Oscar nominee Matthew Heineman’s film “A Private War,” about Sunday Times war correspondent Marie Colvin, brings attention to the danger journalists face reporting on the plight of war victims. VOA’s Penelope Poulou describes how and why “A Private War” was a labor of love, a docudrama delving into Colvin’s psyche. …

Miriam Adelson is a doctor, philanthropist and humanitarian, but is perhaps best known as the wife of Sheldon Adelson, a Las Vegas casino magnate considered one of the nation’s most powerful Republican donors. She gets to add a new title Friday when President Donald Trump honors her with the Presidential …

Cicely Tyson received her first and only Oscar nomination in 1972. It was for best actress for her work in “Sounder,” which she thinks of as her first major role. She wasn’t called to the stage that year — Liza Minnelli was for “Cabaret” —  but now 45 years later, …

When Marvin Levy says he never expected to get an Oscar, it’s not false modesty. It just wasn’t a possibility.   Levy is one of the most respected publicists in Hollywood, with more than a half century of experience at companies like MGM, Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks and Amblin. His four-decade …

It’s official: 2018 is toxic. Oxford Dictionaries has chosen “toxic” as its international word of the year. Oxford University Press monitors changes in the English language and each year selects a word that catches the annual mood. Oxford’s lexicographers said it’s “the sheer scope of its applications that has made …

J Balvin has everything to gain at this year’s Latin Grammy Awards.   The Colombian reggaeton star leads all nominees ahead of Thursday’s ceremony with eight nods, including two for record of the year, one for album of the year and another for his hit version of “Mi gente” with …

Women have to be “visible and loud” in their fight for equality to build on the gains of the #MeToo movement, activists said as they push for legal reform, an end to violence and equal pay. From India’s female vigilantes who beat men accused of rape, to demonstrators in Argentina …

It’s no question The Smashing Pumpkins has had a tumultuous past. Multiple iterations, breakups and solo careers later, three founding members of the 90’s Chicago-rooted rockers — Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin — are back to release their first collaborative album in 18 years, “Shiny and Oh So …

The Statue of Liberty’s original torch, which has been housed in the base of the statue since a replica replaced it in the 1980s, was moved across Liberty Island on Thursday to its new home in a museum that will open next year.  Visitors watched as the base and the …

Country star Roy Clark, the guitar virtuoso and singer who headlined the cornpone TV show “Hee Haw” for nearly a quarter century and was known for such hits as “Yesterday When I was Young” and “Honeymoon Feeling,” has died. He was 85. Publicist Jeremy Westby said Clark died Thursday due …

Chris Stapleton won the most awards at the 2018 Country Music Association Awards and had the show’s best performance, almost capping a perfect night. That was until Keith Urban surprisingly won the top prize — entertainer of the year — moments before the three-hour show wrapped Wednesday night. Urban’s actress-wife, …

Sigrid Nunez’s “The Friend,” a meditative novel about grief, books and, not least, a Great Dane named Apollo, has won the National Book Award for fiction. Other winners Wednesday included Jeffrey C. Stewart’s “The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke” for nonfiction and Justin Philip Reed’s “Indecency” for poetry. …

Idris Elba’s daughter has been chosen as the Golden Globe Ambassador to assist with the glitzy awards ceremony.   The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Wednesday that 16-year-old Isan Elba will assume the ambassador title for the 76th annual Golden Globes Awards in January. Her 46-year-old father was named Sexiest …

A royal treasure trove including jewels that belonged to French Queen Marie-Antoinette fetched 53.5 million Swiss francs ($53.2 million) on Wednesday, as collectors snapped up rare historic gems fresh to the market, Sotheby’s said. Held in private European collections for more than 200 years, 10 royal jewels that belonged to …

Mexican rock band Maná will be honored as the Latin Recording Academy’s 2018 Person of the Year in a star-studded concert Wednesday, the eve of the Latin Grammy Awards ceremony.   Lead vocalist Fher Olvera, drummer Alex Gonzalez, guitarist Sergio Vallin and bass player Juan Calleros will be recognized during …

The NFL’s decision to move the regular-season game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams due to the poor condition of the turf at Azteca Stadium has left many Mexicans disappointed, angered and wondering how it will affect the relationship with the league for the future. After …

Stan Lee was a seminal part of Miya Crummell’s childhood. As a young, black girl and self-professed pop culture geek, she saw Lee was ahead of his time. “At the time, he wrote `Black Panther’ when segregation was still heavy,” said the 27-year-old New Yorker who credits Lee with influencing …

Two journalists who helped cover the confirmation process of Brett Kavanaugh are working on a book about the newest Supreme Court justice.   Portfolio says Wednesday that it has a deal with New York Times reporters Kate Kelly and Robin Pogrebin for “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh.”   The publisher …

Fans are paying tribute to Marvel Comics’ legend Stan Lee at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star in Los Angeles. Lee – the creator of many superheroes – died on Monday at 95. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo reports. …

Three months after her death and 46 years after she first recorded it, Aretha Franklin’s live gospel concert is coming to the big screen. “Amazing Grace,” filmed in January 1972 when the Queen of Soul was just 29 years old, follows Franklin over two nights giving a concert at the …

When Jude Law met with J.K. Rowling about portraying the younger version of Albus Dumbledore, the two discussed how to rebuild the fan-favorite character from the “Harry Potter” films.   Law spent an afternoon jotting down notes from Rowling who talked to him about Dumbledore’s life before becoming the world’s …

When you think of the wives and girlfriends of criminals and mobsters in cinema and television, what or who comes to mind? Kay Adams? Elvira Hancock? Skyler White? They are either victims of a man’s misdeeds or end up becoming part of the problem. They might get fancy jewelry or …

The ‘Pink Legacy’, a diamond weighing just under 19 carats, fetched a record 50.375 million Swiss francs ($50 million) as it outshone all other auction lots at Christie’s in Geneva on Tuesday. Graded “vivid”, the highest rating for a pink diamond’s color, the gem is internally pure with a rectangular …

For the second straight year, President Donald Trump will not be attending the Kennedy Center Honors celebrating cultural achievement.   Neither Trump nor first lady Melania Trump will be at the Dec. 2 event, Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s director of communications, said Tuesday.   Grisham also told The Associated …

Thousands of firefighters in California are battling deadly wildfires in the northern and southern parts of the state. At least 44 people have died as a result of the fires. Many more have lost their homes.  The wildfires in Southern California have been sweeping through many affluent communities near Los …