It was all a bit overwhelming for the latest opponent who could do nothing to slow Serena Williams at the Australian Open. So Dayana Yastremska, an 18-year-old from Ukraine, found herself wiping away tears as she walked to the net. Williams knows what it’s like to be the one weeping …

Actor Anthony Rapp said he came forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Kevin Spacey because he feared assaults could “keep happening” if he said nothing. The younger actor spoke about the incident Thursday in New York on the red carpet for the second season of his streaming series, Star Trek: …

For decades, Jackie Shane was a musical mystery: a riveting black transgender soul singer who packed out nightclubs in Toronto in the 1960s, but then disappeared after 1971.  Some speculated she had died, but her legacy lived on among music historians and R&B collectors who paid big money for her …

 A stranger’s comment on one’s growing stomach may not always be welcome but a pregnant Meghan, Britain’s Duchess of Sussex, took it all in her stride on Wednesday when a pensioner called her “a fat lady.” Prince Harry’s wife, who told well-wishers this week she is six months pregnant, laughed …

The breakthrough representation of minorities in Hollywood blockbusters has ignited a frequently overlooked discussion about whether prejudice isn’t just about the color of a person’s skin, but the shade. “Colorism,” the idea that light-skinned minorities are given more privilege than their darker-skinned peers, is a centuries-old concept that many insiders …

A year ago, Venezuelan migrant Reymar Perdomo was singing for spare change on jammed buses, struggling to make ends meet while building a new life in Peru’s capital. But her life took a turn when she wrote a heartfelt reggae song about leaving her homeland that went viral on the …

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has got satisfaction: The Rolling Stones are among the headliners for the 50th anniversary festival. Organizers Tuesday confirmed reports that Mick Jagger and his band will play. Also headlining are Katy Perry, the Dave Matthews Band, Al Green, Pitbull, Santana, Jerry Lee Lewis, …

The upcoming Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is moving its publication date, pushing it from the chill of February to warmer May, closer to bikini-weather.   Editor of the issue MJ Day tells The Associated Press the shift makes more sense for greater impact. She says that “It’s always hard to …

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are expecting their fourth child.   Kardashian confirmed the surrogate pregnancy during an appearance Monday on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.” The 38-year-old reality star says the boy will arrive “sometime soon.”   Kardashian says she got drunk on Christmas Eve and …

An art exhibit in Israel featuring a crucified Ronald McDonald has sparked protests by the country’s Arab Christian minority. Hundreds of Christians calling for the removal of the sculpture, entitled “McJesus,” demonstrated at the museum in the northern city of Haifa last week. Israeli police say rioters hurled a firebomb …

The Screen Actors Guild on Monday called on the film academy to stop trying to prevent stars from appearing on award shows before the Oscars. In an unusually critical statement Monday, SAG-AFTRA said it has received multiple reports that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is pressuring actors …

For over 50 years, Oscar winning filmmaker and actor Clint Eastwood has portrayed tough characters — bounty hunters, police detectives and macho heart throbs. In his latest movie, The Mule, the octogenarian now softens his masculine persona to interpret a frail old man, whose financial hardship forces him to take …

What do you do with a building that is past its prime or no longer being used? Many of them are torn down. But in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a century-old former theater received a new lease on life after it was converted into a bookstore. As we hear from VOA’s …

Despite e-books and smartphones with reading apps, the book business in the U.S. is enjoying a resurgence. And though internet sales take their toll on bookstores around the country, one store in Portland, Oregon, seems to be operating as usual. Powell’s Books, founded by a family of Ukrainian descent more …

Each January, the city of Harbin in northern China becomes an icy wonderland as it hosts the largest ice and snow festival in the world. In Harbin, temperatures can drop as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius. The annual festival, in its 35th year, draws millions of visitors to activities …

Lin-Manuel Miranda reprised his lead role in the hit musical “Hamilton” Friday night to start a two-week run in Puerto Rico expected to raise thousands of dollars for artists and cultural groups struggling in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The audience giggled, hooted, clapped and tapped their feet throughout the …

NBC News announced its professional divorce agreement with Megyn Kelly late Friday, ending an association with the former Fox News Channel star whose attempt to become a network morning television star as part of the “Today” show floundered. Terms were not disclosed. Kelly was in the second of a three-year …

In the latest blow to the International Olympic Committee’s efforts to rid itself of scandal, marketing head Tsunekazu Takeda is being investigated for alleged corruption related to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.    Takeda, who is also the president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, was placed under formal investigation for “active corruption” on …

Lady Gaga is sorry for her 2013 duet with R. Kelly in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against the singer, and she intends to remove the song from streaming services. Posting on Twitter Wednesday, Gaga wrote she had collaborated with Kelly on “Do What U Want (With My Body)” …

A federal judge has reportedly dismissed part of Ashley Judd’s lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein. Judge Philip S. Gutierrez of United States District Court in Los Angeles ruled Wednesday that the actress’ sexual harassment claim does not fall within the scope of a California statute. But he said Judd may proceed …

Scattered throughout the city’s outlying neighborhoods, Moscow’s Soviet-era cinemas have for decades served as the center of communities. With names like “Mars” and “The Diamond,” the cinemas were mostly built in the 1960s and 70s during a Soviet film boom and were popular even after the collapse of the USSR, …

A documentary film about two boys who accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this month.      The Sundance Institute announced the addition of Leaving Neverland and The Brink, a documentary about Steve Bannon, to its 2019 lineup on Wednesday.      A description of …

Did she win a Nobel Prize? Was she an inventor? Did she make a discovery?    These are some of the questions that Polish designer Zuzanna Kozerska-Girard wants more children to ask as they learn about famous women while playing her debut board game Who’s She?    “We basically don’t know their …

The discovery of semi-precious gems in the teeth of a 1,000-year-old female skeleton proved women were more widely involved in creating medieval manuscripts than previously thought, a group of international historians said on Wednesday. A study by German-based Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and Britain’s University …

Saxophonist Tia Fuller was crying in bed. And praising God.   She’d just received the news that she was nominated for her first-ever Grammy Award — but it’s not just any nomination: Her inclusion in the best jazz instrumental album category is a historic moment for women because they have …