Chile’s National Museum of Natural History said Monday it will return to Easter Island an enormous stone statue taken from the Rapa Nui people and brought to the mainland 150 years ago. The monolith is one of hundreds, called Moai, carved by the Rapa Nui in honor of their ancestors and sometimes referred to as…
Kamau Bell Addresses Bill Cosby’s Complex Legacy in ‘We Need to Talk About Cosby’
Kamau Bell’s four-part documentary “We Need to Talk About Cosby” addresses the rise and fall of African American comedian Bill Cosby from revered ‘America’s Dad’ to an alleged sexual predator. Bell, a comedian himself and a show host, told VOA’s Penelope Poulou that countless people, especially African Americans, were shocked when Cosby, who promoted family…
Huge Opal Sells for Nearly $144,000 at Alaska Auction
A gemstone, billed as one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, was sold for $143,750 at auction in Alaska on Sunday. The opal, dubbed the “Americus Australis,” weighs more than 11,800 carats, according to the auction house Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals. It also has a long history. Most recently, it was kept in…
Battles Erupt Over Banning LGBTQ Topics From US Classrooms
Does a teacher’s ability to mention sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom pose a threat to primary school students or further a well-rounded, inclusive educational experience? Americans are confronting the question as initiatives advance in several states that would muzzle public school teachers on LGBTQ-related topics. In Florida, a state legislative panel recently…
Africa’s Biggest International Contemporary Art Fair Opens Doors
Africa’s biggest international contemporary art fair has opened its doors to the public for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. The Investec Cape Town Art Fair went online last year, but this year has nearly 100 artists exhibiting works in-person from 20 countries. “It’s absolutely a joy to be back to almost real…
Young Asian American Figure Skaters See Themselves in US Olympians
Jumping, spinning and landing back on the ice, the young figure skaters at the Fairfax Ice Arena in a Washington, D.C., suburb have big dreams. “My future goal is to reach the Olympics,” said Sherry Naree Wester. The 8-year-old’s mother is from Thailand, and her father is a white American. “And I want a scholarship…
African Immigrant’s Pizzeria in Italy Named World’s Top 50
Who says you have to be born in Italy to make excellent pizza? Ibrahim Songne, a West African now living in northern Italy, has successfully challenged that assumption. VOA’s Betty Ayoub has the story. …
After Blow of Beijing, Olympians Ask: What About Africa?
Victory, of sorts, for Eritrea’s sole Winter Olympian — one of just six athletes competing for African countries at the Games in China — was achieved even before his feat of surviving two runs in blizzard conditions down a hazardous course aptly named The Ice River. Before flying to China for his Olympic ski race…
With COVID Rules Eased, Barcelona Embraces Festival’s Return
Crowds gathered in Barcelona’s historic downtown to watch in awe and snap cellphone photos as teams of people in colorful garb formed human towers rising into the air like the spires on the nearby medieval cathedral. A giant figure in bright blue dress and a floral crown paraded through the streets in representation of St.…
PJ O’Rourke, Irreverent Author and Commentator, Dead at 74
P.J. O’Rourke, the prolific author and satirist who refashioned the irreverence and “gonzo” journalism of the 1960s counterculture into a distinctive brand of conservative and libertarian commentary, has died at age 74. O’Rourke died Tuesday morning, according to Grove Atlantic Inc. Books publisher and president Morgan Entrekin. He did not cite a specific cause but…
Alec Baldwin Sued by Family of Cinematographer Killed on Set
The family of a cinematographer shot and killed on the set of the film “Rust” is suing Alec Baldwin and the movie’s producers for wrongful death, their attorneys said Tuesday. Lawyers for the family of Halyna Hutchins announced the lawsuit filed in New Mexico in the name of Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, and their son,…
Reports: Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes to Host Oscars
Comic actors Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes will host this year’s Academy Awards ceremony as producers try to attract new viewers after record-low ratings in 2021, Hollywood publication Variety and other media outlets reported on Monday. The actors are finalizing details and an announcement will be made on Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning…
First Lady Decorates White House Lawn with Giant Valentines
U.S. first lady Jill Biden on Monday observed Valentine’s Day at the White House with displays of giant hearts on the North Lawn and valentines from local elementary school children inside the mansion. The displays include a giant red heart inscribed with a Bible passage, 1 Corinthians 13:13, which says, “Three things will last forever…
Novel Crisis: Iran’s Books Shrink as US Sanctions Bite
For literature lovers in sanction-hit Iran, a new novel has long provided a brief respite from a grinding economic crisis triggered by international pressure imposed over Tehran’s contested nuclear programme. But now losing yourself in a good book is becoming harder, as cash-strapped publishers struggle because the price of paper is soaring. “If a 200-page…
Ivan Reitman, Producer, ‘Ghostbusters’ Director, Dies at 75
Ivan Reitman, the influential filmmaker and producer behind many of the most beloved comedies of the late 20th century, from “Animal House” to “Ghostbusters,” has died. He was 75. Reitman died peacefully in his sleep Saturday night at his home in Montecito, Calif., his family told The Associated Press. “Our family is grieving the unexpected…
Rams, Bengals Ready for Super Bowl Blockbuster
A star-studded Los Angeles Rams team will seek to deny the giant-killing Cincinnati Bengals a Hollywood ending in the Super Bowl on Sunday as an NFL season full of plot twists reaches its climax. The first NFL championship game of the post-Tom Brady era sees the Rams play host at their gleaming $5.5 billion SoFi…
From Campus to Congress, Colleges Urged to End Legacy Boost
America’s elite colleges are facing growing calls to end the decades-old tradition of giving an admissions boost to the children of alumni — a practice that critics say is rooted in racism and bestows an unfair advantage to students who need it least. Fueled by the national reckoning with racial injustice, opponents say they are…
Black NFL Coaches Lament Hiring Policies That Fall Short
Veteran NFL coach Anthony Lynn appreciates the league policy that requires teams to interview minority candidates for their top jobs, and he has even benefited from it. Like many of his peers, though, the assistant head coach for the San Francisco 49ers believes the policy has fallen short of its good intentions: There were three…
Americans Get Ready for Super Bowl: A National Party
Americans are getting ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday. It’s the final matchup of the National Football League season and a national celebration. Mike O’Sullivan reports from Los Angeles, where the Los Angeles Rams will face the Cincinnati Bengals. …
New Artechouse Exhibition Offers Experience in Hyperrealism
Artechouse’s new exhibit in Washington, “Transient: Impermanent Painting,” offers visitors an experience in hyperrealism. The Italian multimedia artist Quayola projects hyperrealistic pictorials of paint strokes against the sound of a coded, computerized Yamaha piano. Maxim Moskalkov reports. …
Excitement Builds in Los Angeles Suburb Where Superbowl 2022 Will Be Played
Los Angeles is getting ready to host one of the biggest annual sporting events in the U.S. – the Superbowl. Angelina Bagdasaryan examines the preparations for Superbowl 2022 and also spoke with residents about this Sunday’s (2/13) playoff between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. Anna Rice narrates her story. Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian …
Sting Sells Entire Songwriting Catalog to Universal
Sting has sold his songwriting catalog — including solo works as well as hits with The Police like “Roxanne” — to Universal Music Group, the company said Thursday, the industry’s latest such blockbuster transaction. The company did not disclose financial terms of the deal, but U.S. media estimated it was worth some $250 million. It…