Italian fashion house Versace and handbag and accessories maker Furla said they would stop using real fur in their creations, joining a growing list of luxury labels turning their backs on the fur industry. Fashion houses around the world are bowing to pressure and using alternatives to real fur amid …

When Jennifer Emejulu went to see “Black Panther,” the New Jersey resident didn’t feel like wearing any of the traditional Nigerian clothing she routinely wears for family parties. She enjoyed seeing photos of those who did come out to see the global blockbuster about the superhero leader of a fictional …

Actor Brendan Fraser feels a sense of relief after recently revealing publicly that he was the victim of alleged sexual misconduct in 2003.   Fraser shared his feelings about the incident while promoting the FX television miniseries, “Trust” on Wednesday at a New York screening.   Fraser alleged in an …

Singer Katy Perry kissed a contestant on “American Idol” and he did not like it. But Benjamin Glaze is downplaying some backlash aimed at Perry, who is a judge on the show. The 19-year-old took to Instagram on Wednesday to say he did not think he was sexually harassed. The …

The fabled World War II bomber Memphis Belle has been moved into its new home at an Ohio museum after years of restoration work, but won’t go on public display until May.   The Dayton Daily News reports the aircraft famously decorated with nose art of a pinup girl was …

A producer of hit royal drama The Crown says Claire Foy, who played the central role of Queen Elizabeth II, was paid less than her on-screen husband. The Netflix series traces Elizabeth’s journey from princess to queen, beginning in the 1950s. Trade publication Variety quoted producer Suzanne Mackie as confirming …

Well-traveled and much experienced as a soccer coach, Hector Cuper is facing a new obstacle when it comes to preparing Egypt for this year’s World Cup. The tournament in Russia starts on the final day of Ramadan, the holy month that requires Muslims to fast from dawn to sunset. Egypt …

Tuaregs in northern Niger are hoping to draw tourists back to the region by putting their traditional dances, music poetry and camel races on display.   Despite concerns about Islamic extremism throughout the Sahel region in West Africa, organizers recently hosted more than 1,000 visitors to a cultural festival in …

Bridesmaids director Paul Feig said Tuesday that his production company was adding an inclusion rider for future shows, the latest Hollywood figure to take up the call for more diversity on movie and television sets. Feig, whose movies also include the all-female 2016 version of Ghostbusters, joined Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and …

Even royals, it seems, may suffer from the gender pay gap. British actress Claire Foy, who starred as a young Queen Elizabeth in the critically acclaimed Netflix series The Crown, was paid less than her co-star, Matt Smith, according to the television show’s producers. In the latest example of pay disparity …

Chris Spear has been cooking professionally since he was 16. Over the years, he worked for big restaurants, but he missed flexibility and wanted to be more creative. So, he founded his own catering company, Perfect Little Bites. Last January, he also founded a networking group for independent chefs. As …

The second of the Fantastic Beasts movie spinoffs from author J.K. Rowling includes scenes set in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, directly connecting the story to the best-selling Harry Potter books and films, a first movie trailer Tuesday showed. The trailer for Warner Bros’ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of …

Student Sama Kinsara adjusts her camera at Saudi Arabia’s only cinema school, her dream of seeing her work on the big screen coming into focus after the lifting of the country’s 35-year ban on cinema. “Everything is about to change,” the first-year student of “visual and digital production” at Effat …

The peak bloom period for Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms has been pushed back. The National Park Service announced Monday afternoon that it is pushing back the peak bloom date from the March 17-to-20 window to March 27 to 31 due to colder-than-expected temperatures. Peak bloom occurs when 70 percent of …

Shahnaz Kamal is an anomaly in the male-dominated sport of boxing, especially in a country like Pakistan, which clings tightly to traditional roles for men and women. Formerly a professional boxer, Kamal is the only female coach registered with the Pakistan Boxing Federation. “My husband, taught me as his student. …

She’s an anomaly in the male-dominated sport of boxing. And in a country that clings tightly to traditional roles for men and women, she’s an inspiration to women. VOA’s Hamid Ullah visited Peshawar for this profile of Shahnaz Kamal — the only professional female boxing coach in Pakistan. …

For Amber McAuley, life in Salisbury – a picturesque cathedral town best known as the gateway to Stonehenge – has become surreal ever since the town became the scene of a spy drama worthy of John le Carre. The 20-year-old film student became a bit player in the story when …

Bali’s annual Day of Silence is so sacred that even reaching for a smartphone to send a tweet or upload a selfie to social media could cause offense. This year it will be nearly impossible to do that anyway. The head of the Bali office of Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications, …

Stone Temple Pilots, “Stone Temple Pilots” (Rhino Records) Everything from the 1990s seems to be making a comeback these days, from “The X-Files” and “Will & Grace” to the Spice Girls and velour tracksuits. So is it time for Stone Temple Pilots?   Totally, as the kids said back then. …

New York’s Metropolitan Opera said on Monday that it had fired its longtime conductor and musical director James Levine after an inquiry found “credible evidence” to support accusations against him of sexual misconduct. The Met suspended Levine, 74, in December after several accusations of sexual misconduct stretching from the 1960s …

Music’s first couple Beyonce and Jay-Z on Monday announced a new joint tour in what will likely mark some of the year’s most lucrative concerts. The rapper and diva, who in June gave birth to twins, will open the stadium tour on June 6 in the Welsh city of Cardiff. …

The next book from Nobel winner Malala Yousafzai is a story of refugees.   Little, Brown Books for Young Readers told The Associated Press on Monday that Yousafzai’s “We Are Displaced” will come out Sept. 4. The book will combine her own experiences with accounts she has heard while visiting …

Russia on Monday named a deaf white cat who lives in Saint Petersburg’s historic Hermitage Museum as its official prognosticator for the World Cup. Achilles the Cat will hope to repeat the fabled exploits of Paul the Octopus and other “psychic” animals tasked with predicting winners of football’s showpiece event. …

Eminem denounced the U.S. gun lobby for its political power, the latest political intervention from the rap superstar. Performing over the weekend at the fan-voted iHeartRadio Music Awards, Eminem added a verse about the National Rifle Association at the start of his song “Nowhere Fast.” “This whole country is going …

A judge is scheduled to hear arguments on a request from actress Rose McGowan to dismiss a charge of cocaine possession she faces in Virginia.   McGowan’s lawyers have suggested in court papers that the drugs may have been planted by agents hired by disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein to …