Jane Campion’s gothic western “The Power of the Dog” led nominations to the 94th Academy Awards, where streaming services more than ever before swept over Hollywood’s top honors. In nominations announced Tuesday, Campion’s film landed a leading 12 nominations, including nods for best picture, best director and all of its top actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten…
Take a Sad Song and Make It Better: ‘Hey Jude’ NFT Fetches $77,000
A virtual version of the handwritten notes for the song “Hey Jude” has been sold at auction in California for almost $77,000, the latest hammer price success for NFTs. Originally entitled “Hey Jules,” the Fab Four’s hit was written in 1968 by Paul McCartney to comfort a young Julian Lennon during father John’s separation from…
What to Watch for When Oscar Nominations Are Announced Tuesday
It’s time again to celebrate Hollywood’s grandest ambitions and most daring risk takers. No, I’m not talking about Jackass Forever. On Tuesday morning, nominations for the 94th annual Academy Awards will be announced. Nominations are occurring a little later than usual. To make way for the Olympics, the Oscars are to be held March 27.…
Spotify CEO Says Canceling Joe Rogan Isn’t ‘The Answer’
Joe Rogan has put Spotify in a tough spot, but the streaming giant is not ready to part ways with the popular podcast host despite intense criticism over his anti-coronavirus vaccine comments and use of racial slurs. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek also said in a message to employees Sunday that Rogan’s racist language was “incredibly…
Senegal’s Cup of Nations Triumph Sees Potential Fulfilled at Last
After final against Egypt finished 0-0 in extra time, Sengal won shoot-out 4-2 …
Chinese Tennis Star Again Denies Accusing Government Official of Sexual Assault on Social Media
Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai is again denying that she had accused a former Communist Party official of sexually assaulting her in a social media post late last year. L’Equipe, a French daily sports newspaper, published an interview it conducted with Peng in its Monday edition. “I never said anyone had sexually assaulted me in…
Iconic Tapestry of Picasso’s `Guernica’ Back at UN
The iconic tapestry of Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica,” which is considered by numerous art critics as perhaps the most powerful anti-war painting in history, returned to its place of honor at the United Nations on Saturday after a year-long absence that angered and dismayed many U.N. diplomats and staff. The tapestry of the painting, woven by…
Lata Mangeshkar ‘Nightingale of India’ Dies at 92
Bollywood superstar Lata Mangeshkar, known to millions as the “Nightingale of India” and a regular fixture of the country’s airwaves for decades, died Sunday morning at the age of 92. Mangeshkar was born in 1929 and started her musical training early under the tutelage of her father, Deenanath, singing in his theatrical productions when she…
A New York Law Could Change the Fashion Industry If Enacted
The fashion industry has always had a relationship with some forms of social activism. But all too often the industry is also seen as one of excess and consumerism gone wild. That could change if New York’s Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act – or FSSAA – becomes law. Nina Vishneva has the story, narrated…
Golf: The Senegalese Woman Who’s Beating All the Boys
Golf is sometimes seen as a sport only accessible to an elite few. But in Senegal, one female golf star is redefining the sport’s image and challenging her country’s conservative gender norms. Annika Hammerschlag reports from Saly, Senegal. …
Fired Coach Sues NFL, Alleging Racist Hiring
The lawsuit alleges that the league has discriminated against Brian Flores and other Black coaches for racial reasons; the NFL said it will defend “against these claims, which are without merit” …
NFL’s Washington Football Team Now Called Commanders
The U.S. National Football League’s Washington franchise announced Wednesday it will now be known as the Washington Commanders, 18 months after dropping its previous name following years of complaints it was derogatory and racist. The team, founded as the Boston Braves, became the Redskins in 1932 before moving to Washington in 1937. But since the…
Torch Relay for 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Begins
Beijing began its hosting duties of the 2022 Winter Olympics with the start of the traditional Olympic torch relay Wednesday. Vice Premier Han Zheng began the event when he passed the iconic torch to 80-year-old Luo Zhihuan, China’s first internationally competitive speed skater and first winter sports world champion, at Olympic Foreign Park. More than…
Holocaust-Era Letters Prompt Writer to Dive Into Family’s History
Eleanor Reissa’s mother and father survived the Nazi Holocaust in Europe during the 1940’s. After the war but before they were married, they wrote letters to each other. Those letters led Eleanor on a journey to learn about her parents’ past. The result of that journey was just released in book form. Victoria Kupchinetsky has…
Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams Advance to US Pro Football Championship Game
The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Los Angeles Rams in the 56th edition of the Super Bowl, the championship game of the U.S. National Football League and one of the premier championship events in all of professional sports. The visiting Cincinnati Bengals came back from a 21-10 halftime deficit to post a 27-24 overtime win…
37 Olympic Athletes, Officials Test Positive Sunday in China
Olympic officials in China say 37 people, including athletes and team officials, tested positive for the coronavirus Sunday. On Saturday, 34 people connected with The Games also received positive results. The Pacific Maritime Association says, according to a New York Times report, that more West Coast longshoremen “contracted the coronavirus in the last month than…
Despite Reports, No Decision on Tom Brady Retirement, Sources Say
Despite reports that he is retiring, Brady has told the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he hasn’t made up his mind, two people familiar with the details told The Associated Press. It’s not known when he’ll make an announcement, leaving his team guessing and fans hoping for one more run that seems unlikely considering his age and…
Cameroon Deploys Police to Control Football Supporter Influx
Ahead of a Cameroon-Gambia knockout match in the ongoing Africa Football Cup of Nations in Douala, a commercial hub and coastal city Saturday, Cameroon says it has deployed an additional 250 police officers to control an influx of tens of thousands of fans. The central African nation this week reported a stampede that killed eight…
Joni Mitchell joining Neil Young in protest over Spotify
Joni Mitchell said Friday she is seeking to remove all her music from Spotify in solidarity with Neil Young, who ignited a protest against the streaming service for airing a podcast that featured a figure who has spread misinformation about the coronavirus. Mitchell, who like Young is a California-based songwriter who had much of her…
Sales Soar for ‘Maus’ After Its Banning in Tennessee
Just days after the banning of Maus by a Tennessee school district made national news, two editions of Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust have reached the top 20 on Amazon.com and are in limited supply. Maus was No. 12 on Amazon as of early Friday evening and was not available for…
Sundance’s New Frontier Draws Art Lovers into Virtual World
Every year during the Sundance Film Festival, the New Frontier exhibition introduces technologies in storytelling. This is the second year the festival and the exhibit have gone digital due to COVID-19. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke with curator Shari Frilot on New Frontier’s visual platforms for art, film and performance. Video Editing: Penelope Poulou , Luis Da Costa …
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) – Day 16
Wednesday, January 26, 2022 Ivory Coast vs Egypt | 0-0 (4-5) Mali vs Equatorial Guinea | 0-0 (5-6) …