China is trying to contain the awesome influence of social media celebrities, some of whom have tens of millions of followers that dwarf more Western media icons like Oprah Winfrey. For example, the top 10 Chinese celebrities on Internet have between 67 million and 90 million online followers. Recent weeks have …

A new exhibition in southern Poland shows the brutality of the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz through the artistic work of its inmates. Some of the artworks are being shown publicly for the first time. The “Face to Face: Art in Auschwitz” exhibition opened last week at the Kamienica …

Introducing a brand-new, multimillion-dollar intergalactic adventure film based on a French comic book strip during a summer box office dominated by superheroes and sequels may be considered a big risk to take by an independent filmmaker. But French director Luc Besson was so confident in his vision for adapting the …

Recording star Kid Rock, an outspoken supporter of Republican President Donald Trump, hinted in website and social media messages on Wednesday that he intends to run for the U.S. Senate in 2018. The 46-year-old Michigan native drew attention on Twitter and his Facebook page to a “Kid Rock ’18 for …

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. The rest are observing the 200th birthday of Henry David Thoreau, the author who penned that line. The U.S. Postal Service marked the occasion Wednesday with a new postage stamp honoring the Walden and Civil Disobedience writer, philosopher and naturalist. Thoreau …

From a girl who builds a flying bike to save her village to a female cicada defying the odds to join a flying contest, a new children’s book project in Cambodia is seeking to inspire girls to fight stereotypes and male dominance. The vividly illustrated e-books in the local Khmer …

Search the Internet for “Native American Art” and you’ll find dozens of sites offering tribal jewelry, paintings and crafts at low prices. But as much as 80 percent of these products aren’t “Indian” at all; they are manufactured in Asia or the Middle East. Native American artists say, “Enough.” With …

American cable television channel MTV is launching drama series in Egypt and in India with storylines on female genital mutilation, child marriage and sex work with the aim of generating debate around issues often seen as taboo. Both series by the Viacom-owned youth entertainment broadcaster will feature soundtracks to appeal …

Police in Germany have arrested four suspects in connection with a $4 million gold coin heist earlier this year from Berlin’s Bode Museum. Around 300 special police commandos took part in raids Wednesday morning in Berlin’s Neukoelln area, but still did not find the missing coin. “We are at the …

Organizers of the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe say shifting U.S. policies on security and immigration have not hampered participation by artists from 53 countries, from Cuba to Jordan.   In its 14th year, the annual bazaar is expanding its mission to highlight innovation and high-fashion within folk …

In a sprawling military base on the outskirts of the Afghan capital Kabul, Mohammad Esa, who lost both legs to a roadside bomb, is getting ready to compete in the Invictus Games in Canada later this year. Seven Afghan soldiers have been selected to compete against peers from 17 different …

Idaho is known for potatoes, but at City of Rocks and Craters of the Moon national park sites, it’s rocks that take center stage – for rock climbers, astronauts and lovers of the rugged outdoors. Julie Taboh reports. …

The International Olympic Committee Tuesday struck a deal to award the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympic Games in the same session, in a move that would effectively guarantee that Paris and Los Angeles will be the winners. The two cities have been lobbying heavily to host the international sporting event. …

Vivien Leigh’s copy of the “Gone With the Wind” script is going up for auction alongside dozens of items from the late star’s personal collection. Sotheby’s is offering paintings, jewelry, clothes, books and more belonging to Leigh at a Sept. 26 auction.   Leigh won an Academy Award for playing …

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed “pride, humility and determination” and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke of his city’s proud Olympic past as the rivals to host the 2024 Games met International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Monday. The IOC will hold a meeting on Tuesday where it is …

On stage in their grass skirts and colorful shirts, the hula dancers look like a traditional island group. But when the music starts, it’s obvious this performance is anything but traditional. With their stylized, lively movements, the dance seems closer to Broadway than to the ancient dance developed in Hawaii …

For his work in films reflecting U.S. history such as “Saving Private Ryan,” “Apollo 13” and “Bridge of Spies,” actor Tom Hanks has won this year’s Records of Achievement Award, the National Archives Foundation said on Monday. Hanks, 61, will receive the award, given to individuals who bring a broad …

A federal appeals court on Monday revived a lawsuit seeking to force a Madrid museum to return an Impressionist masterpiece to the family of a Jewish woman who was compelled to sell it to a Nazi art appraiser for $360 in 1939 so she could flee Germany. The 9th U.S. …

They wanted to show the old seven-starred flag from their homeland. And when the Venezuelan players from the Pittsburgh Pirates finally found one on Amazon, they promptly held it upside down. “When you carry it reversed, that’s a symbol of protest,” Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli said about the display before …

A remote Iranian desert city, Ice Age-era caves in Germany and a stone wharf in Brazil built for arriving African slave ships are three new additions to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites. The World Heritage Committee spent a week meeting in Kraków, Poland, to consider 34 significant historical and …

The IOC has balked at helping Rio Olympic organizers pay a debt estimated at $35-40 million.   The executive board of the International Olympic Committee, meeting Sunday in Lausanne, Switzerland, said it had already contributed a “record” $1.53 billion to last year’s Olympics, and questioned giving more after meeting with …

Deploying poems, paintings and posters, opposition-minded artists in Venezuela are expanding their anti-government protests, offering a peaceful alternative to the violent political unrest costing at least 90 lives in three months. “We don’t want to confront passers-by but to encourage reflection,” said Teresa Mulet, 46, a designer who joined a …

Refugees are likely to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the International Olympic Committee planning another refugee team after its first appearance at last year’s Rio de Janeiro Games. The IOC unveiled its first team of refugees last year in an effort to raise awareness of the issue and …

With the delicacy of a conductor, Ammar Alobaidi runs his right index finger across his acrylic work — a bright, abstract piece that reflects his love for cubism and three sources of inspiration: Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian and Salvador Dalí. “The paintings and the colors look like music,” he said. …

After 1,400 kilometers (nearly 900 miles) in eight days of racing, the suffer-fest Tour de France now turns the pain dial up a notch or five. How does scaling half the height of Everest in one day sound? That’s the monstrous challenge lurking Sunday for the 193 tired, sunbaked riders …