Voice of America Arts & Entertainment

1. Pope visits Venice to speak to artists, inmates behind Biennale's must-see prison show

   VENICE, Italy — Venice has always been a place of contrasts, of breathtaking beauty and devastating fragility, where history, religion, art and nature have collided over the centuries to produce an otherworldly gem of a city. But even for a place that prides itself on its culture of unusual encounters, Pope Francis’ visit Sunday stood out. Francis traveled to the lagoon city to visit the Holy...

2. Ukrainian duo heads to the Eurovision Song Contest

   KYIV, Ukraine — Even amid war, Ukraine finds time for the glittery, pop-filled Eurovision Song Contest. Perhaps now even more than ever. Ukraine's entrants in the pan-continental music competition — the female duo of rapper alyona alyona and singer Jerry Heil — set off from Kyiv for the competition Thursday. In wartime, that means a long train journey to Poland, from where they will travel on...

3. Olympic chief backs world doping body over positive Chinese tests

   Lausanne, Switzerland — The head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, has backed the World Anti-Doping Agency in a row over its handling of positive drug tests by 23 Chinese swimmers. "We have full confidence in WADA and the regulations and that WADA have followed their regulations," Bach told AFP in an exclusive interview Friday at the committee's headquarters in Lausanne,...

4. Olympic ice skater Yamaguchi inspires Barbie doll 

5. IOC: Palestinian athletes to be invited to Paris Olympics

   Lausanne, Switzerland — Between six and eight Palestinian athletes are expected to compete at the Paris Olympics, with some set to be invited by the International Olympic Committee even if they fail to qualify, said its leader, Thomas Bach. Bach told AFP on Friday that qualification events for the Paris Games, which start July 26, were ongoing for a number of sports. "But we have made the...

6. Iran Risks Further Backlash for Death Sentence of Dissident Rapper, Says German MP

   Washington — Iran's handing of a death sentence this week to dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi has drawn outrage from the Islamic republic's domestic and international critics, including a German lawmaker who says Tehran risks fueling the backlash if it moves toward executing the artist. In an interview for the Friday edition of VOA's Flashpoint Global Crises program, German parliament member...

7. EU toughens safety rules on Chinese fashion retailer Shein

8. Old style dresses help Namibian women look ahead

   Victorian dress was forcibly imposed on Namibia’s indigenous ǂNūkhoe women by German colonizers in the late 1800s. Despite the origins, these styles persist today as a symbol of resilience. Lee Garises reports from Windhoek, Namibia. Camera: Jesaya Abraham

9. Ukraine’s salt mines become explorable in Minecraft game 

   A Ukrainian version of the Minecraft game features Canadian actress Katheryn Winnick, U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly, and other celebrities from around the globe. The new game, called Minesalt, is based on Ukraine's famous Soledar salt mines. Anna Kosstutschenko reports. Camera: Pavel Suhodolskiy.

10. 'Loose Ends' provides closure one project at a time

    When a person dies, it often falls to their children, loved ones, lawyers or even friends to sort through the things they’ve left behind. Sometimes, those things are unfinished projects or hobbies, that’s where the group Loose Ends comes in. Nina Vishneva has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.