TikTok influencers and celebrities are increasingly taking over from journalists as the main source of news for young people, according to a report published Wednesday by the Britain-based Reuters Institute. The report found that 55% of TikTok and Snapchat users and 52%t of Instagram users get their news from “personalities” — compared to 33-42% who…
Cormac McCarthy, Author of ‘The Road,’ ‘No Country for Old Men,’ Dies at 89
Cormac McCarthy, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who in prose both dense and brittle took readers from the southern Appalachians to the desert Southwest in such novels as The Road, Blood Meridian and All the Pretty Horses, died Tuesday. He was 89. McCarthy died of natural causes in Santa Fe, New Mexico, publisher Alfred A. Knopf…
Hong Kong’s Film Industry Quietly Blooming Again, Despite Censorship
A young actress drags a suitcase despondently up a tree-shaded street, as a crew shoots a scene in a film about director Norris Wong’s unachieved dream of becoming a Cantopop lyricist. The movie “The Lyricist Wannabe” is the latest from Wong and part of an unprecedented trend in Hong Kong’s moviemaking history — the growth…
Hong Kong Film Industry Undergoing Revival
In its heyday, Hong Kong was the Hollywood of Asia, turning out stars such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-Fat and recent Best Actress Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh. While the industry has seen a decline over the past two decades, Hong Kong is experiencing what some say is a film revival, despite stricter controls…
McCartney: ‘Final Beatles Record’ Out This Year Aided by AI
A “final Beatles record”, created with the help of artificial intelligence, will be released later this year, Paul McCartney told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Tuesday. “It was a demo that John (Lennon) had, and that we worked on, and we just finished it up,” said McCartney, who turns 81 next week. The…
BTS Turns 10; Seoul Lights Up Landmarks to Celebrate
Skyscrapers, bridges and other landmarks in South Korea’s capital will be lit up in purple Monday as the country begins celebrating the 10th anniversary of K-pop band BTS, whose global popularity is a source of national pride. The lights will provide the backdrop for various social media-driven events marking the 2013 debut of the seven-member…
Denver Contemporary Art Gallery Adds 2 Painters from Ghana
The new Modern Art gallery at the Denver Art Museum includes two painters from Ghana. VOA’s Scott Stearns gives us a look. …
Select List of Winners of 2023 Tony Awards
Best musical: “Kimberly Akimbo” Best play: “Leopoldstadt” Best revival of a musical: “Parade” Best revival of a play: “Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog” Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical: Victoria Clark, “Kimberly Akimbo” Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play: Sean Hayes, “Good Night, Oscar” Best…
Tony Awards Make History With Laurels for Nonbinary Actors
The intimate, funny-sad musical “Kimberly Akimbo” nudged aside splashier rivals on Sunday to win the musical crown at the Tony Awards on a night when Broadway flexed its creative muscle amid the Hollywood writers’ strike and made history with laurels for nonbinary actors J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell. “Kimberly Akimbo,” with songs by Jeanine…
‘Transformers’ Edge Out ‘Spider-Verse’ to Claim Box Office Lead
It was Miles Morales and the Spider-Verse versus the “Transformers” at the box office this weekend and the bots came out on top. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the seventh entry in the series, took the No. 1 spot in its first weekend in North American theaters with $60.5 million according to studio estimates Sunday.…
The Show Must Go On: Putting on a Tony Awards Telecast During a Writers’ Strike
New location? No script? No rehearsal? No sweat. Welcome to the 2023 Tony Awards, a show with an extra jolt of electricity this time due to the Hollywood writers’ strike. Unpredictability has been inserted into what is usually an upbeat, safe and chummy night. The strike has left Broadway’s biggest night without a script, in…
Ugandan Baseball Player Debuts in America
In the heart of Maryland, the Frederick Keys baseball team introduced its newest player last week, one unlike any other the team has seen in its 35-year history. Dennis Kasumba, 18-year-old catcher. From Uganda. Kasuma recently turned what seemed like an impossible dream into a reality, making the leap from the rough fields of his…
Four Restaurants in Vietnam Awarded One Michelin Star Each
Vietnam’s booming food scene was awarded its first-ever Michelin stars Tuesday, with four restaurants selected by the prestigious dining guide. Three eateries in Hanoi — Gia, Tam Vi and Hibana by Koki — and one in Ho Chi Minh City — Anan Saigon — were each awarded one Michelin star. Although there were no stars…
Legacy Craftsmen in Indian Kashmir Face Indifference, Low Demand
Kashmir valley, in the Indian- administered portion of Kashmir, is known for its unique craftsmanship. For centuries, locals learned skills from those who arrived from central Asia following the arrival of Islam in the region. However, among the hundreds of skills, three are in danger of being lost. For VOA, Muheet Ul Islam reports from…
Bangkok Aims to Be Safe Space for LGBT Asians
Tens of thousands of people in Thailand celebrated Bangkok Pride with a parade on Sunday. Some Thais say they hope laws will one day allow same-sex marriage in a society that has already changed. Vijitra Duangdee reports from Bangkok. …
Seven Punished by Spanish Government for Racist Insults Against Vinicius
Seven people involved in different racist attacks against Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr have been punished by Spain’s State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport, the country’s Sports Commission said on Monday. Four men were fined $64,255 and banned from sports venues for two years after hanging a banner reading “Madrid hates…
France’s Spectacular Abbey Mont-Saint-Michel Celebrates 1,000th Birthday
PARIS (AP) — France’s beloved abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel has reached a ripe old age. It’s been 1,000 years since the laying of its first stone. The millennial of the UNESCO World Heritage site and key Normandy tourism magnet is being celebrated until November with exhibits, dance shows and concerts. French President Emmanuel Macron is heading…
Fans Go Undercover To Track Racism at European Soccer Matches
Among the thousands of fans in the stands at Europe’s biggest soccer games are a few people operating undercover. Trained volunteer observers listen for racist chants and watch for extremist symbols on banners. “You have to be aware of the environment and fit in without standing out. You have to be discreet,” one observer, who…
Artist Uses Lego Bricks to Recreate World’s Iconic Buildings
The National Building Museum in Washington has launched a new long-term exhibition called Brick City, which re-creates the iconic architecture of cities around the world using Lego bricks. Maxim Moskalkov has the story. Camera: Andrey Degtyarev …
What’s Behind the Decline in Limousine Demand?
Stretch limousines — once a symbol of the rich and famous — are now rarely seen on the roads and at red carpet events. Karina Bafradzhian investigates why demand for limousines has declined. …
Hollywood Directors Reach Labor Pact, Writers Remain on Strike
Hollywood’s major studios reached a tentative labor agreement with the union representing film and television directors, likely averting a work stoppage that would have piled pressure on media companies to settle with striking writers. The Directors Guild of America (DGA) will ask its 19,000 members to approve the three-year contract, which was announced late Saturday…
‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse’ Swings to $120.5M Opening
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” opened in U.S. and Canadian theaters with a massive $120.5 million, more than tripling the debut of the 2018 animated original and showing the kind of movie-to-movie box-office growth that would be the envy of even the mightiest of Hollywood franchises. Sony Pictures’ “Across the Spider-Verse,” the multi-verse spinning animated Spider-Man…