Jerusalem — Israel on Sunday said it had asked lyricists to revise its proposed Eurovision Song Contest entries, potentially heading off a dispute with organizers over political content. Authorities last week said Israel would not be able to participate in this year’s edition of the popular competition if organizers rejected the song choice, which reportedly referenced…
Raye Sets Record at BRIT Awards, Britain’s Pop Music Honors
LONDON — Singer-songwriter Raye was the big winner Saturday at the BRIT Awards, the biggest night in British music, setting a new record for most prizes in one night at the annual ceremony. Raye won six awards, including for artist of the year, album of the year for My 21st Century Blues and song of the…
Pope Francis Asks Aide to Read Ceremonial Speech Due to Bronchitis
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, who has been suffering from influenza, said he delegated the reading of a speech at a ceremony Saturday to an aide because he was unable to read it due to bronchitis. “I have prepared a speech but as you can see, I am unable to read it because of bronchitis. I…
US to Get Olympic Gold Medals After Skater Valieva Disqualified
Momaday, Pulitzer Prize Winner and Giant of Native American Literature, Dead at 89
NEW YORK — N. Scott Momaday, a Pulitzer Prize-winning storyteller, poet, educator and folklorist whose debut novel “House Made of Dawn” is widely credited as the starting point for contemporary Native American literature, has died. He was 89. Momaday died Wednesday at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, publisher HarperCollins announced. He had been in…
Somalia’s Traditional Archery Handed Down for Generations
In Mogadishu, the troubled capital of Somalia, elderly citizens gather every afternoon in the Bondere district for an archery contest. The activity is part of a deeper historical tradition. Jamal Ahmed Osman has more about this unique activity, in this story narrated by Kevin Enochs. Camera and video editing by Abdulkadir Zubeyr. …
Revelers Pack Tampa, Florida, Waterfront for Gasparilla Pirate Fest
Tampa, Florida — Revelers clad in pirate finery packed Tampa’s waterfront this weekend as a flotilla of boats arrived for the city’s annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Led by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the invading pirates docked to make a final demand for the key to the city. Once ashore, the festivities celebrating their annual invasion…
New Orleans Thief Steals 7 King Cakes From Bakery in Very Mardi Gras Way
New Orleans, Louisiana — With their purple, gold and green colors and toy babies hidden inside, king cakes are staples of Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, but apparently they’re also valuable enough to steal — at least this time of year during the Carnival season. A thief stole seven king cakes — about as many…
A Quiet Weekend at the Box Office With ‘The Beekeeper’ on Top
Artist Who Performed Nude Sues Museum Over Sexual Assault Claims
albany, new york — A performer who appeared naked in a show by world-renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art is suing the museum, saying it failed to take action after he was sexually assaulted multiple times by attendees during the performances nearly 14 years ago. The suit was filed…
Some Mayan Ruin Sites Unreachable Because of Gangs, Land Conflicts, Mexico Says
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s government has acknowledged that at least two well-known Mayan ruin sites are unreachable by visitors because of a toxic mix of cartel violence and land disputes. But two tourist guides in the southern state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala, say two other sites that the government claims are still open…
Top Skiers Crashing at an Alarming Rate on World Cup Circuit
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Mikaela Shiffrin, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Petra Vlhova, Alexis Pinturault, Corinne Suter. All five former overall World Cup ski champions or Olympic gold medalists have been involved in severe crashes during races over the past 15 days. And they’re not the only ones. Marco Schwarz, a former world champion who was leading the…
Sabalenka Overpowers Zheng to Retain Australian Open Crown
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Aryna Sabalenka continued to be an irrepressible force at the Australian Open as she powered to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen on Saturday to successfully defend her title and add a second Grand Slam trophy to her cabinet. The Belarusian second seed has barely put a foot wrong…
Deepfake Explicit Images of Taylor Swift Spread on Social Media
NEW YORK — Pornographic deepfake images of Taylor Swift are circulating online, making the singer the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and anti-abuse groups have struggled to fix. Sexually explicit and abusive fake images of Swift began circulating widely this week on the social media platform X. Her ardent fanbase of “Swifties”…
DC’s Building Museum Exhibition Immerses Children in the World of Books
Washington, DC has turned the National Building Museum into a wonderland of children’s literature. Using children’s books, it’s an immersive journey into architecture, engineering and design. Maxim Adams has the story. Camera and edit: Andrey Degtyarev, Andrey Degtyarev, Anna Rice …
Italian Upsets Djokovic, Ends His Australian Open Unbeaten Streak
MELBOURNE, Australia — Jannik Sinner has upset Novak Djokovic to reach the Australian Open men’s final, ending the 10-time champion’s career unbeaten streak in semifinals at Melbourne Park. The 22-year-old Italian broke Djokovic’s serve twice in each of the first two sets but missed a match point in the third set of a 6-1, 6-2, 6-7…
US Scientist Offers Britain Advice on Making Tea; Brits Aren’t Having It
LONDON — An American scientist has sparked a trans-Atlantic tempest in a teapot by offering Britain advice on its favorite hot beverage. Bryn Mawr College chemistry professor Michelle Francl says one of the keys to a perfect cup of tea is a pinch of salt. The tip is included in Francl’s book Steeped: The Chemistry of…
Netflix Gains Subscribers Despite Price Hikes
San Francisco — Netflix added 13 million subscribers in the final three months of last year, the company said on Tuesday, despite price hikes at the leading streaming service. Netflix finished 2023 with slightly more than 260 million subscribers worldwide, with a profit of $938 million in the final quarter versus just $55 million in the…
AI Audience Row at Sundance Sparks Walkout, Highlights Division
Park City, Utah — An audience member was ejected from a Sundance festival event Tuesday in a spat over artificial intelligence, triggering a walkout that illustrates the divisions the technology has rapidly wrought in the film industry. AI — a key driver of the recent and devastating Hollywood strikes — has been debated extensively at this…
Charles Osgood, CBS Host on TV, Radio and ‘Poet-in-Residence,’ Dies at 91
NEW YORK — Charles Osgood, a five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, hosted the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence, has died. He was 91. CBS reported that Osgood died Tuesday at his home in Saddle River, New Jersey, and…
Upcycling Flip-Flops: Kenya-Based Company Turns Discarded Footwear Into Colorful Art
Nairobi, Kenya — Being the preferred choice of footwear for many, flip-flops – typically made of plastic or rubber – break easily and often aren’t disposed of properly. Therefore, millions of them end up in oceans, waterways, dumpsites, and landfills all over the world. Ocean Sole, a Kenya-based company, has found creative and functional ways to…
Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ Tops All Oscar Nominees with 13; ‘Barbie’ Snags 8
NEW YORK — After a tumultuous movie year marred by strikes and work stoppages, the Academy Awards showered nominations Tuesday on Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic, “Oppenheimer,” which came away with a leading 13 nominations. Nolan’s three-hour opus, viewed as the best picture frontrunner, received nods for best picture; Nolan’s direction; acting nominations for Cillian Murphy, Robert…