Taras Topolya is a Ukrainian rock singer. From the first day of the war in Ukraine, he has been working as a paramedic with the country’s Territorial Defense. But when he has a break, he plays with big names in the Western music industry. Lesia Bakalets has the story, narrated …
your ad hereSelfie Museum Visitors Create Art on Social Media
At Colorado’s Adventure Room Selfie Museum, it’s the visitors who make the art, shooting social media videos and photos in a variety of colorful settings. For VOA, Svitlana Prystynska went to have a look. …
your ad hereIranian Film Workers Arrested, Homes Raided
A renowned Iranian filmmaker has said that the offices and homes of several filmmakers and other industry professionals were raided and some of them arrested in recent days. Mohammad Rasoulof made the comments on Instagram late Saturday, posting a statement signed by dozens of movie industry professionals. The statement also …
your ad hereRussia Artist is 76-Year-Old Voice of Protest on Ukraine
Yelena Osipova barely slept ahead of Russia’s pomp-filled Victory Day celebrations on May 9. The 76-year-old artist was up late, making placards to protest about the conflict in Ukraine. But the moment she stepped out of her home in St. Petersburg on her way to demonstrate, two unknown men snatched …
your ad hereRenovated NYC Museum Hall Showcases Indigenous Perspectives
In his first visit to the American Museum of Natural History, Morgan Guerin had a list. Not of things he wanted to check out, though — a list of things that he hated. It started with seeing certain regalia from his Musqueam Indian Band — sacred objects not intended for …
your ad hereFormer Test Cricketer Andrew Symonds Dies in Auto Accident
Former Australian test cricketer Andrew Symonds has died after a single-vehicle auto accident near Townsville in northeast Australia. He was 46. Cricket Australia reported Symonds’ death on its website on Sunday, citing a police statement with details of the accident late Saturday night. It described Symonds as “a cult hero …
your ad hereUkraine’s Kalush Orchestra Wins Eurovision Song Contest
Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest in the early hours of Sunday in a clear show of support for the war-ravaged nation. The six-man band that mixes traditional folk melodies and contemporary hip hop in a purposeful defense of Ukrainian culture was the sentimental and bookmakers’ favorite …
your ad hereActor Fred Ward, of ‘Tremors,’ ‘The Right Stuff’ Fame, Dies
Fred Ward, a veteran actor who brought a gruff tenderness to tough-guy roles in such films as The Right Stuff, The Player and Tremors, has died. He was 79. Ward died Sunday, his publicist Ron Hofmann said Friday. No cause or place of death was disclosed per the family’s wishes. …
your ad hereAmid War, Ukraine Is Trying to Save Its Cultural Artifacts From Destruction
US to Host Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cups for First Time
Rugby’s biggest tournament is finally heading to the United States. Now comes the hard part for the sport’s leadership: Generating enough interest and sustainability to secure the sport’s place in a crowded U.S. market. The Rugby World Cup will be staged in the U.S. for the first time after being …
your ad hereNew ‘Doctor Who’ star is ‘Sex Education’ actor Ncuti Gatwa
Ncuti Gatwa will take the mantle from Jodie Whittaker on “Doctor Who,” the BBC announced Sunday, ending speculation over the iconic Time Lord’s next regeneration. “Sometimes talent walks through the door and it’s so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars,” …
your ad hereU2’s Bono Gives ‘Freedom’ Concert in Kyiv Metro
Irish rock group U2’s frontman Bono and his bandmate The Edge performed a 40-minute concert in a metro station in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Sunday and praised Ukrainians fighting for their freedom from Russia. “Your president leads the world in the cause of freedom right now … The …
your ad hereCenturies-old Passion Play Returns after Pandemic Break
Almost 400 years ago, the Catholic residents of a small Bavarian village vowed to perform a play of “the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ” every 10 years, if only God would spare them any further losses from the plague known as the Black Death. Legend has …
your ad hereMotherhood Deferred: US Median Age for Giving Birth Hits 30
For Allyson Jacobs, life in her 20s and 30s was about focusing on her career in health care and enjoying the social scene in New York City. It wasn’t until she turned 40 that she and her husband started trying to have children. They had a son when she was …
your ad hereMickey Gilley, Who Helped Inspire ‘Urban Cowboy,’ Dies at 86
Country star Mickey Gilley, whose namesake Texas honky-tonk inspired the 1980 film Urban Cowboy and a nationwide wave of Western-themed nightspots, has died. He was 86. Gilley died Saturday in Branson, Missouri, where he helped run the Mickey Gilley Grand Shanghai Theatre. He had been performing as recently as last …
your ad hereLong Shot Rich Strike Stuns with Win at 148th Kentucky Derby
Rich Strike came off a blistering pace at odds of more than 80-1 to beat 19 blue-blooded opponents and produce one of the biggest upsets in history while capturing the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Rich Strike, who was only …
your ad hereBob Dylan Museum Opening in Tulsa
Elvis Costello, Patti Smith and Mavis Staples will be among the dignitaries expected in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this weekend for the opening of the Bob Dylan Center, the museum and archive celebrating the Nobel laureate’s work. Dylan himself won’t be among them, unless he surprises everyone. The center’s subject and namesake …
your ad hereWarhol Monroe Portrait Set to Smash Records at New York Sales
An Andy Warhol portrait of Marilyn Monroe worth an estimated $200 million headlines this month’s spring sales in New York that collectors say are among the most anticipated ever. Christie’s expects Warhol’s 1964 Shot Sage Blue Marilyn to become the priciest 20th century artwork when the auction house puts it …
your ad hereCensorship of Hollywood Blockbuster Films Intensifies in China
China is stepping up censorship of U.S. films as producers make movies with an eye toward pleasing Beijing yet without isolating the global audience, industry insiders say. The roughly 25-year-old practice of cutting scenes that don’t conform to Communist Party ideals from Hollywood movies has expanded. “Now it’s kind of …
your ad hereMaradona’s ‘Hand of God’ Shirt Sets Auction Record
The shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored the controversial “Hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup has sold for $9.3 million (7.1 million pounds), the highest price ever paid at auction for a piece of sports memorabilia. Auctioneer Sotheby’s sold the shirt in an …
your ad hereDolly Parton, Eminem, Richie Get into Rock Hall of Fame
Eminem, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Eurythmics, Duran Duran and Pat Benatar have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a list that also includes Dolly Parton, who initially resisted the honor. The honorees — voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals — …
your ad hereComedian Dave Chappelle Attacked on Stage at Hollywood Bowl
U.S. comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage on Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles by an assailant who rugby-tackled him before being apprehended and arrested, video footage verified by Reuters showed. The attack came just over a month after actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock …
your ad hereAfghan Refugees in San Diego Celebrate Their First Eid al-Fitr in the US
This was the first Eid al-Fitr in the United States for most of the more than 70,000 Afghan refugees who came to the country following the Taliban takeover last August. For VOA, Genia Dulot met with some of those refugees in California to see how they are marking the end …
your ad hereStars Dazzle at Met Gala in New York
Hundreds of A-listers dressed to the theme of “gilded glamour” gathered Monday in New York for the annual Met Gala extravaganza known as “the party of the year. The fundraiser is back in its usual early May slot after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 event and …
your ad hereSikhs of Virginia Celebrate End of Ramadan
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported there was a spike in Islamophobia and a surge in hate crimes against Muslims in the United States last year. The council recommends bringing minority communities together to try to defuse tensions. One such effort is linked to celebrations to mark the end …
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