Cuban Yordenis Ugas pulled off a stunning victory over 42-year-old former champion Manny Pacquiao with a unanimous decision to retain his WBA welterweight world title after an intense fight in Las Vegas on Saturday.   The judges scored the fight 115-113, 116-112, 116-112 in favor of …

Famed Iraqi musician Ilham al-Madfai hosted a private concert in the Atlanta, Georgia, suburb of Duluth recently to mark 55 years of performing. Al-Madfai is a guitarist, singer and composer who combines Western guitar styling with traditional Iraqi music. His Western-inspired …

Japanese actor Sonny Chiba, who wowed the world with his martial arts skills in more than 100 films, including “Kill Bill,” has died. He was 82.Chiba, known in Japan as Shinichi Chiba, died late Thursday in a hospital near Tokyo …

Harvey Sutton, or “Little Man,” as he is known on the Appalachian Trail, won’t have long to bask in the glory of hiking its full length. After all, he starts kindergarten Friday.At 5 years old, Harvey is one of the …

“Stillwater” is a drama involving an American father who travels to Marseilles, France, to help exonerate his daughter of murder. Amanda Knox, who faced the same fate in real life in Italy, has criticized filmmaker Tom McCarthy for tailoring the …

For World Photography Day, VOA’s Jesusemen Oni speaks with American photojournalist Vanessa Charlot, who is being honored for her iconic images of what it means to be Black during the pandemic and protests over racial injustice in the U.S. Here …

R&B star R. Kelly is a predator who lured girls, boys and young women with his fame and dominated them physically, sexually and psychologically, a prosecutor said Wednesday, while a defense lawyer warned jurors they’ll have to sift through lies …

Hawaii had a thriving native-language press through the 19th and early 20th centuries. Now there is an effort underway to preserve and renew Hawaiian-language journalism, as VOA’s Mike O’Sullivan reports from Honolulu. Camera: Mike O’Sullivan    …

Following a 5½-year-civil war and as intercommunal clashes continue, fashion is not the first thing that usually springs to mind for many about South Sudan.   But a small group of young fashion designers say they want to help change the country’s image …

Maki Kaji, the creator of the popular numbers puzzle Sudoku whose life’s work was spreading the joy of puzzles, has died, his Japanese company said Tuesday. He was 69 and had bile duct cancer.   Known as the “Godfather of Sudoku,” Kaji …

Hawaii had a thriving native-language press through the 19th and early 20th centuries.  Now there is an effort underway to preserve and renew Hawaiian-language journalism, as VOA’s Mike O’Sullivan reports from Honolulu Camera: Mike O’Sullivan  …

The resignation of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo under a cloud of sexual misconduct allegations comes four years after the #MeToo movement exploded across the world. VOA’s Carolyn Presutti examines what the campaign to stamp out sexual harassment has — …

Britney Spears’ father said in a court filing Thursday that he was planning to step down from the conservatorship that has controlled her life and money for 13 years, but his departure is not imminent.James Spears filed legal documents saying …

Despite rising infections from COVID-19’s delta variant, Americans are gathering together at sporting events in large stadiums and summer festivals.   Saqib Ul Islam takes us to the Around the World Cultural Food Festival in Alexandria, Virginia, where thousands celebrated the summer and international culture.  Camera:  Saqib Ul Islam    Produced by:   Saqib Ul Islam   …

More than three decades after Field of Dreams seeped into the country’s cultural consciousness, with a one-year delay caused by the pandemic, one of the most famous cornfields in Hollywood history finally gets the opportunity to host real major league …

Lionel Messi said he’s “in the right place” to win another Champions League trophy and cited a reunion with Neymar as a key factor in his decision to sign with Paris Saint-Germain.The 34-year-old Argentina star spoke at his introductory news …

Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi received a hero’s welcome after flying to France on Tuesday to join Paris Saint Germain (PSG) following his shock departure from Barcelona.The agreement to sign the 34-year-old Argentine is a major coup for wealthy …

With the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics finally in the books, human rights activists are gearing up to put pressure on the companies that have taken high-profile sponsorship roles in the upcoming 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. Those activists are demanding that …

New Zealand cycling was plunged into mourning on Tuesday after Olympian Olivia Podmore’s sudden death at the age of 24. Podmore represented her country at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games but was not part of New Zealand’s …

Organizers of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival have cancelled this year’s event due to the latest surge in COVID-19 cases in the region.In a statement on the festival’s website, the organizers said they made the decision based on …

After several delays, the first phase of the sex trafficking trial of R&B hitmaker R. Kelly will begin with jury selection Monday in New York City. A judge in federal court in Brooklyn will question potential jurors about whether they can …

Bobby Bowden did it all. He put Florida State on the map by taking the football team from an afterthought to a dynasty, and he left an indelible mark on the game with a rare combination of coaching acumen, gracious demeanor and a compassion for those he coached and …

Struggling to control his emotions, Lionel Messi said Sunday in his farewell to Barcelona that he wasn’t prepared to leave the club.Messi began crying even before he started speaking at his farewell ceremony at the Camp Nou Stadium.”This is very …

Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, a founding member of the long-running soul-funk band Kool & the Gang known for such hits as “Celebration” and “Get Down On It,” has died. He was 70.He died peacefully in his sleep Saturday in New …