Pakistan’s decision to close the border with Afghanistan was a largely symbolic act aimed at forcing its neighbor to take action against extremist groups blamed for fomenting cross-border terror attacks. It’s a hard reality for the travelers and traders trapped for nearly two weeks on both sides of the dusty …
your ad hereNetflix CEO: Co-workers Were Affected by Trump Travel Ban
Netflix employees were personally affected by U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempt to ban people entering from seven Muslim countries, its CEO said Tuesday. Reed Hastings has been an outspoken critic of the temporary travel ban, which Trump hopes to revive in a revised form this week, and told The Associated …
your ad hereRights Groups Laud Revised Contract for Olympics Hosts
A new contract for future Olympic Games hosts that makes the protection of human rights a core requirement earned praise from rights groups Tuesday who say preparations of major sports events lead to rights violations. The International Olympic Committee has now specifically referred to the protection of human rights in …
your ad hereFasting Diet Reverses Diabetes in Mice
A diet that mimics fasting temporarily put mice in a starvation state, reversing diabetes in the animals, according to a new study. The diet was also shown to reduce the risk factors in people with pre-diabetes Research by investigators at the University of Southern California showed the special, fasting-mimicking diet …
your ad hereMichael Phelps Talks to Congress About Athlete Drug Testing
Michael Phelps is to be in Washington to speak out in support of more consistent drug testing for competitive athletes. The retired swimmer testified Tuesday on Capitol Hill before a congressional committee looking into ways to improve the international anti-doping system. In a witness statement posted on the committee’s website, …
your ad hereBush Promotes New Book, Reflects on Painting and the Press
Former President George W. Bush says he didn’t intend to criticize President Donald Trump when he said recently that a free press is essential to democracy. Speaking by telephone Tuesday with The Associated Press, Bush said he was simply responding to a reporter’s question about the role of journalism. …
your ad hereColorectal Cancer Rising Among Younger Adults
Americans born in 1990 have double the risk of colon cancer and quadruple the risk of rectal cancer than those born around 1950, a new study suggests. The study found that colorectal cancer is on the rise among young and middle-aged adults in their early 50s. Rectal cancer is growing …
your ad hereWilbur Ross Sworn In as US Secretary of Commerce
Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross was sworn in as U.S. commerce secretary on Tuesday after helping shape Republican President Donald Trump’s opposition to multilateral trade deals. Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office to Ross, 79, a day after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the corporate turnaround expert’s …
your ad hereHumans Responsible for Most US Wildfires
Humans are responsible for 84 percent of all wildfires in the United States, a new study suggests. Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst say during 20 years, human-started fires have “tripled the length of the fire season and dominated …
your ad hereUber Says Thousands of London Drivers Threatened by English Language Test
Tens of thousands of London private hire drivers could lose their licenses due to new English reading and writing requirements, taxi app Uber said on Tuesday at the start of a court battle to halt the plans. San Francisco-based Uber, which allows users to book journeys at the touch of …
your ad hereUS Economy Grew at Weak 1.9 Percent Rate in 4th Quarter
The U.S. Commerce Department reported Tuesday that the economy grew at a lackluster pace of 1.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016. While the figure was unchanged from the initial estimate last month, it represented a marked slowdown from the 3.5 percent growth reported in the third quarter. Consumer …
your ad hereTrump Says ‘Revved Up Economy’ Will Pay for Budget Proposals
President Donald Trump said he believes the extra $54 billion he has proposed spending on the U.S. military will be offset by a stronger economy as well as cuts in other areas. “I think the money is going to come from a revved up economy,” Trump said in a Fox …
your ad hereStudy: Better Housing a Powerful Tool for Malaria Prevention
Improving housing conditions may provide a boost to malaria prevention at a time when other efforts may be losing steam, according to new research. As Africa rapidly moves away from traditional mud-and-thatch housing, experts see a chance for architects and urban planners to join the fight against the disease. Bed …
