Oprah Winfrey donates $12m

Oprah Winfrey has donated $12 million (£7.7m) towards a new museum about African American history.

She has already given $1m (£640,000) to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, but her total donation is the biggest for the museum so far.

The project situated on the National Mall is scheduled to be finished in 2015.

It will include a 35-seat theatre named after the US talk show host, who is also part of the museum's advisory council.

Discussions are being made for a possible section of the museum dedicated to memorabilia from her career.

The museum aims to show the history of African Americans including slavery, post-Civil War, the civil rights era, the Harlem Renaissance and the 21st Century.

Winfrey said in a statement: "I am deeply appreciative of those who paved the path for me and all who follow in their footsteps.

"By investing in this museum, I want to help ensure that we both honour and preserve our culture and history, so that the stories of who we are will live on for generations to come."

The US government is providing half of the project's $500m (£319m) cost to build, while the rest of the amount will be raised via private donations.