Author: Ohart

Talk about going green. One British soccer team has made it its goal to become the first professional sports team in the world to be certified carbon neutral. It’s an official designation recently awarded to the team by the Secretary in charge of Climate Change at the United Nations. But that’s not all. The team may also be the world’s first 100 percent vegan football club. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo has more.
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One of the oldest zoos in the U.S., the Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo, is celebrating a big milestone: its 150th anniversary. The zoo opened in 1868 with just two pairs of swans. It has a considerably larger collection today, but its priorities have not changed that much. As Roman Verkhovsky reports, the zoo remains focused on conservation: preserving rare species; organizing educational programs and setting an example for future generations of animal lovers.
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Black cats, candles, mysterious ingredients and ancient books. It’s not a scene from a scary Hollywood movie, just a few of the items passers-by will see through the shop window of a New York boutique that specializes in witchcraft and magic. Enchantments, has been a fixture for more than 35 years in the traditionally Ukrainian neighborhood in Manhattan’s East Village called Little Ukraine. Reporter Olga Loginova takes us inside, where the magic begins.
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In the documentary ALT-RIGHT: Age of Rage, filmmaker Adam Lough looks at the rise of the alternative right movement in America and its ideological components.

The “alt-right” movement, as it is often called, is a political grouping that combines racism, white nationalism, anti-Semitism and populism. The term has been embraced by white supremacists and white nationalist groups when referring to themselves and their ideology, an ideology that emphasizes the preservation and protection of the white race in the United States.

WATCH: ‘ALT-RIGHT: Age of Rage’ Documentary on the Political Polarization in America

“You can’t define the ideology of the ‘alt-right’ without mentioning white identity,” said filmmaker Adam Lough, who documents the rise of the movement and its leaders before, during and after the violent rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, August 12, 2018.

The alternative right organized the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville to show its support for preserving Confederate monuments, memorials to the Confederate side of the American Civil War. The rally turned violent when white nationalists chanting racist slogans clashed with counter demonstrators. Many of the counter-demonstrators identified themselves as Antifa, an abbreviation for anti-fascists.

ALT-RIGHT: Age of Rage documents the rally and the violence culminating in the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer, who was run down by a car. The driver, a neo-Nazi supporter, has been charged with murder and other counts. His trial is scheduled for November.

What’s fueling the movement?

Lough says various factors, including the economy, immigration and even feminism, have fueled much of the anger in the “alt-right” movement. 

“The idea of white Identity and there being a crisis in the country that white people are being pushed to the back of the line, so to say, by people of color, by immigrants, by Muslims, and in a big way, by women. They would prefer that women play the role they had back in America of the ’50s, where they were in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant, they feel that women were happier back then when life was better.”

Lough also points out that this extreme fringe conservative movement rejects mainstream conservatism. 

“They consider mainstream Republicans to … have sold out their party, so they reject the mainstream Republican line of the party,” the filmmaker said.

 

WATCH: Trump Blames Both Sides for Racial Violence at Virginia Rally

In his film, Lough shows how white nationalist social media has bolstered the “alt-right” and how the movement was emboldened by President Trump’s controversial comments regarding “alt-right” violence in Charlottesville, saying responsibility lay “on many sides.” 

“One can see that Donald Trump has been dog-whistling at the ‘alt-right’ since the very beginning, going as far back as the birther movement,” Lough said. “The birther movement is basically about Barack Obama not being a American U.S. citizen. Being a citizen of Kenya, being a Muslim. So, if you want to go back into Donald Trump’s legacy with the ‘alt-right,’ I think that’s where it starts. I think it ratcheted up during the election and kind [of] came [to] a head with Charlottesville when he at first refused to even condemn the violence that had happened on that particular side by the ‘alt-right,’ and claimed that both sides were evenly guilty.”

Lough also looks at the leadership of the “alt-right” and its role in the growth of the movement.

Among them is Richard Spencer who coined the phrase “alt-right” in 2008. Another white nationalist, Jared Taylor, wrote the book “Racial Consciousness in the 21st Century” and advocates for the creation of an ethno-racial state. 

