Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr celebrated his 77th birthday on Friday by announcing a new album that will feature former bandmate Paul McCartney. Starr’s 19th solo album “Give More Love” will be released on Sept. 15 and will include McCartney on two tracks – “We’re on the Road Again” and …

At the peak of his career in the 1930s, Carlos Gardel’s fans used to gather at the curb outside his home, hoping to hear one of Argentina’s greatest tango singers practice a tune before a show. Now, they can gather inside to hear him again.   Visitors to the remodeled …

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio has been effectively banned from the Gold Cup by FIFA for insulting match officials. FIFA banned Osorio for six matches on Friday for his behavior during the Confederations Cup third-place game last Sunday, when Mexico lost to Portugal 2-1. Mexico will have to play up …

Entertainer Bill Cosby will be retried on charges of sexually assaulting a former employee of his alma mater in November, five months after his first trial on those charges ended in a hung jury, a Pennsylvania judge ruled on Thursday. Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Steven O’Neill said …

Director Franco Zeffirelli’s art works and personal library have been moved from his Roman villa to his native Florence to fill a museum honoring his life’s work.   The museum and performing arts center will display around 500 sketches of production sets that Zeffirelli made during his vast career, make …

Madonna says the children’s wing at a hospital in Malawi she has been building for two years completed its first surgery last week and will officially open July 11. The Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, located at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in the city of …

The first time a new country songwriter named Kacey Musgraves saw one of her songwriting heroes, John Prine, she had an unusual proposition when she approached.   “I said, ‘Hey, my name is Kacey and I am a really big fan. I don’t want to offend you or anything, but …

In prehistoric times, millions of bison roamed North America, but by the late 1800s, they were nearly extinct. Through conservation efforts, they can now be found in all 50 states, including national parks, private lands and even on one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. As …

A newly discovered photograph may provide the answer to one of the 20th century’s greatest unsolved mysteries — the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. The legendary American pilot vanished 80 years ago this month somewhere over the Pacific. She was attempting to be the first woman to fly around the world. …

A council of Shi’ite religious leaders in Bamyan province in central Afghanistan banned a local musical festival, calling it “Harram” or against Islamic law, while many other religious leaders hailed it as art and a cultural event. Local officials say that despite the disagreement with religious leaders, the organizers will …

  Daniil Granin, a Russian author who wrote a chronicle of the Nazi siege of Leningrad and several widely popular novels, has died. He was 98. Granin, a World War II veteran whose writings made him a moral authority for many in Russia, died Tuesday at a hospital in St. …

Ahead of the Independence Day celebration, many museums across the country inaugurate special exhibits dedicated to the most important moments in American history. VOA Russian’s Maxim Moskalkov went to a vast display at the  National Museum of American History. …

We’re counting down the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending July 8, 2017. It’s a big week on the Hot 100, as we finally break a 12-week chart drought. Number 5: Ed Sheeran ” Shape of You” Ed Sheeran slips …

One thing is certain: Culture has not been lacking in takes on Spider-Man for the past 15 years. First there was Tobey Maguire, who under the direction of Sam Raimi for three films ushered in the modern superhero era, and then there was Andrew Garfield whose two films with Marc …

You would think you were on the lawn of Washington’s National Cathedral in the 1920s. Women dressed like flappers; and men like F. Scott Fitzgerald. The sound of Jazz is in the air. The dead give way that it’s 2017 is the cell phone in everyone’s hands. VOA Russian’s Masha …

You would think you were on the lawn of Washington’s National Cathedral in the 1920s. Women dressed like flappers; and men like F. Scott Fitzgerald. The sound of Jazz is in the air. The dead give way that it’s 2017 is the cell phone in everyone’s hands. VOA Russian’s Masha …

The dream of performing on Broadway came true last month for 74 high school actors, singers and dancers, selected from 50,000 young performers from across the United States. They came to New York to compete for the Jimmy Awards. While the Tony Awards celebrate the best of Broadway’s professional theater, …

Venus Williams wiped tears from her eyes during her Wimbledon news conference Monday. She shook her head, fiddled with her hair and sat, silently. The wave of emotion came as Williams attempted to answer a question about the two-car crash that police say she caused June 9 in Florida; a …

Two sites with cultural treasures separated by more than 40,000 years — caves with art dating to the Ice Age and buildings designed by a Bauhaus master less than 100 years ago — highlight Germany’s submissions for the prestigious World Heritage Site designation by the U.N.’s cultural agency, UNESCO. The …

The annual July Fourth concert near the U.S. Capitol will include an appearance by two droids who fought for independence in a galaxy far, far away. The two “Star Wars” characters will be on stage Tuesday evening while the National Symphony Orchestra plays John Williams’ music from the beloved sci-fi …

The roster of American musicians was impressive: Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, Booker T. and the MGs. They arrived in Europe in 1967, bringing with them the powerful, soulful Memphis Sound. Ahead was a tour with stops in London, Paris and elsewhere. These artists from the Stax Records …

Manny Pacquiao lost his WBO welterweight world title to Jeff Horn in a stunning, unanimous points decision in a Sunday afternoon bout billed as the Battle of Brisbane in front of more than 50,000 people. The 11-time world champion entered the fight at Suncorp Stadium as a hot favorite but …

Reigning champion Chris Froome wasted no time flexing his muscles at the Tour de France as he powered to sixth place Saturday in a treacherous opening time trial won superbly by Team Sky colleague Geraint Thomas. Heavy rain turned what, on paper, had looked like a regulation 14-kilometer circuit alongside …

One of the themes of this year’s Smithsonian Folk Life Festival is immigration. As part of the festival events, a group of 25 children were sworn in as U.S. Citizens, just ahead of America’s Independence Day holiday. VOA’s Elizabeth Cherneff reports. …

Hollywood great Olivia de Havilland has launched her own sequel to the TV series Feud — a lawsuit. The double Oscar-winning actress filed suit Friday against FX Networks and producer Ryan Murphy’s company, alleging the drama inaccurately depicts her as a gossipmonger and is an invasion of privacy. The suit was …