Thousands of women are responding to actress Alyssa Milano’s call to tweet “me too” to raise awareness of sexual harassment and assault following the recent revelation of decades of allegations of sexual misconduct by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Milano suggested women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted post the …

The Smithsonian Institution’s Freer and Sackler museums of Asian art reopened Oct. 15, after being closed for renovations.  The IlluminAsia Festival was a celebration of the reopening featuring art, food and performances. …

There is more trouble for disgraced U.S. movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday he has started the process to strip Weinstein of the Legion of Honor — the highest honor in France and one of the world’s most prestigious awards. France presented Weinstein the honor in …

Innsbruck no longer plans to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics after its promise to organize low-cost and sustainable games failed to convince residents.   The province of Tyrol said Sunday it will drop plans to host the games after 53.35 percent of voters had rejected the idea in a …

In a squat, nondescript brick building on a residential street in Staunton, Virginia, something new is being cooked up. With nary a single Michelin star to its name, and an exterior facade befitting a local hardware store, Chef Ian Boden’s “The Shack” is nonetheless packed with customers, some of whom …

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscars, has ruled it will expel the powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein over allegations of sexual abuse. The 54-member Board of Governors met Saturday to discuss the allegations and voted overwhelmingly to “immediately expel” the mogul famous for his …

The United States’ National Portrait Gallery has announced that two up-and-coming African-American artists, Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, have been selected to paint the official portraits of former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. The Smithsonian Institution, parent organization of the National Portrait Gallery, said Friday that President …

The impoverished family of Australia’s most famous Aboriginal artist, Albert Namatjira, has been given copyright to his works after years of fruitless campaigning triggered the intervention of a philanthropist. Namatjira’s vibrant water colors are internationally celebrated for the way he captured the hues of the Western Desert in the center …

Harvey Weinstein, one of Hollywood’s most powerful men, is now disgraced and may eventually face criminal charges involving decades of alleged sexual harassment. Weinstein’s studio has put out blockbuster movies such as “Gangs of New York,” “Pulp Fiction” and “The King’s Speech.” VOA’s Carolyn Presutti takes a look at whether …

UNESCO’s executive board voted Friday to make a former French government minister the U.N. cultural agency’s next chief after an unusually heated election that was overshadowed by Middle East tensions. The board’s selection of Audrey Azoulay over a Qatari candidate came the day after the United States announced that it …

In an exclusive interview with VOA, the secretary-general of FIFA, Fatma Samoura, talks about preparations for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and on the reform process within the International Federation of Football. FIFA, football’s governing world body, has been mired in claims of corruption since 2015, when the U.S. …

Following the U.S. decision Thursday to quit the United Nations organization for education, science and culture, Israel announced it too will withdraw. The United States stopped funding UNESCO after the Palestinian Authority was accepted into the agency as a full member. As a member subject to membership dues, the United …

Bruno Mars topped the field of American Music Awards nominations announced Thursday, receiving eight nods, while The Chainsmokers, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd received five nominations apiece. Mars, The Chainsmokers, Drake, Lamar and Sheeran received nominations for the artist of the year award, the top AMA prize. …

The 2018 World Cup will be a unique test of soccer’s appeal in the United States. Will Americans still watch if their national team isn’t there? Fox certainly is hoping so. The U.S. failed to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia when it lost at Trinidad and Tobago …

The Qatari president of one of Europe’s most glamorous soccer clubs, Paris Saint-Germain, is under investigation by Swiss prosecutors for suspected bribery of a top FIFA executive to get World Cup broadcasting rights.   Criminal proceedings against Nasser Al-Khelaifi, PSG president and CEO of Qatar-owned BeIN Media Group, former FIFA …

An enormous exhibition by the activist artist Ai Weiwei, designed to draw attention to the world’s refugee crisis, is going on view at some 300 sites around New York City.   “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors,” presented by the Public Art Fund, will be open to the public from Thursday …

Marvel’s big green Hulk may not be getting his own standalone movie but actor Mark Ruffalo, who plays the current iteration of the superhero, said the character will get a mini arc within three upcoming Marvel movies. Hulk, the muscle-bound, larger-than-life green alter-ego of scientist Bruce Banner, appears in the …

The Somali musician Hassan-Nour Sayid — known by his stage name, Aar Maanta — and his band, the Urban Nomads, were supposed to be in Minnesota last week, where they were to kick off a monthlong internship of performances and workshops set up through the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. …

When it opened in 1962, the sleek TWA terminal at New York’s Kennedy Airport was the embodiment of jet-age style. Now, construction is underway to transform the landmark into a $265 million hotel that will conjure the same glamour, smack in the middle of an airport better known for controlled …

Arab states may want their turn at the helm of UNESCO, but the barbs hurled by Egypt at rival candidate Qatar during the vote highlights the fractious geopolitics paralyzing the workings of the U.N. cultural agency. The Paris-based body is known for designating World Heritage sites like the ancient city …

The sexual harassment scandal surrounding one of Hollywood’s most powerful movie producers deepened this week as a report published in The New Yorker magazine accused Harvey Weinstein of raping three women. VOA’S Jeff Custer reports from Washington …

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscars, will hold a special meeting Saturday to discuss sexual abuse allegations against powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. “The Academy finds the conduct described in the allegations against Harvey Weinstein to be repugnant, abhorrent, and antithetical to the high …

The World Cup is truly taking shape. A dramatic day of qualifying matches ended with 23 of the 32-team lineup confirmed to play next year in Russia. Lionel Messi will be there. Cristiano Ronaldo, too. The United States will not, for the first time since 1986. The remaining nine spots …

The Biltmore Estate is the largest privately owned home in the United States. Built near Asheville, North Carolina, it is still owned by the descendants of one of America’s richest families, the Vanderbilts. It is a tourist attraction and a reminder of the so-called Gilded Age of the late 19th …

American director David Lynch will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming Rome Film Fest. The festival opens Oct. 26 with director Scott Cooper’s Hostiles, starring Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike, and runs until Nov. 5. The 39 official entries include a sport section, with movies including …