“Jared Taylor is very much the godfather of the ‘Alt-Right’ and of modern white nationalism. He has an incredible influence amongst that group of people. He has “The American Renaissance.” It used to be a magazine, now it’s a website that is viewed on a daily basis by all those in the white nationalist, white pride community.”

The documentary also looks at the antifa, a combustible mix of activists who have become the nemesis of the “alt-right.”

“Antifa is on the polar opposite of the spectrum from the ‘alt-right.’ They are far left, hard left. Antifa runs the gamut from your garden variety socialist, to a more extreme communist to almost a militarily guerrilla warfare style communist, who are advocating violence against the ‘alt-right,’” Lough said.

Lough says long simmering socio-economic forces have given rise to extreme ideological differences, spelling the end for the moderate middle. Sooner or later he says, proponents of the “alt-right” on one hand, and the antifa on the other are set on a collision course. 
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In his documentary, ALT-RIGHT: Age of Rage, filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough looks at the rise of the Alternative Right movement in America and it’s ideological components. The “Alt-Right” movement combines racism, white nationalism, anti-Semitism and populism. It is embraced by white supremacists and white nationalist groups when referring to themselves and their ideology of the preservation and protection of the white race. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke to the filmmaker about the movement.
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Some 400 years ago, English explorer Captain John Smith traveled around the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern United States, the country’s largest estuary. Smith mapped about 4,800 kilometers of the bay and nearby rivers. Now, 11 of those rivers can be seen in an entirely new way through a unique virtual online tour. VOA’s Deborah Block got on board a small raft in the Patuxent River loaded with camera and computer equipment to find out how it is done.
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Hugo Kohl has been interested in art and design since he was a child. In college, he studied finance but also took several jewelry-making classes to satisfy his curiosity about this form of art and the history behind it. Twenty-five years ago, Kohl turned his passion into a career. And over the years, as Faiza Elmasry tells us, he developed his own style of vintage jewelry using the same techniques as industrial revolution artisans at the end of the 18th century. Faith Lapidus narrates.
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Player demonstrations took place during the national anthem at several early NFL preseason games Thursday night.

In Philadelphia, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and cornerback De’Vante Bausby raised their fists during the anthem, and defensive end Chris Long placed his arm around Jenkins’ shoulder. Jenkins had stopped his demonstration last December.

Defensive end Michael Bennett walked out of the tunnel during the anthem and walked toward the bench while it played. It appeared all the Steelers stood.

“Everybody is waiting for what the league is going to do,” Jenkins said. “We won’t let it stop what we stand for. I was very encouraged last year with the direction and that obviously took a different turn.

Need to fight for others

“I think it’s important to utilize the platform as we can because for whatever reason, we have framed this demonstration in a negative light, and often players have to defend why we feel the need to fight for everyday Americans, and in actuality we’re doing the right thing.”

At Miami, Dolphins receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson and defensive end Robert Quinn protested during the anthem. Stills and Wilson kneeled behind teammates lined up standing along the sideline. Quinn stood and raised his right fist. There were no apparent protests by the Buccaneers.

“As a black man in this world, I’ve got an obligation to raise awareness,” Quinn said. “If no one wants to live in unity, that’s why we’re in the situation we’re in.”

Stills kneeled during the anthem during the 2016-17 seasons and has been vocal discussing social injustice issues that inspired the protest movement by NFL players.

Kaepernick tweets support

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, a leader of the movement, tweeted support for Stills and Wilson.

“My brother @kstills continued his protest of systemic oppression tonight by taking a knee,” the tweet said. “Albert Wilson joined him in protest. Stay strong brothers!”

And in Seattle, three Seahawks players ran into the team’s locker room before the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Defensive linemen Branden Jackson and Quinton Jefferson, and offensive lineman Duane Brown left the field following team introductions and before the start of the anthem. They returned to the sideline immediately after it concluded. All three were among a group of Seattle players that sat during the anthem last season.

