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 ball.”Is this heaven?” the ghost of John Kinsella asked in the movie that inspired the game to be played Thursday between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees next to the actual site used in the 1989 film, which is maintained as a tourist attraction.”No, it’s Iowa,” dutiful farmer Ray Kinsella — played by Kevin Costner — responded to his father with a smile before they played catch under the lights in the movie’s most poignant scene.This week, the ball-playing isn’t fiction.”Shoeless” Joe Jackson and other long-ago players who took the field in the movie will be replaced by José Abreu and Aaron Judge.The proud and quintessential Midwestern state, usually only in the spotlight every four years during presidential campaigns, will be hosting a Major League Baseball game for the first time when the White Sox and Yankees play at a temporary venue built for about 8,000 fans in tiny Dyersville — population “about 4,400, we’re hoping for in …

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 conference at Parc des Princes stadium on Wednesday, the morning after signing a two-year deal with the option for a third season after leaving Barcelona.”My goal and dream is to raise another Champion’s (League Trophy) and I believe that I am in the right place to have the best chances to achieve that,” Messi said.”When you see this squad, you really want to play with them because there are so many possibilities,” he added. “We have the same goal. And Neymar of course did a lot and was important for my choice.”Qatari-backed PSG has been desperate to win the Champions League, falling just short when it lost the 2020 final to Bayern Munich. Messi helped Barcelona win four Champions League trophies.Messi’s arrival gives PSG formidable attacking options as he links up with not only Neymar — his former teammate at Barcelona — but also France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe.”I’m going to play with best players, it’s very nice, it’s …

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 PSG, who will add one of the best soccer players of all time to an already formidable front line that includes Brazil’s Neymar and young Frenchman Kylian Mbappe.Wearing a T-shirt that read “This is Paris,” Messi beamed and waved at scores of fans who had come to greet him at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of the French capital after his flight from Barcelona.Chanting “Messi, Messi, Messi,” the fans cheered and let off firecrackers.”It’s going to be mad. After all, it’s a legend who is arriving,” said Florent Chauveau, a PSG fan who has been back and forth to the airport every day since Sunday in the hope of seeing Messi arrive.Messi gave no details of the deal, which was reached days after Barcelona said it could not afford to keep the midfielder because of Spain’s La Liga’s fair play rules.Emotional Messi Says He Wasn’t Prepared to Leave Barcelona Lionel Messi calls his unexpected departure from Catalan club ‘the most …

Lionel Messi finalized agreement on his Paris Saint-Germain contract and was flying to France on Tuesday to complete the move that confirms the end of a career-long association with Barcelona.The 34-year-old Argentina star has agreed a two-year deal with the option for a further season, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.  The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the contract ahead of it being signed and the official announcement.Emotional Messi Says He Wasn’t Prepared to Leave Barcelona Lionel Messi calls his unexpected departure from Catalan club ‘the most difficult’ moment of his careerMessi is set to earn around $41 million net annually, the person said. Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, also confirmed Messi was moving to PSG in a brief exchange with reporters at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport on Tuesday.  Funded for a decade by Qatari sovereign wealth, PSG is one of the few clubs in the world that could finance the signing that links Messi up with Brazil forward Neymar and France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe.While PSG had to pay some $261 million to sign Neymar from Barcelona in 2017, there was no transfer fee for Messi.Messi became the most desired …

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 team at the recent Tokyo Games. A New Zealand police spokesman said police attended a sudden death at a property in Waikato on New Zealand’s upper North Island about 4 p.m. (0400 GMT) Monday. Podmore’s cause of death was not confirmed, but friends and sports officials said her passing had raised concerns about her mental health. Former Olympic rowing champion Eric Murray, a friend of Podmore, told New Zealand media he was with her on Monday and said her death was a “shock and a tragedy.” “I wish she had said something,” the 39-year-old said. “We have lost a sister, a friend and a fighter who lost that will of fight inside of her. “If you had seen her in the last 72 hours,” he said, “you wouldn’t have thought this could happen. That’s why there’s so much talk about mental health at the moment.” The issue of athletes struggling with their mental health has been in the spotlight since Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open. American Simone Biles …

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 “recent exponential growth of new COVID cases in New Orleans and the region and the ongoing public health emergency.”The event commonly known as “Jazz Fest” is traditionally held over the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May. After the event was cancelled in 2020, organizers had hoped to hold the event in October. But as deadlines for guaranteeing acts and building the festival site were approaching, they had to make an immediate decision.In the first 50 years of Jazz Fest, which began in 1970, the event had never been cancelled. While featuring big name international stars such as the Rolling Stones and Jimmy Buffett, the event also celebrates the indigenous music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana, featuring nearly every music style imaginable: blues, R&B, gospel, Cajun, Zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk, Latin, rock, rap, contemporary and traditional jazz, country, bluegrass and others.The festival is now scheduled to return to its usual spring dates in 2022, three years …

