New York — It’s Met Gala time and the fashion parade of A-listers Monday included a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet surrounded by foliage. Jennifer Lopez went for silver leaves in a second-skin goddess gown and Zendaya was all vamp and fantasy. Both are co-chairs of the annual fundraiser at The …
Read more “Met Gala in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among stars”
New York — “The Fall Guy,” the Ryan Gosling-led, action-comedy ode to stunt performers, opened below expectations with $28.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, providing a lukewarm start to a summer movie season that’s very much to be determined for Hollywood. The Universal Pictures release opened on a weekend that Marvel has regularly dominated with …
Read more “‘The Fall Guy’ gives Hollywood a muted kickoff with $28.5M “
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RIO DE JANEIRO — Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro’s vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans. It was the last show of The Celebration Tour, her first retrospective, which kicked off in October in London. The “Queen …
Read more “Madonna’s biggest-ever concert transforms Rio beach into a massive dance floor”
CHENGDU, China — In 2018, the censors who oversee Chinese media issued a directive to the nation’s entertainment industry: Don’t feature artists with tattoos and those who represent hip-hop or any other subculture. Right after that, a well-known rapper, GAI, missed a gig on a popular singing competition despite a successful first appearance. Speculation went wild: …
Read more “Chinese hip-hop performers seek a voice that reflects their lives”
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY — Twenty horses stampeding toward the first turn in a battle for position. A screaming crowd of 150,000 and maybe some showers that dampen the Churchill Downs dirt strip. It’s the 150th Kentucky Derby. Beyond a couple early wagering favorites, it’s a wide-open race. Post time is 6:57 p.m. Saturday. The forecast calls for …
KASHAN, Iran — The historic Kashan bazaar in central Iran once sat on a major caravan route, its silk carpets known the world over. But for the weavers trying to sell their rugs under its ancient arches, their world has only unraveled since the collapse of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers and wider tensions with …
Read more “Sanctions, hobbled economy hit Iran’s traditional carpet weavers hard”
PARIS — Freshly cooked bread, select cheeses and a broad veggie offer will be among the meals to be offered to athletes and visitors during the 2024 Paris Olympics — including, of course, gourmet dishes created by renowned French chefs. About 40,000 meals are expected to be served each day during the Games to the more …
Read more “Paris Olympic athletes’ meals will have French flair”
Egypt’s eighth annual Aswan International Women Film Festival took place from April 20 to 25. This year’s focus was on the resilience of women, with Egypt’s economic turmoil and the war in neighboring Gaza as a backdrop. Cairo-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam captured scenes around the festival in Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost city known as the country’s …
Read more “Egypt film festival showcases women’s resilience through adversity”
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Barcelona, Spain — French Iranian artist Marjane Satrapi, whose graphic novel “Persepolis” tells the story of a girl growing up in post-revolutionary Iran, was awarded Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias Prize for Communication and Humanity on Tuesday. The prize jury praised the 54-year-old as “one of the most prominent names in international comics, author of what …
Read more “French Iranian author wins top Spanish prize for graphic novel”
new york — The U.S. Soccer Federation and its Mexican counterpart dropped their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup on Monday and said they instead will focus on trying to host the 2031 tournament. The decision left a proposal from Brazil and a joint Germany-Netherlands-Belgium plan competing to be picked for 2027 by …
houston — Time marches on and all good things must come to an end. But don’t tell that to The Rolling Stones. What many believe to be the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon as they kicked off their latest tour Sunday night at NRG Stadium …
Read more “Rolling Stones show no signs of slowing down as they begin their latest tour”
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Tehran, Iran — Iranian authorities have banned an Egyptian TV series depicting a medieval Persian figure over historical “distortions” and “a biased approach,” state media reported Sunday. “The Assassins,” or “El-Hashashin” in Arabic, recounts the story of Hassan-i Sabbah, the controversial founder of an offshoot Shiite Muslim sect known for bloody political assassinations during the 11th …
Read more “Iran bans Egyptian TV drama on historical Islamic leader”
London — Prince Harry will return to Britain to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games in May, before joining his wife Meghan on a visit to Nigeria, his spokesperson said Sunday. Harry, the youngest son of King Charles, lives in the United States with Meghan and their two children after he gave up working …
Read more “Prince Harry due in London, then Nigeria with Meghan”
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VENICE, Italy — Venice has always been a place of contrasts, of breathtaking beauty and devastating fragility, where history, religion, art and nature have collided over the centuries to produce an otherworldly gem of a city. But even for a place that prides itself on its culture of unusual encounters, Pope Francis’ visit Sunday stood out. …
Read more “Pope visits Venice to speak to artists, inmates behind Biennale’s must-see prison show”
KYIV, Ukraine — Even amid war, Ukraine finds time for the glittery, pop-filled Eurovision Song Contest. Perhaps now even more than ever. Ukraine’s entrants in the pan-continental music competition — the female duo of rapper alyona alyona and singer Jerry Heil — set off from Kyiv for the competition Thursday. In wartime, that means a long …
Read more “Ukrainian duo heads to the Eurovision Song Contest”
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Lausanne, France — Between six and eight Palestinian athletes are expected to compete at the Paris Olympics, with some set to be invited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) even if they fail to qualify, its head, Thomas Bach, said. Bach told AFP on Friday that qualification events for the Paris Games, which start July 26, …
Read more “IOC: Palestinian athletes to be invited to Paris Olympics”
Washington — Iran’s handing of a death sentence this week to dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi has drawn outrage from the Islamic republic’s domestic and international critics, including a German lawmaker who says Tehran risks fueling the backlash if it moves toward executing the artist. In an interview for the Friday edition of VOA’s Flashpoint Global Crises …
Read more “Iran Risks Further Backlash for Death Sentence of Dissident Rapper, Says German MP”
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Victorian dress was forcibly imposed on Namibia’s indigenous ǂNūkhoe women by German colonizers in the late 1800s. Despite the origins, these styles persist today as a symbol of resilience. Lee Garises reports from Windhoek, Namibia. Camera: Jesaya Abraham …