Brown and Jefferson said they intend to continue the action all season. Seattle coach Pete Carroll said the team discussed the topic and decided to support individual decisions. Brown said he didn’t believe there had been much progress made from the demonstrations of last season.

“Everyone was clear on my decision and understands and supports it,” Brown said. “We all have different realities in this country and they understand my perspective. We’re all on good terms.”

Around the league

In Jacksonville, four Jaguars remained in the locker room during the national anthem, and team officials said it would be up to the players to explain why they weren’t on the field. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, linebacker Telvin Smith, and running backs Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon joined teammates on the sideline after the anthem.

“As a man, I got certain beliefs,” said Smith, who wore “Salute the Service” cleats. “You know what I mean? This is not going to become a distraction, and Jacksonville’s not going to become a distraction for this team. I got beliefs. I did what I did. I don’t know if it’s going to be every week, can’t answer if it’s going to be every week.

“But as a man I’ve got to stand for something. I love my team, I’m dedicated to my teammates, and that’s what we’re talking about. I did what I did. It was love. I hope people see it and respect it. I respect views.”

At Baltimore, both teams stood, but while most of the Ravens lined up shoulder to shoulder on the sideline, second-year linebacker Tim Williams stood alone in front of the bench with his back toward the field.

All of the players on each team at New England appeared to stand for the national anthem, some bowing their heads and others placing their hands on their hearts. The Patriots observed a moment of silence beforehand for Weymouth, Massachusetts, police officer Michael Chesna, who was killed last month in the line of duty.

The league and the players’ union have yet to announce a policy for this season regarding demonstrations during the anthem after the league initially ordered everyone to stand on the sideline when “The Star-Spangled Banner” is played, or remain in the locker room.

“The NFL has been engaged in constructive discussions with the NFL Players Association regarding the anthem and issues of equality and social justice that are of concern to many Americans,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email.
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Dresses that belonged to Marilyn Monroe along with an autographed photo thanking the executive who launched her Hollywood career will go on display before heading to auction.

Auction house Profiles in History announced Wednesday that the items will be exhibited in Beverly Hills starting Aug. 18. An auction will follow in late October.

They include a photograph that Monroe signed to 20th Century Fox executive Ben Lyon that reads: “Dear Ben, You found me, named me and believed in me when no one else did. My thanks and love forever. Marilyn”

Born Norma Jeane Mortenson, Monroe changed her name after coming to Hollywood. She used her mother’s maiden name Monroe, while Lyon provided the “Marilyn.”

The photo was taken during the filming of “The Seven Year Itch,” the 1955 movie that provided history’s lasting image of Monroe, standing over a subway grate and holding down her white dress.

A version of the dress, made by the original designer Bill Travilla for Monroe for tours and exhibits, is also among the items up for sale, along with her hand-annotated script for the film.

Also in the auction are Monroe’s personal childhood photographs 15 costumes she wore in films, including dresses from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “How to Marry a Millionaire.”

The exhibit at The Paley Center for Media will also feature large format photographs of Monroe by fashion photographer Milton H. Greene, who was a friend of the actress.
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Superman actress Margot Kidder’s death has been ruled a suicide, and her daughter said Wednesday that it was a relief to finally have the truth out.

Kidder, who played Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve’s Superman in her most famous role, was found by a friend in her Montana home on May 13.

At the time, Kidder’s manager, Camilla Fluxman Pines, said Kidder had died peacefully in her sleep.

A statement released Wednesday by Park County coroner Richard Wood said Kidder, 69, “died as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose” and that no further details would be released.

Maggie McGuane, Kidder’s daughter by her ex-husband Thomas McGuane, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that she knew her mother had died by suicide the moment authorities took her to Kidder’s home in Livingston, a small town near Yellowstone National Park.

“It’s a big relief that the truth is out there,” she said. “It’s important to be open and honest so there’s not a cloud of shame in dealing with this.”

Kidder’s death is one of several high-profile suicides this year that include celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and fashion designer Kate Spade.