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 keep an open mind about Kelly two years after he was charged with abusing women and girls for nearly two decades. The proceeding will occur amid coronavirus pandemic precautions restricting the press and the public to overflow courtrooms with video feeds.     Kelly, 54, has been locked up since he was indicted, mostly housed in a federal jail in Chicago. He was moved last month to the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to face trial in a case that’s further diminished his superstar status. Last week, defense attorney Devereaux Cannick told a judge that Kelly needs to be measured for new clothing because he’s gained so much weight in jail. And he asked that court transcripts be provided at no cost because Kelly has been unable to work for two years, saying: “His funds are depleted.” The Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling singer has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of leading an enterprise of managers, bodyguards and other employees who helped him …

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 competed against. The beloved, folksy Hall of Fame coach who built one of the most prolific college football programs in U.S. history died early Sunday at 91 at his home in Tallahassee, Florida, surrounded by his wife, Ann, and their six children following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Bobby’s son, Terry, called his passing “truly peaceful.” And while he’s gone, Bowden’s legacy as a top-notch coach — and human being — will live on. The numbers are staggering: Bowden piled up 377 wins during 40 years as a major college coach and his teams won a dozen Atlantic Coast Conference titles and national championships in 1993 and 1999. Perhaps the statistic that jumps off the page is his sustained success with Florida State, which finished the season ranked in the top five of The Associated Press college football poll an unmatched 14 straight seasons (1987-2000) under his tutelage. Bowden’s legacy can’t just be told in numbers. “This guy was probably the greatest ambassadors of all time because he had success coaching, …

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 hard for me after so many years, after being here my entire life,” he said. “I wasn’t prepared.”Messi called his unexpected departure from the club “the most difficult” moment of his career.Messi’s family and some of his teammates were at the Camp Nou for the player’s farewell.Messi avoided speaking specifically about his future, saying he received offers from several clubs after the announcement that he would leave the Catalan club.Barcelona announced Thursday it could not keep its greatest player because it wasn’t able to fit a new contract within the Spanish league’s financial fair-play regulations. The club’s salary cap has been significantly slashed because of its huge debt. President Joan Laporta blamed the club’s struggles on the coronavirus pandemic and particularly on the previous administration led by Josep Bartomeu.Messi asked to leave at the end of the 2019-20 season but had his request denied by Bartomeu. The Argentina star had agreed to stay and had reached agreement with Barcelona on …

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 Jersey, where he was a resident of Montclair, according to a statement from his representative.Thomas, an alto sax player, flutist and percussionist, served as master of ceremonies at the band’s shows. His last appearance with the group was July Fourth at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.Born Feb. 9, 1951, in Orlando, Florida, Thomas was known for his prologue on the band’s 1971 hit, “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight.” Known for his hip clothes and hats, he was also the group’s wardrobe stylist. In the early days, he served as the group’s “budget hawk,” carrying their earnings in a paper bag stuffed into the bell of his sax, the statement said.In 1964, seven teen friends created the group’s unique blend of jazz, soul and funk, at first calling themselves the Jazziacs. They went through several iterations before settling on Kool & the Gang in 1969. The group’s other founders are brothers Ronald and Robert Bell, and Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, …

King Khufu’s Boat, an ancient vessel that is the oldest and largest wooden boat discovered in Egypt, has been painstakingly moved from its longstanding home next to the Giza pyramids to a nearby giant museum, officials said Saturday.   The 4,600-year-old vessel, also known as the Solar Boat, was moved to the nearby Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), due to be inaugurated later this year.FILE – Tourists are gathering around the Sphinx, which guards the Great Pyramid of King Cheops, home of the ancient wooden solar boat, at the Giza necropolis just outside Cairo, Egypt. (photo: Diaa Bekheet)  “The aim of the transportation project is to protect and preserve the biggest and oldest organic artifact made of wood in the history of humanity for the future generations,” the tourism and antiquities ministry said in a statement.   It took 48 hours to transport the cedarwood boat, which is 42 meters (138 feet) long and weighs 20 tons, to its new home. It arrived at the GEM in the early hours Saturday, the ministry said.   The boat was transported as a single piece inside a metal cage carried on a remote-controlled vehicle imported especially for the operation, said Atef Moftah, supervisor …

