Rates of microcephaly and certain other birth defects were 20 times higher in pregnancies affected by Zika compared with pregnancies in years before the virus arrived in the Americas, U.S. researchers said Thursday. The increase emphasizes the ongoing risk of Zika during pregnancy, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease …
your ad hereAmericans Buying Cigars by the Thousands in Cuba
Puffing on a cigar at Cuba’s annual Habanos cigar festival, American aficionado Paul Segal said he would buy as many boxes of cigars as he could carry home in case U.S. President Donald Trump tightens regulations on visitors to the communist-run island again. Segal, who writes a cigar blog called …
your ad hereAncient People Shaped the Amazon by Trees They Cultivated
Ancient indigenous peoples had a far more profound impact on the composition of the vast Amazon rainforest than previously known, according to a study showing how tree species domesticated by humans long ago still dominate big swathes of the wilderness. Researchers said Thursday that many tree species populating the Amazon …
your ad hereNASA Mars Satellite Shifts Course to Avoid Hitting Planet’s Moon
A NASA science satellite orbiting Mars was forced to make a rare evasive maneuver to avoid a collision next week with one of the planet’s two small moons, the U.S. space agency said Thursday. Flight controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, commanded the MAVEN spacecraft, which is …
your ad hereElvis Presley’s Graceland Opens New $45 Million Complex
Nearly four decades after Elvis sang his last tune, his legacy got a $45 million boost with the Thursday opening of a major new attraction at his Graceland estate — an entertainment complex that Priscilla Presley says gives “the full gamut” of the King of rock ‘n’ roll. About 200 …
your ad hereFirst Lady Reads to Children in New York Hospital
U.S. first lady Melania Trump read to a group of children at a New York hospital Thursday to celebrate National Read Across America Day. In one of her first outings in a traditional first lady role, Trump read to children at the pediatrics ward from the Dr. Seuss favorite, Oh, …
your ad hereFederal Agents Search Caterpillar’s Illinois Facilities
Federal law enforcement agents have searched three facilities of the American heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. in the U.S. Midwest. Caterpillar spokeswoman Corrie Heck Scott said in an email that the company, the world’s largest manufacturer of mining and construction equipment, was cooperating with law enforcement, but gave no further details …
your ad hereAmazon Deepens University Links in Race to Monetize Artificial Intelligence
Amazon.com has launched a new program to help students build capabilities into its voice-controlled assistant Alexa, the company told Reuters, the latest move by a technology firm to nurture ideas and talent in artificial intelligence research. The e-commerce company said it was paying for a yearlong doctoral fellowship at four …
your ad hereL.A.’s Legalization of Street Vending Helps Immigrants Stay on Right Side of Law
Street vendors are a part of the life of many American cities. They’re not always regulated and many are immigrants. Los Angeles is a prime example. Street vending is has been illegal. A number of the vendors there are undocumented immigrants. With hopes to protect them from deportation for breaking …
your ad hereMobile Wallets Offer Consumers Safety, Other Benefits
Smartphones have replaced lots of other accessories — cameras, flashlights, calculators. But many people are still reluctant to swap the wallets in their pockets for their digital counterparts. A key reason consumers are hesitant to adopt mobile payment systems like Apple Pay and Android Pay, surveys say, is fear about …
your ad hereNY Public Library Acquires Complete Archives of Lou Reed
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has acquired the complete archives of Lou Reed . The library and Reed’s wife, musician Laurie Anderson, made the announcement Thursday, on what would have been his 75th birthday. The Lou Reed Archive features paper and electronic records, photos, and about …
your ad hereKey Experiment at World’s Biggest Atom Smasher Gets Upgrade
Scientists are upgrading one of the four main experiments on the world’s biggest atom smasher in hopes it will help them discover previously unknown particles or physical properties. Officials at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, say the operation Thursday is the equivalent of a “”heart transplant” for …
your ad hereEgyptian Researchers Turn Shrimp Shells into Biodegradable Plastic
