Three months after Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president and less than three weeks after a controversial executive order, his intent to restrain immigration may be crimping commerce at the busiest land crossing on the country’s southern border, some local observers say. At the San Ysidro port of entry between …
your ad hereExhibit Traces 500 Years of Robots
The word “robot” was coined by Czech playwright Karel Capek almost 100 years ago. But robots have been around, in some form, for 500 years or more. London’s Science Museum has opened a “Robots” exhibit that traces the mechanical technology over the past five centuries. VOA’s Deborah Block has more. …
your ad hereHopes Fade for Cambodia Winning US Debt Relief, Analysts Say
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s recent plea for relief from decades-old debt to the United States appears to have little chance of success, regional analyst say. Cambodians, they say, would be better off seeking to restructure the debt, easing the repayment burden. But Hun Sen is sticking with his mantra …
your ad hereNew Zealand Officials Warn Beached Whale Carcasses Could Explode
The tragic story of the hundreds of dead whales stranded on a New Zealand beach has taken an even more grisly turn as officials say they fear some of the carcasses could fill with gas and explode as they decompose. On Tuesday, clearing of the nearly 700 pilot whales was …
your ad hereYellen Hints at Possible US Interest Rate Hike
The head of the U.S. central bank says the economy is improving enough to consider raising interest rates during the next few months. U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen told a congressional committee Tuesday, that she expects the economy to continue its modest expansion. Yellen warned that waiting too long …
your ad hereScientists Soften on DNA Editing of Human Eggs, Sperm, Embryos: Report
Although not ready yet, powerful gene editing tools may one day be used on human embryos, eggs and sperm to remove genes that cause inherited diseases, according to a report by U.S. scientists and ethicists released on Tuesday. The report from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National …
your ad hereSources: Retail CEOs Head to Washington to Try to Kill US Border Tax
Chief executives of some of America’s largest retailers, including Target Corp. and Best Buy Co. Inc., are headed to Washington this week to make their case that a controversial tax on imports would raise consumer prices and hurt their businesses, according to people familiar with the plan. The group of …
your ad hereEating Less Slows Aging in Mice
Researchers say they may have found a way to stave off aging. They say you might need to eat less. Writing in the journal Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, researchers from Brigham Young University say eating less can slow the aging of cells in the body. Fewer calories slow down a …
your ad hereUN Agency Meeting on Army Worm Outbreak in Southern Africa
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is holding an emergency regional meeting in Zimbabwe on the spread of army worms in southern Africa, which is already struggling with food shortages. The pests are destroying crops in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia. FAO coordinator for southern Africa Chimimba David Phiri said …
your ad hereTrump’s Sons Guests of Honor at Dubai Branded Golf Course Opening
U.S. President Donald Trump’s sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are expected to visit Dubai this week to open a Trump-branded golf complex. Trump’s sons will be the guests of honor for the opening of the Trump International Golf Club Dubai on Feb. 18, according to an invitation sent …
your ad hereHormone Injection Sparks Love, Sex in Regions of Brain
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, researchers discover a hormone that can enhance activity in the brain associated with sexual arousal and romantic love. Faith Lapidus reports. …
your ad hereSmall US Company Bucks a Trend, Adding Manufacturing Jobs
A rising tide of automation, trade problems and lagging growth in productivity has slashed millions of jobs from the U.S. manufacturing sector. At the same time, a small factory in Northbridge, Massachusetts, has been hiring, expanding and exporting. Riverdale Mills hopes to grow further by making unusual products and building …
your ad hereAP Image of Turkish Assassin Wins World Press Photo Award
Associated Press photographer Burhan Ozbilici won the 2017 World Press Photo competition Monday for his image of a gun-wielding off-duty Turkish policeman standing over the body of Russia’s ambassador, whom he had just fatally shot. Ozbilici’s image was part of a series titled “An Assassination in Turkey” that also won …
your ad hereOne-Man Chocolate Factory Flourishes
Americans shower their loved ones with gifts on Valentine’s Day, with chocolate candy being the most popular gift-giving item, according to a recent National Retail Federation survey. The organization estimates consumers will spend $1.7 million on chocolates this year. That keeps Ben Rasmussen, who creates award-winning chocolates, especially busy. VOA’s …
your ad hereChina Inviting World Leaders to Forum on Fighting Protectionism
In May 2015, China convened a meeting of representatives of 56 countries to establish the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, against stiff U.S. resistance. This May, Chinese President Xi Jinping is inviting heads of several countries in Asia, Europe and the American continent for a meeting in Beijing under the name …
your ad hereToxic, Man-made Pollutants Found in Deepest Oceans
No place is safe from pollution, including the deepest parts of the oceans. Writing in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom say small creatures called amphipods that live in the Mariana and Kermadec trenches, both of which are more than 10 kilometers …
your ad herePeugeot Buys Iconic Indian Car Brand
French car manufacturer Peugeot has bought India’s most iconic car brand from its maker Hindustan Motors in a deal that signifies the passing of an era in India’s motoring history. Over the weekend, the C.K. Birla Group that owns Hindustan Motors said it had signed an agreement with Peugeot …
your ad hereSome China Cities Close Poultry Markets Amid Bird Flu Fears
Several Chinese cities have shut down their poultry markets in the wake of a bird flu outbreak that has killed at least two dozen people this year across China. Live poultry sales have now been suspended in Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan province, as well as markets across …
your ad hereWinners at the 2017 Grammy Awards
The 59th annual Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles on February 12, honoring the top performers in music over the previous year. Here are the award winners: Album of the year: “25,” Adele. Record of the year: “Hello,” Adele. Best new artist: Chance the Rapper. Song of the …
your ad hereAdele Wins Album, Record, Song of the Year at Grammys
Adele won the trifecta – album of the year, record of the year, and song of the year – at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles Sunday night, beating out Beyonce in all three categories. When she won the record of the year, Adele said, “My dream and …
your ad here"La La Land" Takes 5 Prizes at British Academy Awards
Glamour was shot through with grit at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday. Frothy musical “La La Land” took five prizes including best picture, but major awards also went to tough welfare-state drama “I, Daniel Blake” and fractured-family stories “Lion” and “Manchester by the Sea.” In keeping with an …
your ad hereSinger Al Jarreau Dies at 76
Hours before the Grammy Awards ceremony, the biggest night in the music industry in the United States, word came of the death of well-known jazz and rhythm and blues singer Al Jarreau. Winner of seven Grammys himself, Jarreau died at age 76 Sunday in a hospital in Los Angeles, the …
your ad hereIMF: Trump’s Plans Could Boost US Economy, Endanger Global Advances
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde voiced optimism Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned tax cuts and construction spending would boost the American economy, but said they could cause trouble for the economies around the globe. Lagarde, speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, said, “From the little …
your ad hereEgyptian Woman, Believed to be World Heaviest, Seeks Lifesaving Surgery
A 36-year-old Egyptian woman, believed to be the world’s heaviest woman at 500 kilograms, has been brought to an Indian hospital to undergo surgical procedures aimed at drastically reducing her weight and giving her a chance of a normal life. For Eman Ahmed, the journey to Mumbai was her first …
your ad hereSomalia Says It Will Resume Printing Currency Soon
Somalia intends to resume printing banknotes this year for the first time since the government collapsed in 1991. The governor of Somalia’s central bank, Bashir Issa Ali, told VOA in an exclusive interview Saturday that all technical preparations are complete, and his government is confident it can assemble a financial …
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