NEW YORK — The Beatles are getting the big-screen biopic treatment in not just one film, but a Fab Four of movies that will give each band member their own spotlight — all of which are to be directed by Sam Mendes. For the first time, the Beatles, long among the …
your ad hereStrike Closes Eiffel Tower in Blow to Tourists Ahead of Paris Olympics
Paris — The Eiffel Tower, one of the most visited tourist sites in the world, closed on Monday as staff went on strike in protest against the way the Paris monument is managed financially, disappointing the crowds below. The strike comes as Paris prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, which …
your ad hereBerlin Film Fest Grapples With Nazi Past, Far-Right Threat
BERLIN — This week’s Berlin international film festival is wrestling on- and off-screen with the weight of the Nazi past and the menace of a resurgent far right. The 74th Berlinale, as the event is known, has a reputation for confronting political realities head-on with high-profile movies and hot-tempered debates. German …
your ad here‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Stirs Up $27.7 Million Weekend at Box Office
New York — Paramount Pictures’ Bob Marley biopic “Bob Marley: One Love” outperformed expectations to debut at No. 1 at the box office with a $27.7 million opening weekend, while Sony’s “Madame Web” flopped with one of the lowest debuts for a movie centered on a Marvel character. Both films launched …
your ad here‘Oppenheimer’ Wins 7 Prizes, Including Best Picture, at British Academy Film Awards
London — Atom bomb epic “Oppenheimer” won seven prizes, including best picture, director and actor, at the 77th British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, cementing its front-runner status for the Oscars next month. Gothic fantasia “Poor Things” took five prizes and Holocaust drama “The Zone of Interest” won three. Christopher Nolan …
your ad hereSolemn Monument to Japanese American WWII Detainees Lists More Than 125,000 Names
Los Angeles — Samantha Sumiko Pinedo and her grandparents file into a dimly lit enclosure at the Japanese American National Museum and approach a massive book splayed open to reveal columns of names. Pinedo is hoping the list includes her great-grandparents, who were detained in Japanese American incarceration camps during World …
your ad hereNepal Pursues Sacred Items Smuggled Abroad
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal’s gods and goddess are returning home. An unknown number of sacred statues of Hindu deities were stolen and smuggled abroad in the past. Now dozens are being repatriated to the Himalayan nation, part of a growing global effort to return such items to countries in Asia, Africa …
your ad hereWhat to Expect at Britain’s BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday
LONDON — Prepare for Poppenheimer. Poor Things and Oppenheimer are the leading contenders for the British Academy Film Awards, which will be handed out Sunday in front of an audience of filmmakers, movie stars and the heir to the British throne. Yorgos Lanthimos’ gothic fantasia is up for 11 trophies, while …
your ad hereLondon Fashion Week Celebrates Multiculturalism, Urban Life
LONDON — The cultural richness brought by migrations across the world, familial nostalgia and the frenetic pace of London life marked the second day of the city’s Fashion Week on Saturday as up-and-coming designers showed off their styles for the season ahead. Some 60 designers, ranging from rising talents to renowned …
your ad herePope Urges Catholics to Swap Social Media for Reflection as Lent Begins
ROME — Pope Francis urged Catholics to forgo worldly trappings and focus on essentials as he opened the season of Lent with a traditional Ash Wednesday Mass on one of Rome’s historic seven hills. He criticized people’s tendency to lay bare their lives on social media, deploring “a world in which …
your ad hereFor Many Americans, Valentine’s Day Is Last-Minute Affair
How COVID-19 Changed US Office Fashion
Hybrid work relaxed office fashion, but formal attire might be making a comeback …
your ad hereOscar Nominees From Films ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Barbie’ Gather for Luncheon
LOS ANGELES — The casts of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” gathered Monday for the annual Academy Award nominees’ luncheon along with other Oscar hopefuls coming together for photos, hugs and congratulations. The luncheon is a warm, feel-good, egalitarian affair where little-known first-time nominees in categories like best animated short get to rub …
your ad here‘Lisa Frankenstein’ Fails to Revive North American Box Office on Slow Weekend
Mexican Avocado Scarcity Affects Super Bowl Guacamole
MEXICO CITY — As the Super Bowl approaches, there could be problems for guacamole, a favorite game-time food in America: A lack of rain and warmer temperatures has resulted in fewer avocados being shipped from Mexico. The western state of Michoacan, which supplies almost 90% of the creamy textured fruit for …
your ad hereFirst Female Argentine Saint Brings Together Pope Francis and Milei
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Sunday will elevate to sainthood the first female saint from his native Argentina, an event that will be attended at the Vatican by his former strong critic, Argentine President Javier Milei. Milei, a maverick right-wing libertarian, in the past called Francis an “imbecile,” a “son …
your ad hereTaylor Swift to Cross 9 Time Zones for Super Bowl
TOKYO — Will she make it in time? Taylor Swift’s last song was still ringing in the ears of thousands of fans at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday night when the singer rushed to a private jet at Haneda airport, presumably embarking on an intensely scrutinized journey to see her boyfriend, …
your ad hereKing Charles’ Cancer Announcement Raises Questions
london — In British history, the secrecy of the monarch’s health has always reigned supreme. Buckingham Palace’s disclosure that King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer shattered that longstanding tradition. On the heels of the shock and well-wishing that followed the official statement Monday came the surprise that the palace …
your ad hereArgentina Getting Its First Female Saint
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — A Catholic laywoman who lived in 18th-century Argentina and joined the Jesuits in their evangelical mission throughout the South American country will become the first female saint from the home country of Pope Francis on Sunday. María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, more commonly known by her …
your ad hereAnger Escalates in China After Messi’s Absence in Hong Kong Soccer Game
Washington — Lionel Messi, arguably the world’s most popular soccer player, is the object of uncharacteristic hostility in Hong Kong, where he was roundly booed by frustrated fans after sitting out an exhibition match this week. China’s state-controlled media was quick to suggest a CIA hand in the debacle. Messi later …
your ad hereWhat Is Lunar New Year and How Is It Celebrated?
Acclaimed Japanese Conductor Seiji Ozawa Dies at Age 88
TOKYO — Seiji Ozawa, the Japanese conductor who amazed audiences with the lithe physicality of his performances during three decades at the helm of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has died, his management office said Friday. He was 88. The internationally acclaimed maestro, with his trademark mop of salt-and-pepper hair, led the …
your ad hereChainsaw Artists Show Their Skills at Live Carving Event
Participants of the Extreme Chainsaw Carving Show have just a few hours to turn a cedar block of wood into a beautiful work of art. VOA’s Natasha Mozgovaya reports from Arlington, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. …
your ad hereStars, Athletes Plan to Flock Las Vegas for Super Bowl Events
LOS ANGELES — Las Vegas will be flooded with so many pre- Super Bowl events that Shaquille O’Neal lowered the prices to his popular carnival-themed “Shaq’s Fun House.” Instead of raising the rate, O’Neal decided to offer potential attendees more bang for their buck to the NBA legend’s sixth annual event …
your ad hereAnnette Bening Honored as Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Annette Bening, a two-time Golden Globe winner who recently received her fifth Oscar nomination, was feted Tuesday with a raucous parade full of colorful costumes and drag performers as part of festivities honoring her as Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals 2024 Woman of the Year. A few hours …
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