Chris Stapleton, who released two top-selling albums last year, leads the Academy of Country Music Awards with eight nominations, including his first entertainer of the year nomination. Reba McEntire announced the nominations Thursday on “CBS This Morning” as well as her return as host for a record 15th year. The …

In the 19th century, the Kingdom of Dahomey was a major West African power, boasting a flourishing slave trade with Europe and a feared corps of Amazon women warriors. Commissioned by the royal court, its art — intricate wood and ivory carvings, metalwork and appliqué cloth — stood as a …

It’s not often that a composer is asked to provide musical accompaniment to a woman having sex with a fish monster.  It’s almost as rare that a composer is asked to conduct a big-city symphony in a performance of his movie score the same week he’s expected to win an …

French President Emmanuel Macron’s groundbreaking vow to return colonial-era artifacts Africa may face its first test next week, when he holds talks in Paris (March 6) with his Beninese counterpart Patrice Talon. At issue are treasures from the former kingdom of Dahomey, which ended up in French museums and private …

If you’re looking for a new sport, or a new hobby that doesn’t cost a fortune, is open to nearly everyone, and helps relieve stress, you may want to consider ax throwing. All you need is a sharp ax — or axe, as Canadians spell it — and an unsuspecting …

Orchids are among the world’s most beautiful flowers. Although the blossoms come in different shapes, sizes and colors, they all belong to one of the largest and oldest families of flowering plants on earth. The U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington is showcasing some of the thousands of different orchid varieties …

Daichi Yamamoto is a Japanese photographer who has called Senegal home for the past two years. His work captures local fashion, and he’s helped launch the careers of several Senegalese fashion models. For VOA, Chika Oduah has the story from Dakar. …

The biggest drama at Sunday’s Academy Awards may be not on the Dolby Theatre stage but in the behind-the-scenes moves to tackle the sexual misconduct scandal that has rocked the industry. After moving swiftly to expel Oscar-winning film producer Harvey Weinstein last October after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct, the Academy of …

U.S. Olympic Committee Chief Executive Scott Blackmun is resigning for health reasons, the organization said Wednesday, following months of sustained criticism in the wake of the sex abuse scandal involving former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. In a statement, the USOC cited Blackmun’s “ongoing health issues” related to prostate cancer, …

The will of “To Kill a Mockingbird” author Harper Lee is public following a lawsuit by The New York Times, but details on her estate remain a secret. The Times reports the will unsealed Tuesday shows most of Lee’s assets were transferred into a trust days before her death two …

The International Olympic Committee has reinstated Russia’s membership after suspending it over state-sponsored doping allegations. “The Russian Olympic Committee has had its rights fully restored,” said Alexander Zhukov, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee. The IOC had banned Russian athletes from competing under the country’s flag during the 2018 …

A sea of mourning fans turned out in Mumbai Wednesday to bid an emotional farewell to famed Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor, four days after she drowned in a hotel bathtub in Dubai, where she had gone to attend a wedding. The sudden death of the 54-year-old actress, who won the …

Wes Studi will take the stage at Sunday’s Oscars to present an award. But as one of the few Native Americans to be included in the ceremony’s 90-year history, he has reason to feel like a winner. Studi says he sees the invitation as recognition of his work over the …

Aside from the posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) and best animated film for The Incredibles, no superhero film has ever penetrated the top categories of the Academy Awards. Though regular honorees for their bombastic visual effects or thunderous, wall-to-wall sound, comic-book movies have been denied the upper …

Should any of this year’s winners at the Oscars use the occasion to promote a political cause, you can thank — or blame — Marlon Brando. Brando’s role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather remains a signature performance in movie history. But his response to winning an Academy Award was truly …

After dusk in Havana, an ice-blue neon sign illuminates the faded facade of the Cine El Megano, one of many abandoned movie houses in the Cuban capital, lighting up a once vibrant corner at the heart of the Caribbean city that had gone pitch black in recent decades. The glowing neon italic letters fill …

Just as “Black Panther” is setting records at the box office, a new study finds that diverse audiences are driving most of the biggest blockbusters and many of the most-watched hits on television. UCLA’s Bunche Center released its fifth annual study on diversity in the entertainment industry Tuesday, unveiling an …

Just as “Black Panther” is setting records at the box office, a new study finds that diverse audiences are driving most of the biggest blockbusters and many of the most-watched hits on television. UCLA’s Bunche Center released its fifth annual study on diversity in the entertainment industry Tuesday, unveiling an …

Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and driving force behind TV’s “Shark Tank,” has for months teased the notion of running for president in 2020 in a campaign that could mirror President Donald Trump’s blend of reality television and politics in a ride to the White …

Dubai investigators closed the case on Tuesday into the death last weekend of Indian movie icon Sridevi, calling it an accidental drowning. Her family has been given permission to take her body back to India, officials said.   The 54-year-old Sridevi, who was known by only one name, drowned in …

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran was named the world’s best-selling artist of 2017 on Monday, thanks to his album “Divide” and singles “Shape of You” and “Perfect.” The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said that “Divide,” which was released in March 2017, went multi-platinum in 36 nations. Sheeran’s pop …

The FIFA World Cup trophy has arrived in Kenya. A tour that began last September will see the famed trophy make stops in more than 50 countries across six continents ahead of its ultimate destination – Russia, the host of this year’s World Cup tournament. There was excitement as the …

Researchers at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague are using the latest technology to take a long, hard look at one of their most prized paintings, Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” and they are inviting the public in to watch. For two weeks starting Monday, experts are pointing …

Dubai police said Monday that drowning was the cause of death for famed Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor, correcting earlier reports that she had died of a heart attack. “Following the completion of post-mortem analysis, #DubaiPolice today stated that the death of Indian actress #Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her …

Russia’s imminent return from a doping suspension won’t be derailed because its hockey players sang their national anthem, the International Olympic Committee said Monday. The Russian men’s team defied IOC rules by belting out the anthem at their medal ceremony following Sunday’s 4-3 overtime win against Germany in the gold-medal …