…
your ad here‘Wonka’ Back Atop North America Box Office in Weak Film Year
Los Angeles — Fantasy musical “Wonka” bounced back to the top of the North American box office this New Year’s weekend as an otherwise pallid film year came to an end, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday. The Warner Bros. film took in an estimated $24 million for the three-day weekend …
your ad hereOscar-Nominated Actor Tom Wilkinson Dies at 75
london — Two-time Oscar-nominated actor Tom Wilkinson, who starred in “The Full Monty” — a movie about a group of unemployed steel workers who launched new careers as strippers — died suddenly on Saturday. The British actor’s death was confirmed in a statement released by his agent on behalf of his …
your ad hereNew Year’s Tradition of Watch Night Services Dates to Civil War
Lebanon to Seek UNESCO Recognition for Pioneering TV Archive
Beirut, Lebanon — For decades, Tele Liban has been a mainstay of Lebanese living rooms. Now the country is seeking UNESCO recognition for the archives of its pioneering Arab broadcaster. Information Minister Ziad Makary told AFP that Beirut would apply to have the full archives of Tele Liban added to the …
your ad hereVenice Limits Tourist Groups to 25 People to Protect Canal City
MILAN — The Italian city of Venice announced new limits Saturday on the size of tourist groups, the latest move to reduce the pressure of mass tourism on the famed canal city. Starting in June, groups will be limited to 25 people, or roughly half the capacity of a tourist bus, …
your ad hereLegendary Restaurant Reopens, Overlooking Paris 2024 Olympics, Reborn Notre Dame
PARIS — The Tour d’Argent already boasts a 320,000-bottle wine cellar, a world-famous duck recipe and a storied 441-year history. Now, the legendary Paris restaurant is about to serve up its “plat de résistance”: a front-row view of two of the biggest events of 2024 — the renaissance of Notre Dame …
your ad hereBrazil Pays Tributes to Pelé 1 Year After His Death
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilians paid several tributes to soccer legend Pelé on Friday, one year after the three-time World Cup winner’s death at age 82 due to a colon cancer. A ceremony held at Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the redeemer, one of the South American nation’s most famous postcard locations, …
your ad hereHundreds Dance In Bearskins For Romania’s ‘Dancing Bear Festival’
COMANESTI, Romania — Centuries ago, people in what is now northeastern Romania donned bearskins and danced to fend off evil spirits. That custom is today known as the Dancing Bears Festival, drawing crowds of tourists every December. Hundreds of people of all ages, clad in bear costumes, dance every year around …
your ad hereChina’s Fireworks Bans Spark Fiery Debate Ahead of Lunar New Year
BEIJING — Chinese lawmakers Friday weighed in on a fiery online debate on whether fireworks should be used to ring in the Lunar New Year in February, saying a total ban on pyrotechnics in the country credited with inventing them would be hard to implement. In an unusually frank response, lawmakers …
your ad hereChile Granny Finds Solace, Celebrity in Online Gaming
Llay-Llay, Chile — Few players of the online video game Free Fire would know that one of their most ferocious opponents — a lithe, gun-wielding warrior in a short kimono and fang mask — is in reality an 81-year-old grandmother from rural Chile. From her professional gaming chair at home in …
your ad hereLegal Battles Loom as First Mickey Mouse Copyright Ends
Los Angeles — Almost a century after his big-screen debut, Mickey Mouse enters the public domain Monday, opening the floodgates to potential remakes, spin-offs, adaptations … and legal battles with Disney. The copyright on Steamboat Willie — a short, black-and-white 1928 animation that first introduced audiences to the mischievous rodent who …
your ad hereChina OKs 105 Online Games Days After Hitting Industry with Draft Rules
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Chinese authorities approved 105 new online games this week, bolstering support for the industry just days after proposing regulatory restrictions that sent stocks tumbling. The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) announced approval of the 105 games Monday via WeChat, describing the move as a show of support …
your ad hereChina Pressures Influential Taiwanese Band Ahead of Elections, Sources Say
TAIPEI, Taiwan — China has pressured an influential Taiwanese rock band called Mayday to make pro-China comments ahead of Taiwan’s key elections next month, according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation and a Taiwan security note reviewed by Reuters. China’s National Radio and Television Administration had asked Mayday to …
your ad hereTom Smothers, Half of American Comedy Duo the Smothers Brothers, Dies at 86
New York City’s Times Square Prepares for New Year’s Eve
Every December 31, New Yorkers and tourists alike flock to the Big Apple’s Times Square for the New Year’s Eve celebration. Elena Wolf had a look at how the city prepares for the big event in this story narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by Max Avloshenko and Elena Matusovsky. …
your ad hereHow Librarian Spies Helped Win World War II
Academics used their information gathering and organizing skills as weapons against the Nazis …
your ad here‘Parasite’ Actor Lee Sun-kyun Found Dead: Report
Seoul, South Korea — South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film “Parasite”, was found dead Wednesday in an apparent suicide according to a police official. The actor was discovered inside a vehicle at a park in central Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported, citing police. …
your ad hereWhy Are We Drawn to New Year’s Resolutions?
As the end of December approaches, millions of Americans will make pledges to lose weight, save more money or learn a new language, only for most of these promises to be forgotten in a few months. So, why do we make New Year’s resolutions in the first place? …
your ad hereIn Photos: Christmas Celebrations Around the World
On Weekend Before Christmas, ‘Aquaman’ Sequel Drifts to First at Box Office
As 2023 Draws to Close, Notre Dame’s Reconstruction Offers Light
Paris — With bleak December weather gripping the French capital and world attention dominated by the bloody conflict in Gaza, the slow reemergence of Paris’ fire-battered Notre Dame cathedral is a welcome Christmas present. A golden rooster — a potent symbol of light in Christianity and of France — once again …
your ad hereHow Did America’s Founding Father Celebrate the Holidays?
Have you ever wondered how the holidays were celebrated in 18th-century America? VOA’s Saqib Ul Islam visits Mount Vernon, the historic home of America’s first president, George Washington. At this historic site, one of the nation’s most visited, holiday traditions from the 1770s are preserved. …
your ad hereHundreds of Volunteers Get White House Ready for Christmas
300 people from across the country spend up to a week decorating the presidential mansion for the holidays …
your ad hereFIFA, UEFA Acted Contrary to EU Competition Law in Blocking Super League, Court Says
BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top court ruled Thursday in a landmark decision for the future of soccer’s club competitions that UEFA and FIFA acted contrary to EU competition law in blocking plans for the breakaway Super League. The case was heard last year at the court after Super League failed …
your ad here