McGuane noted that Montana has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation and she urged people with mental illness to seek help.

“It’s a very unique sort of grief and pain,” McGuane said. “Knowing how many families in this state go through this, I wish that I could reach out to each one of them.”

Kidder struggled with mental illness much of her life, and it was made worse by a 1990 car accident that left her in debt and led to her using a wheelchair for almost two years.

4 Superman films

Kidder and Reeve starred in four Superman movies between 1978 and 1987. She also appeared in The Great Waldo Pepper with Robert Redford in 1975, Brian De Palma’s Sisters in 1973 and The Amityville Horror in 1979.

She later appeared in small films and television shows until 2017, including R.L. Stine’s the Haunting Hour. She received a Daytime Emmy Award as outstanding performer in a kids’ series in 2015 for that role.

Kidder, a native of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, was a political activist who was arrested in 2011 in a Washington, D.C., protest over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from Canada’s oil sands.

Her final years were troubled by conflicts with people who were down on their luck that she had taken into her home. Between August 2016 and her death in May, authorities were called to her house 40 times on reports of people trespassing, theft and other disturbances, according to police logs released to the AP under a public-records request.

The calls included responses by ambulances five times in seven months, including at the time of her death.

Joan Kesich, a longtime friend who found Kidder’s body, said Kidder was fearless and always spoke the truth, regardless of the consequences.

“In her last months, she was herself — same kind of love, same kind of energy,” Kesich said. “The challenges that she had were very public. I want what I know about her to be out there, because it was glorious. She was really a blazing energy.”
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The organizers of the Oscars said on Wednesday they would create a new award category for popular movies and limit the annual, televised ceremony to three hours.

In a letter to members, the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures also said it would present some of the 24 Academy Awards during commercial breaks in the televised broadcast.

The changes, to take effect with the February 2019 ceremony, mark a major shake-up in the most prestigious honors in the movie industry and follow years of declining audiences for the Oscars ceremony.

The U.S. television audience for the 2018 Oscars in March was 26.5 million viewers, the smallest in the history of the 90-year-old Academy Awards.

“We have heard from many of you about improvements needed to keep the Oscars and our Academy relevant in a changing world.

The board of governors took this charge seriously,” the board said in the letter, which was made available to media.

The Oscars tends to honor art house fare for its biggest prizes rather than box office hits like the Star Wars franchise or superhero movies.

Wednesday’s letter did not give details of the new category recognizing popular film, saying those would come later.

The Oscars ceremony regularly runs close to four hours, honoring winners for achievements like sound editing and costumes along with actors, writers and director.

“We are committed to producing an entertaining show in three hours, delivering a more accessible Oscars for our viewers worldwide,” the board said.

It did not say which of the 24 awards handed out on Oscars night would be shifted to commercial breaks, but said they would be edited and aired during the broadcast.
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An upcoming movie featuring Winnie the Pooh, a cartoon bear, is banned from release in China, as internet bloggers in the nation have taken to comparing Chinese President Xi Jinping to the iconic children’s story character.

Chinese officials, who only permit 34 foreign-made films per year to be shown in the country, did not give an explanation for denying the release of the movie Christopher Robin.

Since Xi first came to office in 2013, users of the nation’s most popular social media website, Weibo, have taken to posting memes comparing the president to the plump toy bear, memes the government has taken to censoring.

In 2015, political analysis firm Global Risk Insights deemed a meme comparing Xi and Winnie to be “China’s most censored photo of 2015.”

And in June, British comedian John Oliver was censored from Weibo after he criticized Chinese censorship on a segment of his TV show, Last Week Tonight. The segment made light of earlier censoring of Winnie the Pooh in the nation.

