Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, who represented South Africa, won the Miss Universe crown Sunday. The 22-year-old, who recently earned a business management degree, was crowned at The AXIS Theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The runner-up was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, while the second runner-up was Miss Jamaica …

“I know Aussies are not known for leaving the party at the right time but (after) 17 years, it’s time to leave the party,” Hugh Jackman quipped as he talked about his last time playing X-Men superhero Wolverine in this year’s gritty action hit Logan. The Australian actor made his …

A major London bookmaker has suspended betting on whether Prince Harry will marry American actress Meghan Markle in 2018 amid rumors an engagement may be announced soon. Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes said Friday that it seems an engagement announcement “is to be confirmed imminently.” The bookmaker has stopped taking bets …

We’re feasting on the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending Nov. 25, 2017. It’s Thanksgiving week, and right on schedule, the chart sends us a tasty new title. Number 5: Imagine Dragons “Thunder” Let’s begin in fifth place, where Imagine …

President Donald Trump is continuing to rail against football players who kneel during the National Anthem to protest racism and police brutality. Trump asks his followers in a Black Friday tweet: “Can you believe that the disrespect for our Country, our Flag, our Anthem continues without penalty to the players.” …

Oscar Pistorius’ prison sentence was increased to 13 years and five months by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal on Friday, a decision that more than doubled the Olympic runner’s jail term for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.  In an announcement that took a matter of minutes, Supreme Court …

There is a certain power in being the first to do something. When it comes to wine, that distinction has been a bit up for grabs. But a recent archaeological discovery may have pinpointed the origins of the simple, but incredibly complicated, origins of wine. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …

If you’re a fan of the Mayflower II, here’s something that will float your boat. A year after craftsmen embarked on an ambitious effort to restore the rotting replica of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to the New World in 1620, the work “is going really great,” project manager …

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marched, rolled and soared in traditional style Thursday as police went all-out to secure it in a year marked by attacks on outdoor gathering spots. With new faces and old favorites in the lineup, the Americana extravaganza made its way through 2 ½ miles (3.22 …

George Avakian, a Russian-born jazz scholar and architect of the American music industry who produced essential recordings by Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and other stars has died at age 98.   Avakian’s daughter, Anahid Avakian Gregg, confirmed that her father died Wednesday morning at his home in Manhattan. No further …

The Bollywood film Padmavati, a period epic depicting the story of a 14th century Hindu queen and a Muslim ruler, was one of the year’s most awaited movies. But the film’s producers have indefinitely delayed its release amid fierce protests and violent threats by right-wing Hindu groups who charge the …

A former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics doctor pleaded guilty Wednesday to seven counts of sexual assault. He has been accused of molesting and sexually abusing more than 100 women and girls, including three Olympic gold medalists. The case of former doctor Larry Nassar reveals serious failings on the …

A leader of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced that he would pay a reward roughly equivalent to $1.5 million to anyone who would behead an Indian actress and a film director. Surajpal Singh Amu, a member of the BJP in northern Haryana state, is apparently upset about …

Dmitri Hvorostovsky, the Russian baritone known for his velvety voice, dashing looks and shock of flowing white hair, died Wednesday at a hospice near his home in London, a few years after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was 55. Called “the Elvis of opera” and the “Siberian …

America’s history of racial inequality and civil rights activism are prevalent themes in Hollywood films this season. Using gritty cinematography and A-list actors, directors Kathryn Bigelow, George Clooney and Dan Gilroy highlight America’s history of racial injustice, as well as opening up a conversation about racial tensions in the present. …

Bring on the turkey — but maybe hold the politics. Thanksgiving is Glenn Rogers’ favorite holiday, when people gather around the table and talk about things to celebrate from the past year. But Donald Trump’s presidency isn’t something everyone in the Rogers family is toasting. “For the most part, we …

There’s hardly a false note on Engelbert Humperdinck’s “The Man I Want to Be” (OK! Good Records). No rapping, no clumsy evidence of Auto-Tune, no heavy-handed attempts to sound hip and no screaming guitar solos. Instead, 50 years after his first hits and closing in on his 82nd birthday, Humperdinck …

Disney Channel star Jordan Fisher has been crowned the winner of “Dancing with the Stars” alongside partner Lindsay Arnold. Fisher beat out violinist Lindsey Stirling and actor Frankie Muniz for the Mirrorball Trophy on the season 25 finale of the ABC reality competition Tuesday. Fisher paid tribute to Arnold on …

Erykah Badu is offering what she calls “soul therapy” ahead of Sunday’s Soul Train Awards. The singer-songwriter transformed a West Hollywood hotel room into an intimate spiritual classroom for a small group of reporters this week to give an introductory lesson on chakras. Badu explained the Eastern concept of whirling …

David Cassidy, the teen and pre-teen idol who starred in the 1970s sitcom “The Partridge Family” and sold millions of records as the musical group’s lead singer, died Tuesday at age 67. Cassidy, who announced earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with dementia, died surrounded by his family, …

Olympic champion gymnast Gabby Douglas says she is among the group of athletes sexually abused by a former team doctor. Douglas, the 2012 Olympic all-around champion and a three-time gold medalist, wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday night that she waited so long to reveal the abuse by Larry Nassar …

The CBS television network fired veteran newsman Charlie Rose on Tuesday, a day after an explosive Washington Post report recounted stories from eight women who said he had sexually abused them with lewd comments, groping and walking around naked in their presence. Rose, 75, was co-host of the network’s CBS …

Harvey Weinstein paid $1 million to silence an Italian model who accused him of groping her in 2015 after prosecutors decided not to charge him, and in the 1990s, his brother paid other accusers from his personal bank account, a magazine reported Tuesday. Ambra Battilana Gutierrez told The New Yorker …

American actress and singer Della Reese, who made broadcasting history as the first black woman to host a national talk show, has died at 86. The Detroit-born Reese began her career as a teenage gospel singer, touring with the legendary Mahalia Jackson. She turned to jazz and pop in the …

Charlie Rose is the latest public figure to be felled by sexual misconduct allegations, with PBS halting distribution of his nightly interview show and CBS News suspending him Monday following a Washington Post report with the accusations of eight women. The women, who all worked for Rose or tried to …