Woody Allen is set to shoot his next movie in Spain this summer with Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, the director’s first film project since “A Rainy Day in New York” that was shelved at the height of the #MeToo movement. Spanish production company MediaPro Studio said in a statement on …

FIFA and the French Development Agency (AFD) have pledged ahead of the June 7-July 7 World Cup in France to promote women’s soccer in Africa on a long-term basis, the governing body’s president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday. “I am happy that today, another strategic alliance has been forged to …

Jay-Z is officially hip-hop’s first billionaire, Forbes declared Monday, founding his kingdom on entertainment but also reaping earnings from liquor, art and real estate. The rapper, who was born Shawn Carter and grew up in one of Brooklyn’s most notorious housing projects, “has accumulated a fortune that conservatively totals $1 …

Two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya is temporarily allowed to compete without lowering her testosterone levels, following a ruling by Switzerland’s supreme court. The court ordered the International Association of Athletics Federations to temporarily suspend their regulations until the organization makes its arguments to the court. The suspension of the IAAF …

British star musician Elton John and the filmmakers of “Rocketman,” a feature film about his path to fame, have criticized a Russian distributor for removing gay and drug abuse scenes from the movie. Russia has a poor record on LGBT rights and a controversial law bans the promotion of “nontraditional …

Legendary New Orleans chef and civil rights icon Leah Chase has died. She was 96. Her family released a statement Saturday saying the “unwavering advocate for civil liberties” and “believer in the Spirit of New Orleans” had died. Chase put the Dooky Chase restaurant on the map by turning it …

The spelling and vocabulary contest known as the National Spelling Bee in the United States was inaugurated in 1925 with help of nine American newspapers.   While the winning elementary and middle school students had family names of Neuhauser, Bell, Lucas, Robinson, Hogan, Jensen and Randall in the contest’s first …

It’s the soundtrack of  “Chocolate City,” the non-federal Washington that has traditionally been a tent pole of black America.   Go-go music, a distinctive D.C.-specific offshoot of funk, has endured for decades through cultural shifts, fluctuations in popularity and law enforcement purges.   Now go-go has taken on a new …

In 2000, Magnus Liljedahl received an Olympic gold medal in sailing. He has been in love with the sport all his life, and it paid off. But after finishing a career in professional sports, he never gave up sailing, and today, he is introducing the therapeutic and healing sport to …

Muslims around the world break their fast at sundown during the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims believe Ramadan is an opportunity to get closer to God by, in some cases, learning more about the poor. That’s why every Tuesday, a group of young volunteers break their Ramadan fast with homeless …

Muslims in the U.S. state of Alaska face nearly 20 hours of daylight during the fasting month of Ramadan. VOA Hausa reporter Yusuf Harande went to Alaska to see how some Muslims are adjusting to the long days. …

During the month of Ramada, millions of U.S. Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. This year, Ramadan has fallen in May. Already temperatures in Washington, D.C., have risen above 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit.) Running while fasting on hot days can be challenging and ill-advised. Still about 70 fasting …

In his semiautobiographical comedy “Ramy,” Ramy Youssef satirizes the daily life of a first-generation millennial Arab American Muslim. In an interview with VOA’s Penelope Poulou, he describes his show as funny, darkly satirical and down to earth — aiming to dispel stereotypes about Muslims in America. …

Providence’s iconic Superman Building is included on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual list of the nation’s most endangered historic places.   The 2019 list highlights 11 architectural and cultural sites the private nonprofit deems at risk because of neglect, development or other threats.   The 91-year-old vacant skyscraper …

At a mosque in Falls Church, Virginia, outside Washington, a large number of Muslims are reciting evening prayers before they break their daily fast at sunset for Ramadan. Afterward, some go home to eat Iftar, the daily meal shared with family and friends after fasting, while others break their fast …

In the Washington area, there is a push to give Muslims more dining options during Ramadan. Local restaurants would open a couple of hours earlier or later during the holy month to accommodate Muslim customers who fast from sunrise to sunset. The moves give Muslims more places to dine and …

Spelling savants traced letters onto their palms or gazed at the ceiling on Wednesday while racking their brains in hopes of advancing to the next level of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.  The field shrunk considerably throughout the day, from 490 down to 50 finalists who are competing for the …

South African runner Caster Semenya filed an appeal Wednesday against the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to uphold testosterone regulations for some female athletes in track and field.    Attorneys for the two-time Olympic 800-meter champion said she lodged an appeal with the Swiss Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s supreme court. …

The annual World Series of Poker opened Tuesday in Las Vegas with dozens of scheduled card tournaments and a special event to celebrate the 50th run of a series known for minting millionaires each year.  The seven-week poker festival is expected to again draw tens of thousands of players seeking …

The founder of the Smithsonian Institution’s newest museum, which focuses on African-American history, has been selected to lead the institution’s entire system of museums and parks. Tuesday, the Smithsonian Board of Regents appointed Lonnie Bunch as its 14th secretary, becoming the museum’s first African-American leader in its 173-year history. The …

The lawyer for a woman who filed a rape complaint in Paris against Chris Brown says the American singer-songwriter “has thumbed his nose at and shown disrespect for the French legal system” after he did not attend a formal meeting with the alleged victim on Tuesday. Brown was arrested in …

Kasey Turcol has just 75 minutes to explain to her high school students the importance of D-Day — and if this wasn’t the 75th anniversary of the turning point in World War II, she wouldn’t devote that much time to it. D-Day is not part of the required curriculum in North Carolina …

On stage, amid the hubbub of a Bolivian street market, women recount their stories of abuse at the hands of men. But the violence depicted in the play isn’t just make-believe for the 22 indigenous actresses: It’s based on their own real-life experiences. “Kusisita,” a work that seeks to raise …

North America, as the world knows it today, would likely look different without their efforts. Woodsmen logged forests, producing essential lumber and firewood, while also clearing farmland. They grew to be called lumberjacks, and at a recent competition in Sweden, a champion emerged a cut above the rest. Arash Arabasadi …

Simon Pagenaud arrived at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this month with his job on the line and rumors swirling around Gasoline Alley that Alexander Rossi could soon replace him at Team Penske. The Frenchman is leaving with a pair of wins, his face soon to be engraved on the Borg-Warner trophy …