The U.N. high commissioner for human rights is expressing deep concern about growing unrest and violence in Uganda. The turmoil was sparked by the recent arrest of pop star turned politician Bobi Wine and 32 opposition politicians. The arrests on August 13 followed a campaign rally in Uganda’s northwestern town …

What began as a thin line swelled into a sea of sisterhood as hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta streamed into the rotunda of the Charles H. Wright Museum on Tuesday to pay tribute to the Queen of Soul, a member of the sorority. The moving ceremony, known as …

Bobi Wine, the Ugandan pop star who opposes the long-time president, has “a kidney problem” that needs urgent medical attention abroad, his lawyer said Wednesday, two days after the singer was freed from detention on crutches. A medical report confirms “the suspicion of a kidney problem” now afflicting the singer, …

In the violence-wracked, Indian-administered state of Kashmir, photojournalists have been capturing the daily lives of people and telling their stories to the outside world for many years. 18 journalists and media personnel have been killed covering the three-decade old armed conflict in the disputed Himalayan region. Like much of South …

It’s been around for decades, but, unlike regular 3D, virtual reality (VR) has yet to make a big impact in the movie industry, something a maker of Hollywood animations believes can change – if the films are good enough. Eric Darnell, who co-wrote and directed the “Madagascar” movies, showed his …

On a recent afternoon, tour guide Justin Bates pointed to the spot where historic Jamestown’s legislature first convened in July 1619. He then gestured toward another nearby spot where some of the first slaves in English North America arrived a few weeks later. “Freedom over there,” Bates told visitors near …

When Ryan Gosling gets off the boat at Venice Lido this week, it will be one small step for the Hollywood actor, but potentially another leap for the world’s oldest film festival. Gosling’s First Man, in which he plays pioneering astronaut Neil Armstrong, opens a festival that has recovered from a period of …

Chris Stapleton topped the list of finalists Tuesday with five nominations for the 52nd annual Country Music Association Awards. Stapleton is vying for entertainer of the year, male vocalist of the year, single of the year for “Broken Halos,” album of the year for “From A Room: Volume 2″ and …

Mourning fans lined up for a last glimpse of the Queen of Soul on Tuesday as singer Aretha Franklin’s hits played from loudspeakers outside the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, where her body will lay in repose ahead of her funeral. Franklin died last week …

Argentinean basketball star Manu Ginobili is retiring after a stellar 23-year career, 16 of them with the National Basketball Association’s San Antonio Spurs, where he won four championship rings. The 41-year-old Ginobili announced his retirement Monday in a brief message on Twitter: “IMMENSE GRATITUDE to everyone (family, friends, teammates, coaches, …

Every year, Indonesians from teens and grandads, to mechanics and students, gather in eastern Java to celebrate their love of the iconic Italian Vespa scooter. For some, it’s an “extreme” kind of love, where the vehicles are customized to resemble metallic monster bikes straight out of a Hollywood dystopia. Hundreds …

Ben Kingsley said he didn’t portray Adolf Eichmann out of love or admiration. Rather, he wanted to “nail him to the gates of Auschwitz.”   The Oscar-winning Kingsley, who has tackled historical figures before, including Mahatma Gandhi, Otto Frank and Simon Wiesenthal, said playing Eichmann in “Operation Finale” produced an …

Joined by descendants of past presidents, Melania Trump helped plant a sapling from an Eisenhower-era tree on the south grounds of the White House. The White House says the 12- to 14-foot sapling came from the original Eisenhower oak that still stands, towering over an East Wing garden created by …

An auction of Disneyland theme park vehicles, props and artifacts that turned into a Los Angeles attraction in its own right raised more than $8.3 million, organizers said Monday. An original Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride car sold for $483,000 — more than four times the pre-sale estimate — while …

The American Latino Media Arts Awards, or ALMAs, will be back this fall after a three-year hiatus in time for the 50th anniversary of UnidosUS, previously known as National Council of La Raza.  Fuse Media has entered into a multi-year agreement to become the exclusive multiplatform media home of the …

Country star Garth Brooks has set a late October date for his University of Notre Dame show that will be the first-ever music concert at the school’s football stadium. Brooks’ publicist announced Monday that the concert would be held October 20 at Notre Dame Stadium, rain or shine. Tickets go …

Playwright Neil Simon, a master of comedy whose laugh-filled hits such as “The Odd Couple,” “Barefoot in the Park” and his “Brighton Beach” trilogy dominated Broadway for decades, has died. He was 91. Simon died early Sunday of complications from pneumonia in New York, said Bill Evans, his longtime friend …

Musician Jamey Turner chose an unconventional career path by becoming a glass harpist. He plays music with glasses filled with water. He uses his fingertips to rub the rim of the glasses to create a range of musical tones. VOA’s Deborah Block watched Turner play the glass harp in Alexandria, …

Crazy Rich Asians, a romantic comedy by filmmaker Jon Chu, showcases lavish sets and beautiful, rich people. Set against the exotic and ultramodern backdrop of Singapore, the film rewards its audience with an uplifting modern day fairy tale. But what makes this Hollywood film stand out, is its all Asian …

Robin Leach, whose voice crystallized the opulent 1980s on TV’s “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” died Friday. He was 76  Leach’s family said through a public relations firm that he died in Las Vegas, where he made his home. Leach had a stroke in November while on vacation in …

Jon Chu’s romantic comedy “Crazy Rich Asians” showcases lavish sets and beautiful people. Set against the exotic and ultramodern backdrop of Singapore, the film rewards its audience with an uplifting modern day fairy tale. But what makes this Hollywood film stand out is its all Asian cast. VOA’s Penelope Poulou …

John Lennon’s killer has been denied parole for a 10th time and will remain behind bars for at least two more years. Mark David Chapman appeared before New York’s parole board on Wednesday. In a denial decision obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, the board said it had determined Chapman’s …

Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson and country singer Faith Hill will sing at the funeral of Aretha Franklin in Detroit next week, her publicist said Thursday. They will be joined by R&B singers Chaka Khan, Ron Isley, Fantasia and Yolanda Adams at the funeral for the late Queen of Soul, publicist …

George Clooney can raise a glass, even if he’s not starring in any hit movies.   The 57-year-old tops the 2018 Forbes’ list of highest-paid actors with $239 million in pretax earnings. Forbes credits up to $1 billion that a British conglomerate said it would pay for Casamigos Tequila, which …

A best-selling author and Newsweek correspondent has a book coming out on President Donald Trump and the women in his life.   Gallery Books announced Thursday that Nina Burleigh’s “Golden Handcuffs: The Secret History of Trump’s Women” will be published October 16. Burleigh, Newsweek’s national political correspondent, will draw on …