Winnie the Pooh was created by British author A.A. Milne in the 1920s. The bear is best known for his friendly yet naive demeanor, and his love of honey.
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Refugees who flee war, violence or persecution in their homelands often can’t carry much of their material possessions. Nevertheless, they bring their talent and skills to their new countries. VOA’s June Soh met some refugee artists whose creative spirits have been left unchanged despite their troubling journeys. Mary Alice Salinas narrates her report.
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India’s first disabled dance troupe to perform a lively, foot stomping folk dance popular in the northern state of Punjab is enthralling audiences around the country with their energetic performances. Over the years, the troupe, called Rising Star, has grown from four to 14 members and many are now in their forties and fifties. As Anjana Pasricha reports, their enthusiasm remains undimmed.
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NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France announced Monday he was taking an indefinite leave of absence a day after his arrest in New York’s Hamptons on charges of driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of oxycodone.

France had a blood-alcohol content that was more than twice the legal limit, smelled of booze and slurred his words after he was seen blowing through a stop sign in Sag Harbor on Sunday, police said.

“I apologize to our fans, our industry and my family for the impact of my actions last night,” France said in a statement Monday. “Effective immediately, I will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from my position to focus on my personal affairs.”

France has been NASCAR’s chairman and CEO since 2003. His uncle, Jim France, a vice chairman and executive vice president, will take over those roles on an interim basis.

France, 56, was arraigned at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court after spending the night in jail. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court Sept 14.

His lawyer referred reporters to a NASCAR statement on the matter. The organization said it takes France’s arrest “as a serious matter and will issue a statement after we have all of the facts.”

France, 56, was pulled over and arrested at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday after police said they saw his 2017 Lexus roll through a stop sign near the Sag Harbor waterfront.

His eyes were red and glassy and he struggled to keep his balance during field sobriety tests, police said. Tests showed France’s blood-alcohol content was 0.18, police said. The legal limit in New York is 0.08.

Officers found five oxycodone pills during a subsequent search, police said.

TMZ first reported the arrest.

France is a third-generation leader of NASCAR. His late grandfather, Bill France Sr., founded the company in 1948.

He’s introduced a playoff system, overhauled the design of its cars, and pushed for diversity within the circuit’s predominantly white, male ranks.

In recent years, he’s been dealing with plunging attendance and TV ratings and departing sponsors, attributing the downturn to the challenge of connecting with a new, younger generation of fans.

France last month characterized as “rumors” reports that his family was looking into selling its racing properties.

“The France family is locked and loaded in its dedication to NASCAR,” France told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We’re focused on ruling and managing NASCAR. There’s nothing to report on that. Rumors are always interesting, but they’re seldom right.”

2006 incident

France was involved in a 2006 incident in Daytona Beach, Florida, when a police report stated he crashed his Lexus into a tree after entering a restaurant parking lot.

France later told an officer called to his home that he was drinking a soda and “bumped into something.”

But a witness called 911 and gave police a statement that claimed she saw France driving at a “very reckless speed,” and claimed France’s car hit the tree after hitting a parked car.

She said she also watched as France “fell over his own feet” as he got out of his car.

Her statement was not attached to the police report, and the Daytona Beach police chief later investigated whether France was given special treatment by authorities.
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Women’s rights activist Shafiqa Khpalwak is hoping to change public attitudes in Afghanistan with her newly released Pashto-language translation of Women Who Work, the 2017 book by U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser, Ivanka.

“I did translate this book to encourage the Afghan women to take the leadership role in the society,” Khpalwak said in a telephone interview with VOA’s Afghan Service. Ivanka Trump has said she wrote the book to motivate women to come forward and play leadership roles in economic life of their communities. 

By translating the book, Khpalwak hopes to make that message accessible to the Pashto-speaking majority of people in Afghanistan as well as millions more in neighboring Pakistan.

That impact may be limited because Afghanistan is rated by the United Nations as having the lowest literacy rate in the world. An estimated 31 percent of Afghans over age 15 are able to read, a figure that drops to just 17 percent for women, according to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

However, the book’s publishers in Kabul say the reading market has increased recently and that people are showing greater interest in books by Western writers translated into Pashto and Dari. Other American leaders whose books are now available in Pashto include President Trump and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Khpalwak said Women Who Work provides great guidance and recommendations for working women on how to find a balance between their domestic and work lives.