After India’s largest slum defeated the pandemic, some of its young residents pulled out their phones to write, shoot and release a triumphant rap video.”At first we were afraid, what would happen to us? But we stood with the doctors… now it’s your turn,” rapped the young men in the video.We Did It — Kar Dikhaya in Hindi — showcased new talent and won acclaim from celebrities, but its creators’ abiding goal was to fight the stigma dogging this densely populated corner of Mumbai.The Dharavi slum is home to around 1 million people, many of whom live in single-room shanties and share communal toilets.Its labyrinthine alleys have long been associated with filth and disease despite its remarkable success in the battle against COVID-19, and its residents battle constant discrimination.But Ayush Tegar Renuka, one of the star students of the Dharavi Dream Project hip-hop academy, told AFP he feels “so proud” of belonging to the community.”The Dharavi shown on TV channels and the real Dharavi are very different places,” the 16-year-old said.Ayush began breakdancing three years ago, brushing off his widowed mother’s pleas to give up a pursuit she feared would result in a trip to the hospital.She was not alone. Many parents were …

Lionel Messi is set to join Paris St. Germain after Barcelona were forced to let their Argentine talisman go as they could not afford to give him a new contract under La Liga’s salary limit rules, L’Equipe reported on Friday.Earlier on Friday, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino said Messi was an “option” that was being evaluated by the Ligue 1 club.A move to PSG would reunite Messi, who has officially been a free agent since July 1, with his former Barcelona team mate Neymar.On Thursday, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner left Barcelona despite both parties having reached an agreement over a new contract, citing economic and structural obstacles to the renewal of the deal.The 34-year-old was expected to sign a new five-year deal with the Catalan club, which would have included a salary reduction of 50%.Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Friday that the club was forced to let Messi leave because his high wages coupled with strict La Liga financial rules could have jeopardised its future.Messi had tried to leave Barcelona in August 2020, making a formal request for an exit after a breakdown in his relationship with then president Josep Maria Bartomeu but successor Laporta, who presided over the …

Marc Weiss, a farmer in Long Island, New York, was on the verge of bankruptcy because of the coronavirus pandemic. But instead of shutting his farm down, Weiss turned his land into something amazing. Maxim Avloshenko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.  Camera: Max Avloshenko        …

China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy represents China as an aggressive, rising superpower. The name is inspired by the Chinese blockbuster Wolf Warrior film franchise, whose first film debuted in 2015. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke with experts on film and Chinese diplomacy about the franchise, its Hollywood influence and its phenomenal appeal with Chinese audiences. …

The Gotham Awards, the annual New York ceremony for independent film, is the latest film honor to shift to acting categories that aren’t defined by gender.  The Gotham Film & Media Institute on Thursday said they will do away with best actor and best actress categories and replace them with “outstanding lead performance” and “outstanding supporting performance.” While award shows like the Oscars, Emmys and Tonys have stuck with the traditional male- and female-designated categories, a growing number of other ceremonies have shifted to gender-neutral awards. The Berlin Film Festival in March handed out their first none-gendered awards. The Grammy Awards ceased separating male and female artists in 2012. “The Gotham Awards have a 30-year history of celebrating diverse voices in independent storytelling,” said Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of the Gotham Film & Media Institute, in a statement. “We are proud to recognize outstanding acting achievements each year and look forward to a new model of honoring performances without binary divisions of gender,” said Sharp. “We are grateful to those who helped to start this conversation in recent years, and we are thrilled that the Gotham Awards will continue to support artistic excellence in a more inclusive and equitable way.”    …

 Argentina striker Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona despite both parties having reached an agreement over a new contract, the La Liga club said on Thursday, citing economic and structural obstacles to the renewal of deal. “Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish La Liga regulations),” Barca said in a statement. “As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled. “FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandizement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life.” Messi was free to negotiate a transfer with other clubs after his deal ran out at the end of June, but Barcelona had always maintained he wanted to stay with the club. The 34-year-old was reported to sign a new five-year deal. Messi had tried to leave Barcelona in August 2020, making a formal request for an exit after a break down …

British police have arrested 11 people as part of an investigation into the online racist abuse directed at some of the Black players in the England soccer team following their defeat in last month’s Euro 2020 final.Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were the targets of the abuse after they missed spot-kicks in a penalty shootout with Italy which settled the July 11 final after the game finished as a 1-1 draw.The incident prompted a police investigation and drew wide condemnation from the England captain, manager, royalty, religious leaders and politicians.The UK Football Policing Unit said 207 posts on social media were identified as criminal, of which 123 accounts belong to individuals overseas and 34 from the United Kingdom.”There are people out there who believe they can hide behind a social media profile and get away with posting such abhorrent comments. They need to think again,” Chief Constable Mark Roberts, National Police Chiefs’ Council Football Policing Lead, said in a statement.”We have investigators proactively seeking out abusive comments in connection to the match and, if they meet a criminal threshold, those posting them will be arrested.”Our investigation is continuing at pace and we are grateful for those who have …

