas Dies at 70
Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, a founding member of the long-running soul-funk band Kool & the Gang known for such hits as “Celebration” and “Get Down On It,” has died. He was 70.He died peacefully in his sleep Saturday in New Jersey, where he was a resident of Montclair, according to a statement from his representative.Thomas,…
Egypt’s Ancient King Khufu’s Boat Is Moved From Giza Pyramids to a New Home
King Khufu’s Boat, an ancient vessel that is the oldest and largest wooden boat discovered in Egypt, has been painstakingly moved from its longstanding home next to the Giza pyramids to a nearby giant museum, officials said Saturday. The 4,600-year-old vessel, also known as the Solar Boat, was moved to the nearby Grand Egyptian…
Hip-hop Dream Thrives in India’s Largest Slum
After India’s largest slum defeated the pandemic, some of its young residents pulled out their phones to write, shoot and release a triumphant rap video.”At first we were afraid, what would happen to us? But we stood with the doctors… now it’s your turn,” rapped the young men in the video.We Did It — Kar Dikhaya in Hindi…
Pause on US Student Loan Payments Extended Through January
The Biden administration on Friday announced that federal student loan payments will remain suspended through January 2022, extending a pause that began at the start of the pandemic and was scheduled to expire next month.The Education Department said this will be the final extension.Borrowers will not have to make payments on federal student loans during…
Messi on Verge of Joining PSG, Reports L’Equipe
Lionel Messi is set to join Paris St. Germain after Barcelona were forced to let their Argentine talisman go as they could not afford to give him a new contract under La Liga’s salary limit rules, L’Equipe reported on Friday.Earlier on Friday, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino said Messi was an “option” that was being evaluated…
Mountain Biker Cruises Peaks to Promote Afghanistan
Cyclist Farid Noori hopes to increase awareness of his home country’s scenic beauty. Connor Smith has the story. …
New Yorker Turns Farm into Amusement Park Amid Pandemic
Marc Weiss, a farmer in Long Island, New York, was on the verge of bankruptcy because of the coronavirus pandemic. But instead of shutting his farm down, Weiss turned his land into something amazing. Maxim Avloshenko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Max Avloshenko …
China’s Wolf Warrior Diplomacy Traces Its Aggressive Tone to Film Franchise
China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy represents China as an aggressive, rising superpower. The name is inspired by the Chinese blockbuster Wolf Warrior film franchise, whose first film debuted in 2015. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke with experts on film and Chinese diplomacy about the franchise, its Hollywood influence and its phenomenal appeal with Chinese audiences. …
Gotham Awards to Shift to Gender-neutral Acting Awards
The Gotham Awards, the annual New York ceremony for independent film, is the latest film honor to shift to acting categories that aren’t defined by gender. The Gotham Film & Media Institute on Thursday said they will do away with best actor and best actress categories and replace them with “outstanding lead performance” and “outstanding…
Students Criticize Online Learning as Inadequate
Online learning has been grossly inadequate during the 2020-’21 COVID-19 shutdown, according to college and university students interviewed by VOA Student Union.Domestic and international students at U.S. colleges and universities said the pandemic that shut down many schools in March 2020 disrupted their lives and impacted their academic performance. And online learning, despite being touted…
Club: Messi to Leave Barcelona Due to Financial Constraint
Argentina striker Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona despite both parties having reached an agreement over a new contract, the La Liga club said on Thursday, citing economic and structural obstacles to the renewal of deal. “Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new…
Police Arrest 11 Over Racist Abuse of England Players After Euro Final
British police have arrested 11 people as part of an investigation into the online racist abuse directed at some of the Black players in the England soccer team following their defeat in last month’s Euro 2020 final.Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were the targets of the abuse after they missed spot-kicks in a…
In Tokyo, Social Platforms Help the Pandemic Olympics Shine
