Opera has been popping up recently at the most unlikely New York places: a revamped garage, a dive bar, a basketball court and even an old aircraft carrier. It’s part of a festival with an in-your-face goal – to bring this once grandiose art form to ordinary places where people …

A North Korean Taekwondo demonstration team visiting South Korea could present a way forward to reduce tensions by using sports to reestablish a channel of dialogue and cooperation.   South Korean President Moon Jae-in was on hand for the opening of the World Taekwondo Championship being held in Muju, South …

Alt-country rocker Steve Earle and country star Miranda Lambert shared writing credit on one of Lambert’s biggest hits from her debut album in 2005, but the two never actually got into a writers’ room until more than a decade later.   Lambert wrote the song “Kerosene,” the album title track, …

They had a long way to go and a short time to get there, but hundreds of fans in Pontiac Trans Ams have put the hammer down and made it to Atlanta to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Smokey and the Bandit. About 350 cars this week retraced actor Burt …

In preparation for a 2024 Olympic bid, Paris transformed the area around the river Seine into an Olympic park, hosting events on Friday and Saturday to make one final push for the rights to host the games. The last time the French capital hosted the event would be 100 years …

Women are making strides in Hollywood this summer with the female-directed film “Wonder Woman” soaring past $600 million at the box office worldwide and another woman-led production, “The Beguiled,” picking up the coveted Palm D’Or for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. VOA’s Penelope Poulou has more. …

On a recent summer night, the sun was still shining as people prepared to run a 5K race for charity. But they hadn’t had a drop to drink or eat since before dawn. Ariadne Budianto reports. …

A new exhibit in New York City enables visitors to experience Michelangelo’s masterpieces from as close as the Florentine master was when working on them in the early 16th century. Nearly 34 reproductions of his best pieces from the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican are at the Oculus art center …

Women are flexing their muscles in Hollywood this summer with the female-directed film Wonder Woman soaring past $600 million at the box office worldwide and another woman-led production, The Beguiled, picking up the coveted Palm D’Or for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. Women have always been an essential …

Demeaning images in advertising of women doing domestic chores or scantily clad act as stubborn obstacles to gender equality, the head of U.N. Women said Thursday, urging the global ad industry to become a weapon for good. Advertising has the power to create positive portrayals of women and eliminate stereotypes, …

Peter Jok was set to find out Thursday night whether a long journey that began in war-torn Sudan and detoured through Ugandan and Kenyan refugee camps would end up with him landing on an NBA basketball court. Jok, a University of Iowa standout for four years, was predicted to be …

Peter Jok’s long journey that began in war-torn Sudan and detoured through Ugandan and Kenyan refugee camps has not landed him on an NBA basketball court — yet. Jok, a University of Iowa standout for four years, had been predicted to be chosen in the first two rounds of the …

Ron Howard is taking command of the Han Solo “Star Wars” spinoff after the surprise departure of directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.   Lucasfilm announced their replacement director Thursday, two days after Lord and Miller left the project over creative differences. Howard gives the reeling production a veteran hand …

Bill Cosby plans to conduct a series of free public seminars about sexual assault this summer, his spokesman said days after a Pennsylvania judge declared a mistrial in the entertainer’s sex assault trial. The 79-year-old comedian was best known for his role as the father in the hit 1980s TV …

This is the Top Five Countdown. We’re on the job with the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, for the week ending June 24, 2017. One little change…that’s what we have for you this week. It happens in fifth place, where Kendrick Lamar stumbles …

There’s good news for pesto lovers. The airport in Genoa, Italy, home of the famous sauce, is allowing passengers to take pesto with them on flights, providing they make a small donation of less than a dollar to the Flying Angels charity, which helps provide money for sick children to …

A Cartier wristwatch given to Jackie Kennedy and a painting she made in 1963 as a thank-you gift to reciprocate sold for $379,500 on Wednesday, more than three times pre-sale estimates, Christie’s auction house said. Christie’s said the price was reached after three minutes of “spirited bidding” in its New …

Hip hop artist Lil Wayne has sold his Miami Beach mansion for $10 million after putting it on the market more than two years ago.   The Miami Herald reported Tuesday that the 15,101 square-foot (1,400 square-meter) waterfront home was first listed in April 2015 for $18 million. A month …

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis is retiring from acting, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday, ending a storied movie career that includes performances in “Lincoln” and “Gangs of New York.” Day-Lewis, 60, the only man to have won three best actor Oscars, gave no reason for his decision, calling it private. …

Tony Bennett, the beloved and durable interpreter of American standards whose chart-topping career spans seven decades, has been honored with this year’s Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.   The Library of Congress announced the award Tuesday. The lifetime achievement award named for the duo of George and Ira Gershwin was …

Tony DiCicco, one of the most popular figures and leaders in women’s soccer history in the United States, died late Monday at age 68. U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said DiCicco was “one of the most influential coaches in U.S. Soccer history.” His teams posted a 103-8-8 record from 1994 …

It has a tough reputation, but for one entrepreneur Beirut’s Ouzai neighborhood is the perfect canvas upon which to paint dreams of a better Lebanon. Having left the area as a child and made his money working across the globe, Ayad Nasser has returned to Lebanon to create a place …

Refugees are taking over restaurant kitchens in 13 European cities during the  Refugee Food Festival, which coincides with World Refugee Day on June 20. For two weeks, restaurant kitchens will occupied by refugee chefs from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and others. One popular and award-winning eatery in the …

The Refugee Food Festival is taking place in 13 European cities, marking World Refugee Day on June 20. For two weeks, restaurants are being taken over by refugee chefs from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and others. Marthe van der Wolf reports for VOA from Brussels. …

U.S. actor Jack Black has some big comedic shoes to fill in his forthcoming project, which sees him take the lead role in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” a star-studded reboot of the hit 1995 comedy that starred the late Robin Williams. Black said that he only watched the original …