A condom fixed Jessica Fox’s canoe, and skateboarder Jagger Eaton celebrated his bronze medal by broadcasting live on Instagram. Margielyn Didal “let” Tony Hawk take a picture with her to post on Facebook.The stability of the cardboard framed beds in the athlete’s village has been tested by Olympians who treated them as trampolines on nearly every social media platform, and a Greek water polo player created a dating app — which might have come in handy for American rugby player Ilona Maher, who rolled with the schtick of the “Thirsty Olympian.”The made-to-watch Tokyo Games, where pandemic precautions prevent permitting spectators, have become a digital affair more than ever. From social media to streaming, athletes and their events are reaching the public in record-smashing and trailblazing ways.More than 100 million unique users had visited Olympic digital platforms or used the Tokyo 2020 app through the first week of the games. U.S. rightsholder NBC has notched 2.5 billion streaming minutes of Olympics content across all its digital platforms, the network said, a 77% increase from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games. The first week in Tokyo was the highest-ever weekly usage for streaming platform Peacock.But it’s the social media platforms that are causing …

Thursday marked another day of upsets and surprises on Day 16 of the Tokyo Olympics.The upsets occurred at Olympic Stadium, the host venue for track and field, beginning with the men’s 110-meters hurdles, as 31-year-old Jamaican Hansle Parchment edged 23-year-old Grant Holloway of the United States.Holloway is the reigning world champion in the event and was the clear favorite to win the gold, but Parchment ran down the American over the final hurdles to finish the race in 13.04 (13 minutes, .04 seconds), just .05 (five-hundredths) of a second ahead of Holloway. Parchment’s compatriot, Ronald Levy, won the bronze medal at 13.10 (13 minutes, .10 seconds).The results were worse for the U.S. men’s 4×100-meter relay team, which failed to qualify for the medal race after finishing in sixth place in the event’s second heat. A botched handoff between Fred Kerley and Ronnie Baker ensured the American men would fail to win a gold medal in the event for the fifth consecutive Olympics, the last one coming in the 2000 Games in Sydney.   …

Georgian strong man Lasha Talakhadze broke his own world record to retain the title in the men’s heaviest weight class at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday with a combined lift of 488 kg. Talakhadze, who won a gold at the 2016 Rio Games in the same category, lifted 223 kg for the snatch and 265 kg for the clean and jerk to also break his own world records in the two categories. “I feel pretty good — I have just gained a second Olympic gold medal and of course I have also set another world record,” Talakhadze said through an interpreter. “We were for a long time looking forward to the Olympics and to win this gold.” Lasha Talakhadze of Georgia holds his national flag as he celebrates the gold medal he won at the men’s +109kg weightlifting event, at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 4, 2021.His total was 47 kilos more than Iran’s Ali Davoudi, who took silver in the men’s +109 kg class. Syria’s Man Asaad took the bronze with 424 kg. Talakhadze dominated the field from the beginning. He was the last lifter to start both the snatch and the clean and jerk, and made three consecutive attempts …

A Belarusian Olympic sprinter who said she faced punishment if she returned to her country departed Japan Wednesday on a flight bound for Austria. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was scheduled to land in Vienna Wednesday afternoon. She is then expected to travel on to Poland, where the government has offered her a humanitarian visa. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki posted Tuesday on Facebook that he had spoken with Tsimanouskaya and that she should be able to live in Poland without obstacles. Polish authorities granted Tsimanouskaya a humanitarian visa to seek political asylum on Monday after she alleged her team’s officials were trying to force her to fly home to Belarus against her wishes.Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya arrives at the Polish embassy in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 2, 2021. Tsimanouskaya told officials in Tokyo she feared she would not be safe in Belarus from the autocratic government of President Alexander Lukashenko.  “They made it clear that upon return home I would definitely face some form of punishment,” she told The Associated Press in a Tuesday videocall interview. “There were also thinly disguised hints that more would await me.”  Her departure from Tokyo comes days after she provoked backlash in state-run media in Belarus by criticizing how official were managing the Belarusian Olympians. On her Instagram account, Tsimanouskaya said she was put on the country’s 4×400 relay team even though she …

Ghanaian lawmakers are facing backlash over a bill before Ghana’s parliament that aims to make gay rights advocacy illegal.Eight lawmakers are sponsoring the bill, which was introduced in parliament Monday. The bill would impose a maximum 10-year prison sentence on people who support and advocate for same-sex and gay rights. Individuals or groups would also not be allowed to provide social or medical support to LGBTQ+ people.   Word of the bill had spread in recent weeks even before it was officially presented, prompting outrage among many Ghanaians.  Kwasi Prempeh, the head of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, which defends gay rights, told VOA the bill is a distraction.   “We’re in almost a post-COVID situation and there are a lot of challenges to deal with,” Prempeh said. “This is not the kind of distraction we need at this time. And unfortunately, it is being foisted on us by these crusaders who really will not stop.”     Prempeh added that even if the bill is passed, it will be legally challenged.  “In parliament it may well pass, but I doubt very much it will survive executive scrutiny, hopefully not,” Prempeh said. “If it does get presidential assent, I’m almost certain that …