Afghanistan is a patriarchal society where women are seldom seen in positions of authority. However, Khpalwak said, “I have found this book highly motivational. The women of Afghanistan will surely be inspired and motivated to take charge of their own lives, put things in perspective and bring the change they are seeking.”

She described the experience of translating books into her native language empowering and an excellent way to learn about other cultures. “It also has a scope to change one’s perspective about their cultures and traditions and offers you flexibility to adopt and embrace foreign ideas.”

For instance, she said, she learned from translating the book about Ivanka Trump’s roles as a mother, a politician and a businesswoman.

“Women don’t only work for themselves, but for coming generations, a woman could be a mother, a leader, a wife, and an ideal, nothing can stop them.”

Translations called ‘a gift’

Khpalwak said young Afghan women especially are showing an interest in reading books from other cultures and that these books “could help them find their way in a conservative society like Afghanistan.”

Safia Wardak, a young women’s rights activist who has read the Pashto version of Women Who Work, spoke to VOA about what foreign books mean to her.

“I enjoy reading international books in my mother language. Pashto versions of such books for people who can’t read English is a gift by the translators. After reading Ivanka’s book, I am feeling motivated to work and to lead,” she said.

There are hundreds book publishers and stores in Afghanistan, and the business seems to be flourishing.

Ikram, the owner of Khatez Book Publishing Association in the eastern city of Jalalabad, says he increasingly hears from readers looking for new books translated from English and other languages into Pashto and Dari. However, there are no centrally compiled statistics to show how many such books exist.
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Joel Robuchon, a master chef who shook up the stuffy world of French haute cuisine by wowing palates with the delights of the simple mashed potato and giving diners a peek at the kitchen, has died. He was 73.

A spokeswoman for Robuchon confirmed his death, with French TV station BFM and newspaper Le Figaro reporting that he died in Geneva on Monday from cancer, citing his entourage.

 

His career was one of superlatives: Named among the best craftsmen in France in 1976, crowned cook of the century in 1990, one of the cooks at the “dinner of the century,” and, for years, holder of the most Michelin stars in the world.

 

Robuchon was known for his constant innovation and even playfulness in the kitchen — a revelation to the hidebound world of French cuisine.

 

He had built an empire of gourmet restaurants across the world.

 

“To describe Joel Robuchon as a cook is a bit like calling Pablo Picasso a painter, Luciano Pavarotti a singer, Frederic Chopin a pianist,” Patricia Wells, a cook and food writer, wrote in “L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon,” a book about the chef and his students. “Joel Robuchon will undoubtedly go down as the artist who most influenced the 20th-century world of cuisine.”

 

While he was no stranger to the fancy — truffles and caviar were among his favorites — his food was often described as simple because he preached the use of only three or four ingredients in most dishes and his goal was always to show off, not mask, their flavors.

 

He started a revolution with his “Atelier” — workshop in French — model: small, intimate restaurants where diners sat at a counter surrounding the kitchen. It didn’t take reservations and it didn’t have tables [for the most part].

 

His goal, he said, was to make diners feel comfortable, let them interact with the chef and, above all, put the focus back on the food. It was partially a rebuke to the Michelin star regime, which awards points not just for technique but also for the ambiance and service.

 

But Michelin, and just about everyone else, gobbled it up. And thanks to Ateliers around the world — from Las Vegas to Tokyo — Robuchon reached a total of 32 Michelin stars in 2016 — a record — and still held 31 stars this year, including five three-star restaurants.

 

 
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Tom Cruise sped past Winnie-the-Pooh at the box office to lead all films for the second straight week with an estimated $35 million in ticket sales for “Mission Impossible – Fallout.”

The success of Paramount Pictures’ sixth, stunt-filled “Mission: Impossible” installment, along with muted enthusiasm for the Walt Disney Co.’s “Christopher Robin,” made for a seldom-seen result: A Disney movie debuting in second place.