A condom fixed Jessica Fox’s canoe, and skateboarder Jagger Eaton celebrated his bronze medal by broadcasting live on Instagram. Margielyn Didal “let” Tony Hawk take a picture with her to post on Facebook.The stability of the cardboard framed beds in the athlete’s village has been tested by Olympians who treated them as trampolines on nearly…
Jamaican Hansle Parchment Surprise Gold Medal Winner in Men’s 110-Meters Hurdles
Thursday marked another day of upsets and surprises on Day 16 of the Tokyo Olympics.The upsets occurred at Olympic Stadium, the host venue for track and field, beginning with the men’s 110-meters hurdles, as 31-year-old Jamaican Hansle Parchment edged 23-year-old Grant Holloway of the United States.Holloway is the reigning world champion in the event and…
Georgia Weightlifter Breaks World Record to Conquer Men’s Super Heavyweight Class
Georgian strong man Lasha Talakhadze broke his own world record to retain the title in the men’s heaviest weight class at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday with a combined lift of 488 kg. Talakhadze, who won a gold at the 2016 Rio Games in the same category, lifted 223 kg for the snatch and 265 kg…
Belarusian Olympian Departs Tokyo for Vienna
A Belarusian Olympic sprinter who said she faced punishment if she returned to her country departed Japan Wednesday on a flight bound for Austria. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was scheduled to land in Vienna Wednesday afternoon. She is then expected to travel on to Poland, where the government has offered her a humanitarian visa. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki posted Tuesday on Facebook that he had spoken…
Ghana’s LGBTQ Community Calls for Global Help Over Anti-Gay Bill
Ghanaian lawmakers are facing backlash over a bill before Ghana’s parliament that aims to make gay rights advocacy illegal.Eight lawmakers are sponsoring the bill, which was introduced in parliament Monday. The bill would impose a maximum 10-year prison sentence on people who support and advocate for same-sex and gay rights. Individuals or groups would also…
Turkey Wildfires Scorch Recovery in Hobbled Tourism Sector
Wildfires scorching some of Turkey’s most popular destinations have upended a nascent recovery in the country’s tourism sector hobbled for more than a year by the COVID-19 pandemic.Scenes of happy beachgoers flocking to coastal areas turned nightmarish as fires forced mass-evacuations of tourists and locals alike in cities such as Bodrum and Marmaris.Tuesday marked the…
Panda on Loan to France Gives Birth to Twins
Huan Huan, a giant panda on loan to France, gave birth to twin cubs very early Monday, according to the Beauval zoo. The twins, born around 1 a.m., are Huan Huan and her partner Yuan Zi’s second and third cubs, after the first panda ever born in France, Yuan Meng, in 2017. “The two babies are…
Afghan Fear Complete Taliban Takeover
Young people who have spoken against Taliban rule in Afghanistan or who adopted lifestyles that don’t fit the fundamentalist regime say they fear for their livelihoods and lives as the insurgent group gains more territory. “We live in very critical and dangerous circumstances right now,” said Murtaza Ahmadi, a writer, part-time teacher and government employee. “The Afghan…
At An Extraordinary Olympics, Acts of Kindness Abound
A surfer jumping in to translate for the rival who’d just beaten him. High-jumping friends agreeing to share a gold medal rather than move to a tiebreaker. Two runners falling in a tangle of legs, then helping each other to the finish line.In an extraordinary Olympic Games where mental health has been front and center,…
Italian Stuns in 100-Meter Sprint
Usain Bolt once tightly held on to the mantle of World’s Fastest Man in his lightening quick sprints at multiple Olympic Games. That mantle now, however, has passed on to a Texas-born Italian — 26-year-old Lamont Marcell Jacobs who finished the 100-meter race in 9.8 seconds, clinching Italy’s first medal in the event. “I mean, 9.8 from the Italian guy?” Canada’s Andre DeGrasse said. “I didn’t expect that. I thought my main competition would be…
US Junior Varsity Lineup Upsets Mexico 1-0 to Win Gold Cup
Miles Robinson scored on a header in the 117th minute, and a United States junior varsity lineup upset a mostly front-line Mexico team 1-0 on Sunday night to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Kellyn Acosta, the only player in the U.S. starting lineup who gets playing time when the first-choice roster is together, took a free…
Foreign Student Athletes See Visas Overrule Pay
The U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association has announced that student athletes can profit off their names, images and likenesses, but what does this mean for international student athletes? Connor Smith has this report. …