Afghan Taekwondo champion Nisar Ahmad Abdulrahimzai fled Afghanistan for Ukraine and is now in Switzerland. Despite his circumstances, he says he is ready to represent Afghanistan in competition. VOA’s Waheed Faizi has the story. …
Naomi Judd, of Grammy-winning Duo The Judds, Dies at 76
Naomi Judd, the Kentucky-born singer of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died. She was 76. The daughters announced her death Saturday in a statement provided to The Associated Press. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the…
Australian Musical Charts Family’s Escape from Nazis in Europe
A musical that depicts the remarkable escape from the Holocaust of a renowned Jewish sculptor and his family is about to open in Australia. Driftwood recounts the journey of Karl Duldig, his wife Slawa Horowitz-Duldig – inventor of the modern foldable umbrella – and their baby daughter, Eva. They fled the Nazis from Vienna in…
Turkey’s Soaring Inflation Mars Ramadan Celebrations
Muslim worshippers in Turkey’s southeastern city of Diyarbakir say they are struggling to purchase essential groceries for Ramadan celebrations because of the country’s high inflation rate. VOA’s Xecican Farqin has details in this report narrated by Rikar Hussein. Camera: Xecican Farqin …
Hong Kong Actor Kenneth Tsang Dies in Quarantine Hotel
Veteran Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang has died while in a COVID-19 quarantine hotel in the southern Chinese city, local media reported. Tsang was best known internationally for his action roles in the 2002 James Bond film “Die Another Day,” John Woo’s “The Killer” in 1989, “Rush Hour 2” in 2001 starring Jackie Chan and…
Flutists Worldwide Unite in Music to Show Support for Ukraine
Belarusian-American composer Eugene Magalif has organized an international musical event to honor and show support for Ukraine. Maxim Moskalkov has the story. Videographer: Andrey Degtyarev …
Robotics Company Makes Sensor-Packed Filmmaking Equipment
Sensor-packed robots are changing how movies and commercials are made. Deana Mitchell has the story. …
New Kenyan Play Targets Gender-Based Violence
Kenya saw a jump in cases of gender-based violence (GBV) during its COVID-19 lockdowns, which heightened social and financial stress. To address the problem, Kenyan authorities are turning to the dramatic arts. At the Kenya’s National Theatre in Nairobi, some 65 young people are putting their acting skills to use, as part of Kenya’s latest…
Despite Pandemic Easing, Ramadan Drive-Through Iftars Still Commonplace in US
During Ramadan, communal iftars, or breaking of fasts for Muslims in mosques, are the norm in the United States, but since the coronavirus pandemic began, drive-through food distributions have become popular. VOA’s Faiza Bukhari takes us behind the scenes at one of Virginia’s Islamic centers, where a daily drive-through iftar for roughly 800 people is…
Jon Stewart to Receive Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
A host of celebrities and comedy royalty will gather Sunday night at the Kennedy Center as comedian, talk show host and political influencer Jon Stewart receives the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in humor. Stewart, the 23rd recipient of the prize, will be honored by testimonials and skits from fellow comedians and previous Mark…
Asian Games to Go Ahead in Hangzhou: Malaysian Official
The 2022 Asian Games in China will go ahead, the Olympic Council of Malaysia said Saturday, denying claims that it was facing the possibility of being postponed. The Olympic-sized event is scheduled to be held in September in Hangzhou, a major metropolitan area less than 200 kilometers southwest of Shanghai. Shanghai is currently grappling with…
Female Artists Dominate the Venice Biennale For 1st Time
For the first time in the 127-year history of the Venice Biennale, the world’s oldest and most important contemporary art fair features a majority of female and gender non-conforming artists, under the curatorial direction of Cecilia Alemani. The result is a Biennale that puts the spotlight on artists who have been long overlooked despite prolific…
Iraq Exhibits Restored Art Pillaged After 2003 Invasion
Verdant landscapes, stylized portraits of peasant women, curved sculptures — an exhibition in Baghdad is allowing art aficionados to rediscover the pioneers of contemporary Iraqi art. Around 100 items are on display in the capital, returned and restored nearly two decades after they were looted. Many of the works, including pieces by renowned artists Jawad…
Argentine Architect Honors Classic Design at Coachella
The Buenos Aires design and architecture firm Estudio Normal is honoring Argentina’s iconic butterfly chair in a towering art installation at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California. From the festival, Genia Dulot has the story. Camera: Genia Dulot …
From War to Circus: Ukrainian Dancers Find Comfort on US Stage
Onstage, they dance through hoops and perform acrobatics with smiles on their faces. Off it, they hold anguished phone calls with family back in Ukraine. Dancers Anna and Olga have found a sense of calm performing in a circus near New York, but they are still living the war they fled thousands of miles away.…
Cabrera Remains One Hit Away From Baseball’s 3,000 Club
Miguel Cabrera’s pursuit of a rare baseball feat — a 3,000th career hit — remained on hold Thursday, with the New York Yankees taking heat for intentionally walking the Detroit Tigers slugger. Cabrera needs one hit to become just the 33rd player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 3,000-hit milestone, and Tigers fans…
Cooking Show Re-Creates Age-Old Recipes
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes to the lives of many people, and for some, new jobs. Mike O’Sullivan spoke with Max Miller, whose love for history and food led to a post-pandemic career as YouTube creator. …
Cristiano Ronaldo Says One of His Newborn Twins Has Died
Cristiano Ronaldo took to social media on Monday to say one of his newborn twins has died. “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away,” the Manchester United striker wrote in a post also signed by his partner, Georgina Rodriguez. “It is the greatest pain that…
Late US Justice Ginsburg’s Art and Collectibles Up for Auction
Picasso ceramics, old masters works, and a fur coat are among the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s artworks and personal items to be auctioned off near Washington this month. Proceeds from the sale will go to the U.S. capital’s Washington National Opera to support an art form close to the iconic Supreme…
Holy Days Converging in April Spark Interfaith Celebrations in US
It’s a convergence that happens only rarely. Coinciding with Judaism’s Passover, Western Christianity’s Easter and Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, Buddhists, Baha’is, Sikhs, Jains and Hindus also are celebrating their holy days in April. The springtime collision of religious holidays is inspiring a range of interfaith events. In Chicago, there’s the Interfaith Trolley Tour coming…
Gilbert Gottfried, Actor and Comic’s Comic, Dies at 67
Gilbert Gottfried, the actor and legendary standup comic known for his raw, scorched voice and crude jokes, has died. He was 67. Gottfried died from a rare genetic muscle disease that can trigger a dangerously abnormal heartbeat, his publicist and longtime friend Glenn Schwartz said in a statement. “In addition to being the most iconic…
‘Cabaret,’ ‘Life of Pi’ Win Prizes at UK’s Olivier Awards
Sultry musical “Cabaret” and fantastical literary adaptation “Life of Pi” were among the winners Sunday at British theater’s Olivier Awards, which returned with a live ceremony and a black-tie crowd after a three-year gap imposed by COVID-19. The celebration of London theater, opera and dance came back to London’s Royal Albert Hall for the first…