your ad hereNorwegian Architects Consider Wood As The Future Of Building
It’s real life back to the future. Architects are taking a new look at wood as they search for renewable, strong building materials with a small carbon footprint. And based on some of the towering structures rising around the world, the sky’s the limit. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad hereSouth Korean Prosecutors to Indict Samsung’s De Facto Chief
South Korean special prosecutors said they would indict Samsung’s de facto chief Tuesday on bribery, embezzlement and other charges linked to a political scandal that has toppled President Park Geun-hye. The planned indictment of Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay Y. Lee is a huge hit for the largest and most …
your ad hereSistine Chapel Gets Full Digital Treatment for Future Restorations
The last time the entire Sistine Chapel was photographed for posterity, digital photography was in its infancy and words like pixels were bandied about mostly by computer nerds and NASA scientists. Now, after decades of technological advances in art photography, digital darkrooms and printing techniques, a five-year project that will …
your ad hereCuban Cigar Sales Rise, Defying Flat Luxury Goods Market
Sales of Cuba’s legendary cigars rose 5 percent last year to $445 million, defying stagnation in the global luxury goods market, manufacturer Habanos S.A. said on Monday at the opening of the Caribbean island’s annual cigar festival. Habanos, which makes brands including Cohiba, Monte Cristo and Romeo y Julieta, said …
your ad hereSpaceX to Send First Paying Tourists Around Moon Next Year
SpaceX plans to launch two paying passengers on a tourist trip around the moon next year using a spaceship under development for NASA astronauts and a heavy-lift rocket yet to be flown, the launch company announced on Monday. The launch of the first privately funded tourist flight beyond the orbit …
your ad hereTrump’s Trade Czar Ross Easily Wins US Senate Confirmation
Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross easily won confirmation as U.S. commerce secretary on Monday, clearing President Donald Trump’s top trade official to start work on renegotiating trade relationships with China and Mexico. The U.S. Senate voted 72-27 to confirm the 79-year-old corporate turnaround expert’s nomination, with strong support from Democrats. Ross …
your ad hereTakata Pleads Guilty to US Fraud Charge Linked to Faulty Air Bags
Japan’s Takata Corp. on Monday pleaded guilty to a felony charge as part of an expected $1 billion deal with the U.S. Justice Department that includes compensation funds for automakers and victims of its faulty airbag inflators. After Takata’s guilty plea, a federal judge in Detroit was hearing objections on …
your ad hereJuncker to Offer EU ‘Pathways’ to Post-Brexit Unity
European Union chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker will propose to national leaders next month a handful of options for shoring up unity once Britain launches a withdrawal that some fear could trigger a further unraveling of the bloc. The European Commission president wants some states to be able to deepen cooperation …
your ad hereCommon Bacteria Might Help Control Disease-Carrying Insects
By using a common bacteria, scientists have figured out a way to potentially sterilize disease-carrying mosquitoes. That could make it possible to control the mosquito that spreads Zika and Dengue. Wolbachia is a common bacteria that has the ability to infect up to 70 percent of the world’s insect species. …
your ad hereFDI Slippage, Trump’s Currency Threats Put Pressure on China
U.S. President Donald Trump has revived China’s fears by once again calling it a currency manipulator, weeks after many felt the issue had been shelved. Trump reemphasized his stand last week, hours after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin indicated China would not be singled out for adverse treatment on the currency issue. …
your ad hereKenya Doctors’ Strike Takes Deadly Toll on Poor
Doctors in Kenya’s public health facilities have refused to work since December. They are demanding the government implement an agreement it signed in 2013 to raise salaries and improve working conditions. However, the strike is taking a deadly toll on the nation’s poor. Jared Ochieng lost his son Lamarck to …
your ad hereWHO: New Antibiotics to Fight Bacterial Resistance Urgently Needed
The World Health Organization is calling for the urgent development of new antibiotics to fight growing bacterial resistance. For the first time, the U.N. agency has drawn up a list of 12 families of bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health. The list is divided into three categories …
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