In a year where the studio has already notched three $1 billion films worldwide (“Black Panther,” ″Avengers: Infinity War” and, as of this week, “Incredibles 2”), the more modest Winnie-the-Pooh live-action revival opened with a relatively ho-hum $25 million. As a reminder that “Christopher Robin” was a minor release for Disney, “Black Panther” on Sunday became the third film to ever cross $700 million domestically, a feat only previously accomplished by “Avatar” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

Made for an estimated $75 million, Marc Forster’s “Christopher Robin” stars Ewan McGregor as a grown-up Christopher Robin reunited with the beloved characters of the Hundred Acre Wood: Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and the rest (who are rendered digitally but convincingly felt-like). While reviews were mixed, audiences gave it an “A″ CinemaScore.

Cathleen Taff, head of distribution for Disney, said there’s room for non-tentpole releases in the Disney slate.

“It’s one of our smaller films and it’s really focused on character and emotion,” said Taff. “We’re happy with where it’s at and we think it’s got some runway being one of the only family options going forward.”

Taff confirmed that “Christopher Robin” has been denied a release in China, locking the release out from the world’s second largest film market. While China provides no reason for the films it doesn’t select for its theaters, government sensors have recently been blocking images of Winnie-the-Pooh after bloggers began using him to parody Chinese president Xi Jinping.

The late-summer success of “Mission: Impossible” — which has made $124.5 million thus far along with $205 million internationally — is helping solidify a comeback summer for Hollywood. The summer box office is up 10.6 percent from last year’s record-low season, according to comScore, and year-to-date ticket sales are up 8 percent.

“As we head into what is almost always the slowest month at the summer box office, we have some nice momentum going,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. “With a 10.6 percent increase over the summer last year, we’re going to maintain a solid advantage when we get to the end of the month.”

Not all the news was great. Comedy continues to struggle at the box office. The R-rated action-comedy “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” starring Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon, debuted in third with $12.4 million for Lionsgate.

And a pair of poorly reviewed releases sputtered in nationwide release. Fox’s young-adult dystopian thriller “The Darkest Minds” (19 percent “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes) opened with $5.7 million on 3,127 screens. And right-wing filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza’s “Death of a Nation” (0 percent “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes) debuted with $2.3 million on 1,032 screens.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday also are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” $35 million ($76 million international).

2. “Christopher Robin,” $25 million ($4.8 million international).

3. “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” $12.4 million.

4. “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” $9.1 million ($19.3 million international).

5. “The Equalizer 2,” $8.8 million.

6. “Hotel Transylvania 3,” $8.8 million ($18 million international).

7. “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” $6.2 million ($11.2 million international).

8. “The Darkest Minds,” $5.8 million ($4.1 million international).

9. “Incredibles 2,” $5 million ($19 million international).

10. “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies,” $4.9 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:

1. “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” $76 million.

2. “Hello Mr. Billionaire,” $64.5 million.

3. “Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days,” $37.3 million.

4. “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” $19.3 million.

5. “Incredibles 2,” $19 million.

6. “Hotel Transylvania 3,” $18 million.

7. “Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings,” $12.5 million.

8. “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” $11.2 million.

9. “The Wind Guardians,” $8.8 million.

10. “Skyscraper,” $8.2 million.
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To many, Washington, is solely about politics, lobbying and all things administration. But to one man, the U.S. capital is a canvas that is just waiting to be filled with smiles and mysterious characters. Mural artist Kelly Towles has spilled some color on Washington’s manicured streets and turned a controversial occupation into a profitable business that leaves everyone happy. Anna Rice has the story.
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Churches, temples and synagogues are built to reflect the perfection of the God or gods people worship. They depict beauty through paintings, colored glass or the images that portray deities and stories from holy books. But mosques present a different challenge. Images are forbidden in Islam, so beauty is often depicted in the ornate calligraphy of passages from the Quran. VOA’s Rebaz Majeed spent a day with a Persian calligrapher in Sulaymaniyah in Iraq. Bezhan Hamdard narrates.
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Shoes have long since stopped serving only their utilitarian purpose. Over the centuries, shoes have evolved not just to protect feet but also to declare their owners’ social status — and sometimes to be worn as treasured objects of art. To honor humanity’s sometimes pricey passion for shoes and trace the world’s history through footwear, New York’s Historical Society has opened a new exhibit, appropriately called, “Walk This Way.” Elena Wolf has the story.
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Not many museums can say they have 500,000 items on display, but the Poster Museum in New York can. Established in 1973 in Manhattan by a passionate collector, the museum has the largest collection of posters in the world. Olga Loginova has the story.
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Chinese actress Fan Bingbing has disappeared from social media amid rumors she is the target of a tax evasion investigation.