Researchers at Egypt’s Nile University are developing a way to turn dried shrimp shells that would otherwise be thrown away into thin films of biodegradable plastic they hope will be used to make eco-friendly grocery bags and packaging. Six months into their two-year project, the research team has managed to …
your ad hereLake Worshipped by Incas Now Littered With Trash
Tucked between snow-capped mountains, Lake Titicaca was once worshipped by the Incas, who proclaimed its deep blue waters the birthplace of the sun. These days the shores of South America’s largest lake are littered with dead frogs, discarded paint buckets and bags of soggy trash. Less visible threats lurk in …
your ad hereSnapchat Parent Rockets Higher in Wall Street Debut
The company behind Snapchat is trading sharply higher in its Wall Street debut. Snap Inc. jumped $7, or 41 percent, to $24 a share. It had priced its initial public offering of 200 million non-voting shares at $17 each on Wednesday. That’s above the expected range of $14 …
your ad hereDisney to Feature First Gay Scene in ‘Beauty And The Beast’
Disney will feature its first gay scene when a character is seen struggling with his sexuality in the live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast,” according to the film’s director. The film’s stars will be heterosexual — British actors Emma Watson and Dan Stevens play the title roles — and …
your ad hereMichael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch Back on Market for $67M
Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch is back on the market with an asking price of $67 million. The 2,700-acre property near Santa Barbara, California, has been renamed Sycamore Valley Ranch. The listed price represents a significant cut from the $100 million it was on the market for last year. In addition …
your ad hereReport Finds Significant Rise in Women Dying from Drug Overdoses
A new report finds a significant rise in the number of women dying from drug overdoses globally, while fewer women than men receive treatment for their addiction and are more severely punished for drug-taking. The annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board finds governments do not pay enough attention …
your ad hereIndian Economy Belies Forecasts of a Big Slowdown Over Currency Ban
Following a drastic decline in his small business after India scrapped 86 percent of its currency in November, fruit hawker Khubi Ram switched to selling vegetables, which are more of an essential household purchase. “My two helpers headed back to their villages, they had no money. I had to somehow …
your ad hereIn Iranian Animated Film, US Navy Doesn’t Stand a Chance
In a climactic battle at sea, an Iranian commander orders his forces to open fire on a much larger U.S. fleet, obliterating it with a barrage of rockets, some of which tear American flags from their masts. The scenario unfolds in “Battle of the Persian Gulf II,” a new …
your ad hereLA Fashion Institute Exhibits Oscar Nominated Costumes
Every year, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Museum in Los Angeles holds an exhibit showcasing the works of Oscar nominated fashion designers of that year. VOA got a closer look at the designs of this year’s costumes, and spoke to one of the nominees. …
your ad hereCompany Gives Kalashnikov Machinery a Second, Constructive Life
A Californian musician and a Russian music fan decided to become business partners. They founded a company to manufacture high-end microphones from old machinery that once produced Kalashnikov rifles. VOA’s Faiza Elmasry has more. Faith Lapidus narrates. …
your ad herePhysical Activity Key to Staying Healthy at Your Desk
The more science learns about staying healthy, one thing seems increasingly clear: to stay fit, mentally and physically, keep moving. But moving can be hard when most people sit at desks all day. A new study suggests that even if you spend all day in a chair, a couple of …
your ad hereYahoo Punishes CEO, Top Lawyer for Data Breaches
Yahoo will not pay CEO Marissa Mayer her scheduled 2016 bonus, worth as much as $2 million, because of the massive breach her company suffered in 2014. And Yahoo’s general counsel, Ronald Bell, resigned without severance pay for his department’s lackadaisical response to the security lapses. Although Yahoo’s security team …
your ad hereLiberia Investigates Death of Celebrated Ebola Fighter
The death from childbirth of a woman named Time magazine “Person of the Year” in 2014 for her work fighting Ebola in Liberia is being investigated after reports surfaced that health workers were afraid to treat her, the country’s health ministry said Wednesday. Ebola survivor Salomé Karwah died last week …
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