Female footballers playing for Australia’s national team will earn the same as their male counterparts under a deal unveiled Wednesday in a big boost for gender equality.Under a new centralized contract system announced by Football Federation Australia, Matildas stars such as Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter will pocket the same …

President Trump is breaking ties from the state of New York making his official residence in Florida. And now the five-bedroom house where the 45th president of the United States spent his childhood years is on the market. The New York house has changed owners a number of times since …

Fifty years ago, beloved entertainer Carol Burnett appeared on the very first broadcast of a quirky TV program that featured a bunch of furry puppets.    Blink and you might miss it, but Burnett followed a cartoon about a witch called Wanda, which was loaded with words beginning with the …

Novelist Ernest J. Gaines, whose poor childhood on a small Louisiana plantation town germinated the stories of black struggles that grew into universal stories of grace and beauty, has died. He was 86.Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ office on Tuesday released word of his death.Edwards said in a statement that …

A bakery located in a suburb of Long Island, New York is being held as a symbol of interfaith harmony by the local population and media. VOA’s Aunshuman Apte visited the bakery and spoke to its Pakistani American owner to find out why people of different faiths are attracted to …

Musicians in Cameroon are having a hard time making sales and getting airplay — blaming the popularity of Nigerian music.  They say night clubs and media are promoting Nigerian songs over the local product.  But the clubs say they are only responding to people’s requests.This song “One Ticket” by Nigerian pop …

If you have an extra 20 bucks you could spend it on a kitten or two. You can do just that at places in California or Washington, D.C. called the Kitten Lounge, and if you fall in love with one of these little furballs, well you can take one home. …

Thando Makasi has always been a rugby fan, she says — a rare black supporter in a sport long associated with her country’s white minority.But times are changing. On Saturday, South African rugby fans of all racial backgrounds cheered as a black player from her small, impoverished hometown, helmed the national …

Gert Boyle, the colorful chairwoman of Oregon-based Columbia Sportswear Co. who starred in ads proclaiming her as “One Tough Mother,” died Sunday. She was 95.Company spokeswoman Mary Ellen Glynn did not disclose the cause of death. Boyle, who was chairwoman of the company board of directors, died at a Portland, …

Brian Tarantina, a character actor who was most recently known for his role in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” has died in his Manhattan home. He was 60.The New York Police Department said officers responded to the apartment on West 51st Street shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday.They found Tarantina on his …

The song “Baby Shark” blared over loudspeakers and a wave of red washed across this politically blue capital Saturday as Nationals fans rejoiced at a parade marking Washington’s first World Series victory since 1924. They say good things come to those who wait. Ninety-five years is a pretty long wait,” Nationals …

A controversial fraud case against Russia’s leading theater and movie director, Kirill Serebrennikov, was relaunched Friday by prosecutors in Moscow after a string of small legal wins this year upset their case.The 50-year-old Serebrennikov and three co-defendants are accused of embezzling up to $2 million in public money from a …

Martin Scorsese’s crime epic “The Irishman” landed in theaters Friday, but not nearly enough of them for theater owners.John Fithian, president and chief executive of National Association of Theater Owners on Friday lamented Netflix’s rollout of one of the year’s most acclaimed films, from one of cinema’s top filmmakers.“Martin Scorsese …

French luxury group LVMH has offered to buy Tiffany & Co. for $14.5 billion in cash, sending shares in the New York jewelers soaring.The purchase would add another household name to LVMH’s plethora of upscale brands. It owns fashion names such as Christian Dior, Fendi, and Givenchy as well as …

In Ivory Coast, an artist works hard for his money, painting scenes with pen, brush and paint — even though he has neither arms nor legs. VOA’s Jim Randle tells us how he does it.  …

People in Laos have been converted into everyday items materials from hundreds of millions of bombs dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War. That idea has inspired a New York woman to make jewelry from the fragments of bombs and use some of the profits to help Laos clear millions …

The Jaipur Literature Festival began in the city of Jaipur, India. With 300 speakers and over 500 million visitors every year, it is the world’s largest free literary festival. The festival also travels internationally. One stop is Boulder, Colorado. Shelley Schlender reports.   …

President Donald Trump’s plan to attend Game 5 of the World Series Sunday will continue a rich tradition of intertwining the American presidency with America’s pastime.Franklin D. Roosevelt’s limousine drove onto to the field ahead of the 1933 World Series, the last time the nation’s capital hosted the Fall Classic. …

In 1977, Italian filmmaker Lina Wertmuller became the first woman to ever be nominated for best director at the Academy Awards. Although she didn’t win that year — “Rockyz” director John G. Avildsen did — the 91-year-old with the famous white glasses will finally get an Oscar of her own …

“Western Stars” was just the change of pace that Bruce Springsteen needed after baring his soul over the past few years.First, he shared his darkest secrets in his memoir, “Born to Run.” Then he spent more than a year telling his story five nights a week in Springsteen on Broadway. …

The power of music and art to influence generations is well documented, and that’s sometimes why authoritarian regimes tend to silence artists. The brutal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia is no different and a huge percentage of Cambodia’s musicians and artists were killed during the Pol Pot Regime. But some …

In international diplomacy, sports can sometimes act to bridge bitter divides between longstanding rivals. A similar unifying force could be at work, at least temporarily, in America’s politically polarized capital city. VOA’s Brian Padden reports, Democrats and Republicans are coming together to support the Washington Nationals baseball team playing in …

Alaska’s famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has joined a new global partnership billed as the World Series of long-distance sled dog racing and aimed at bringing more fans to the cold-weather sport.The Iditarod has teamed up with Norway pet food supplement company and series creator, Aker BioMarine, and other …

Post Malone is the top contender at the 2019 American Music Awards, where Taylor Swift has a chance to moonwalk past Michael Jackson’s record for most wins at the show.FILE – American singer Billie Eilish performs on the Other Stage during Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, Britain, June 30, 2019.Dick Clark …

In the Nigerian city pf Maiduguri, the popular incense kaaji is a cherished, local tradition.  Kaaji, made from generations-old recipes, is used during important ceremonies such as weddings to dispel evil spirits.  But with the advance of technology and social media, the market for the incense is growing.  Chika Oduah …