Liz Smith, the syndicated gossip columnist whose mixture of banter, barbs and bon mots about the glitterati helped her climb the A-list as high as many of the celebrities she covered, died Sunday at the age of 94.   Joni Evans, Smith’s literary agent, told The Associated Press she died …

What is the only Da Vinci painting on the open market worth? A Russian billionaire believes he was swindled when he bought it for $127.5 million. This week he’ll find out if he was right. “Salvator Mundi,” a painting of Jesus Christ by the Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci circa …

For the first time, a museum in Australia is telling the stories of the massacres by colonists of indigenous people from an Aboriginal perspective. Thousands of First Nation people are believe to have been killed by white settlers until the 1940s, but much of that history is yet to be …

Despite 70 years of tense relations between India and Pakistan, the two countries share a passion for each other’s movies, food and fashion trends. Take the example of palazzos, a popular Pakistani type of pants that are all the rage in India. VOA Urdu’s Ritul Joshi reports from Delhi that …

U.S. women’s soccer star Hope Solo on Friday accused Sepp Blatter of sexual assault, claiming the disgraced former FIFA president groped her backside at the 2013 Ballon d’Or ceremony. Solo, 36, her country’s standout goalkeeper, said Blatter, 81, committed the act shortly before she was to present an award to …

With his career imploding over allegations of sexual misconduct, comedian Louis C.K. confessed Friday to masturbating in front of women and expressed remorse for wielding his influence “irresponsibly.” The comedian said in a statement that the harassment claims by five women detailed in a New York Times report published Thursday …

Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman says she is among the young women sexually abused by a former USA Gymnastics team doctor. Raisman tells “60 Minutes” she was 15 when she was first treated by Dr. Larry Nassar, who spent more than two decades working with athletes at USA Gymnastics. He’s now …

A Swedish radio station says a pirate broadcaster briefly broke into its Friday morning show and broadcast an English-language pop song urging Westerners to join the Islamic State group. Jakob Gravestam, a spokesman for the Bauer Media group that operates the Mix Megapol station in Malmo, Sweden’s third-largest city, said …

We’re gettin’ down with the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending Nov. 11, 2017. After several exciting weeks, the chart falls asleep today. If you liked our last lineup, you’ll love this one, too. Number 5: Imagine Dragons “Thunder” Let’s …

African contemporary art and design is being showcased in the French capital, Paris, this weekend, with a three-day fair that runs through Sunday. It is among a number of African artistic events taking place in France this year. The richness and diversity of African creativity, the second edition of “Also Known …

The galaxy far, far away is expanding further on screen with a new trilogy of Star Wars films outside of the ongoing Skywalker saga, Walt Disney Co. said Thursday, to be overseen by Rian Johnson, the director of the franchise’s upcoming film The Last Jedi. Johnson, 43, will write and …

Award-winning actor John Hillerman, best known as Jonathan Higgins, the sidekick to TV’s Magnum P.I., died Thursday in Houston. Hillerman was 84, and no cause of death was given. Hillerman was a stage and screen veteran when he took on the role that made him one of television’s most familiar …

The board game Clue, the Wiffle Ball and the paper airplane are the newest inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame.                    The trio was honored at the upstate New York hall on Thursday. The Class of 2017 takes it place alongside more than 60 previous honorees, including the dollhouse, …

It will soon look a lot like Christmas in New York City thanks to a tree from Pennsylvania. Workers on Thursday will cut down a 75-foot (23-meter) Norway Spruce at the State College home of Jason Perrin that was chosen as the 2017 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.   The tree, …

One of Britain’s most celebrated dancer-choreographers, Akram Khan, is tackling the rise of xenophobia in his latest work, which he says will be his last as a leading performer. The production, “Xenos”, is Khan’s tribute to the Indian soldiers of the British Empire who fought in World War One. It …

The mounting allegations of sexual assault involving Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey are taking a mounting toll on his career. Sony Pictures says it will remove Spacey from its upcoming feature film, All the Money in the World, and replace him with another veteran Oscar winner, Christopher Plummer. Director Ridley Scott …

Garth Brooks continued his winning streak as entertainer of the year at the 2017 Country Music Association Awards, beating out Luke Bryan and Keith Urban.   Brooks, who has won the top prize six times, also beat Chris Stapleton and Eric Church on Wednesday at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, …

Fantastic beasts, wizard adventures and magic spells will come to life in a new “Harry Potter” augmented reality mobile game from Pokemon Go developer Niantic and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment, the companies said on Wednesday. “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” will bring author J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World to mobile phones and …

In the United States, strolling through a corn maze is a popular family activity in the fall. The annual maze at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm in Pennsylvania is considered one of the best in the country. Located on a family farm, visitors can explore the winding pathways, while piecing together …

The three UCLA men’s basketball players arrested in China for allegedly shoplifting a day before U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit cannot leave their hotel until the end of the legal process, which could last months, ESPN reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. The three University of California-Los Angeles players, freshmen LiAngelo …

America’s national parks are a popular destination for tourists and vacationers from across the country and around the world. More than 330 million people visited them in 2016, enjoying the spectacular scenery and natural wonders… and increasing the need for road repairs, additional park staff and habitat restoration. For over …

Apple has ordered two seasons of a dramatic series that stars Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston and looks at the lives of people working on a morning television show, a company spokeswoman said on Wednesday. The series is among the first projects the iPhone maker has acquired for its plunge …

A former television news anchor is accusing Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey of sexually molesting her son last year when he was 18 years old. An angry Heather Unruh told reporters Wednesday that the alleged incident occurred in a restaurant on Nantucket island, a popular Massachusetts tourist spot. “Kevin Spacey bought …

Four. It’s one of the most glaring numbers in Academy Awards history. That’s how many women have been nominated for best director in the awards’ 89 years of existence. Kathryn Bigelow, for The Hurt Locker in 2010, is the only woman to win. “I have to say it really bums …

The scene following just about every World Cup women’s bobsled race last season looked something like this: Elana Meyers Taylor and Jamie Greubel Poser on the podium, both American women celebrating yet another medal as they waved a bouquet of flowers into the frosty air. They’re hoping to reprise that …