Fan, 36, usually maintains a prominent presence on China’s main microblogging service Weibo, where she has more than 62 million followers. However, her account hasn’t been updated since June 2, when she wrote about the work of her charitable foundation.

Her boyfriend, actor Li Chen, has not updated his account since July 6.

Unconfirmed reports circulating online say both have been barred from leaving China as the authorities look into claims that Fan was given dual contracts for her work: a public one giving her official salary and a private one stating her actual, much higher, pay.

Chinese media reports say neither Fan, her production company nor agent can be reached, boosting speculation that all have been caught up in the probe. Police rarely comment on such investigations until a conclusion has been reached.

However, in a June 3 statement, Fan’s production company stated that Fan had never signed any Cying-yang contract, so named because of their dual natures.

Wealthy entertainer

Fan has appeared in dozens of movies and TV series in China, but is best known internationally for her role as Blink in 2014’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

She is one of China’s wealthiest entertainers, pulling down tens of millions of dollars for her roles, along with substantial amounts in appearance fees and product endorsements.

Chinese authorities have sought to rein in high salaries for actors that can eat up much of a production’s budget. In June, regulators capped pay at 40 percent of a total TV show’s production budget and 70 percent of the total paid to the actors in films.

Career-ending cases

Criminal cases can be career-ending for Chinese celebrities because the communist authorities, who possess ultimate control over what content is released, have ordered offenders blacklisted.

China’s last major celebrity scandal was in 2014, when Jaycee Chan, an aspiring entertainer and the son of actor Jackie Chan, was sentenced to six months in prison for allowing others to smoke marijuana in his Beijing apartment.
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A small theater in the heart of a Latino neighborhood in Los Angeles is giving voice to the immigrant community there. The place has provided a stage for new artists at risk of social exclusion. Some of them had been catapulted to the Hollywood sets. Arturo Martinez has this report narrated by Cristina Caicedo Smit.
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Thousands of dollars worth of parts, more than a year of hard work, attention to hundreds of intricate details — this is what it takes to build a musical organ. A small company in Tennessee has been building these grand musical instruments for nearly 30 years and recently walked VOA’s Lesia Bakalets through the fascinating and complicated process. Anna Rice narrates this report.
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Anna Wintour, the influential editor of Vogue magazine, is remaining in her job “indefinitely,” publisher Conde Nast said Tuesday, refuting rumors that she was on her way out after 30 years.

“Anna Wintour is an incredibly talented and creative leader whose influence is beyond measure. She is integral to the future of our company’s transformation and has agreed to work with me indefinitely in her role as @voguemagazine editor in chief and artistic director of Conde Nast,” Conde Nast Chief Executive Bob Sauerberg said in a statement on the company’s Twitter feed.

Wintour, 68, known for her large sunglasses, pageboy haircut, and aloof public profile, has been editor in chief of the fashion magazine since 1988.

Rumors that she was about to step down or be pushed aside have been swirling in the fashion industry for weeks. Women’s Wear Daily wrote earlier this month that speculation about her exit “has reached a crescendo louder than a tea kettle on full boil.”

London-born Wintour has a towering influence in the fashion world, which was only boosted by 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada starring Meryl Streep as a formidable magazine editor thought to be based on her.

Wintour was promoted to artistic director of Conde Nast, Vogue’s publisher, in 2013.
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