A scaled-down, two-man U.S.-Russian crew blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Thursday for a six-hour ride to the International Space Station, a NASA TV broadcast showed. A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronaut Jack Fischer, 43, and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, 58, lifted off at 1:13 p.m. …
your ad hereRobotic Pet Could Provide Comfort for the Disabled, Elderly
A pet can provide comfort and companionship for an elderly person or someone who is disabled. But in the future that pet may be a robotic animal that uses artificial intelligence to interact with humans. The British company that developed the cute android says it would provide emotional support and …
your ad hereGM: Venezuela Illegally Seizes Factory
General Motors said Wednesday that Venezuelan authorities had illegally seized its plant in the industrial hub of Valencia and vowed to “take all legal actions” to defend its rights. The seizure comes amid a deepening economic crisis in leftist-led Venezuela that has roiled many U.S. companies. “Yesterday, GMV’s (General Motors …
your ad herePrincess Cruises Fined $40 Million for Water Pollution
A federal judge in Miami fined Princess Cruise Lines $40 million Wednesday for illegally dumping oil waste into the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, and for falsifying records. It is the largest such water pollution fine in U.S. history. The Miami Herald newspaper says the British engineer who reported …
your ad hereEgypt Displays Restored Statue of Ramses II
Egypt has unveiled a massive granite statue of Ramses II, the most powerful and celebrated of the ancient Pharaohs, after completing its restoration. Standing 11 meters (36 feet) tall and weighing 75 tons, the statue was presented in a floodlit ceremony at the Luxor Temple on the banks of the …
your ad hereFinance Minister: Peru Economy to Recover in 2018, 2019 After Flood Damage
Peru’s economy will recover in coming years with investment in construction after recent flooding, likely growing 4.5 percent in 2018 and 5 percent in 2019, Finance Minister Alfredo Thorne said on Wednesday. Previously, the government had expected growth of 4.3 and 4.1 percent for the next two years. The estimate …
your ad hereAmerican Revolution Museum Opens in Philadelphia
The Museum of the American Revolution has opened its doors in Philadelphia, with fife and drum music, colorful colonial re-enactors and the blessing of former Vice President Joe Biden. Wednesday’s grand opening festivities traversed three spots in historic Philadelphia, starting at the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier. …
your ad hereFacebook Gives Peek Inside Unit Studying Brain-to-text Technology
Facebook on Wednesday pulled aside the curtain on a secretive unit headed by a former chief of the Pentagon’s research arm, disclosing that the social media company is studying ways for people to communicate by thought and touch. Facebook launched the research shop, called Building 8, last year to conduct …
your ad hereSleepy Pakistani Village Rises as China’s Gateway to Middle East
Over the last six months, the skyline over the sleepy fishing city of Gwadar has been transformed by machines that dredge the Arabian Sea and cranes that set up shipping berths in what is projected to become Pakistan’s biggest international port. Infrastructure developments have enabled the hammer-shaped Gwadar peninsula to …
your ad hereJulia Roberts Named People’s ‘Most Beautiful’ for Record 5th Time
Julia Roberts was named People magazine’s world’s most beautiful woman for a record 5th time on Wednesday, but the actress said she thought her best years were yet to come. Roberts, 49, was first given the annual honor in 1991, a year after she skyrocketed to fame in the romantic …
your ad herePrince Estate Seeks to Stop Release of New Music
Plans to release new music by Prince on Friday’s one-year anniversary of the singer’s death have been hit with a lawsuit claiming the works were stolen by his former sound engineer. The six-song EP “Deliverance,” was due to go on sale on Friday and would mark the first in a …
your ad hereFox Ends Ties with Top-Rated Host Bill O’Reilly
Twenty-First Century Fox has decided to part ways with star cable news host Bill O’Reilly following allegations of sexual harassment, the company said Wednesday. “After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the Fox …
your ad hereBrazil Agrees to Lower Police Retirement Age After Violent Protest
The Brazilian government on Wednesday agreed to lower the minimum retirement age for police officers in its pension reform proposal, a day after members of their unions stormed Congress to protest the controversial bill. In the reform draft, congressman Arthur Maia, a government ally in charge of making changes to …
your ad hereIMF Urges Caution as Washington Eyes Slashing Regulations, Taxes
The International Monetary Fund said President Trump’s plans to cut regulations and taxes might encourage companies to make risky investments of the kind that preceded the financial crisis in 2008. The comment came Wednesday in the newest edition of the IMF’s Global Financial Stability Report, which also said the financial …
your ad hereEmirates Cuts Flights to US as Passenger Demand Wanes
Emirates Airline, the world’s biggest international air carrier by traffic, said Wednesday it is cutting flights to five U.S. cities because of a drop in demand since President Donald Trump sought to curb immigration from several Muslim-majority countries and imposed restrictions on passengers carrying electronic devices on flights to the …
your ad hereNigeria Suspends Intel Chief over $43 Million Cash Stash
Nigeria’s president on Wednesday suspended the country’s intelligence chief over the recent discovery of $43 million in cash in a Lagos apartment. President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into how the National Intelligence Agency came to claim the money and whether any laws were broken, a government statement said. …
your ad hereChina Seeks Foreign Help in Risky Work Finding Oil in Disputed Sea
Beijing is looking for foreign contractors to help find oil and gas under the South China Sea but expects to meet resistance because other governments contest its claims and any discoveries may bring low returns. China’s state-run China National Offshore Oil Corp. issued a tender last week for foreign companies …
your ad hereH1B Visa Applications Down Amid Reform Effort
Applications for H1-B visas are down slightly this year amid uncertainty in the U.S. about the program and talk of reform. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reports that 199,000 H1-B applications were made during the week-long filing period that began April 3. Two years ago 233,000 applications were …
your ad hereFacebook Conference Highlights International Entrepreneurs
Khailee Ng wanted name brand clothes. So, as a suburban teenager in Malaysia, he shoplifted. He could have continued with his criminal life, he said, but took a different route. Ng started to build web pages because it was a better way to make money, he told a crowd at …
your ad hereGoal to Eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases Moves Ahead
Governments and private donors have pledged more than $800 million to control or eliminate neglected tropical diseases. The commitment was made at a five-day summit convened to advance efforts to fight river blindness, sleeping sickness, schistosomiasis and other disabling diseases of poverty. In keeping with its commitment to tackle neglected …
your ad hereSouth Africa’s Toxic Mining Legacy
[Mining is big business in South Africa. It is the world’s largest producer of chrome and platinum, and the second largest producer of palladium and zirconium. It is also the 5th largest producer of gold. But digging up all those riches is a dirty business, and it has left behind …
your ad hereSpinning the Flame May Lead to Better Cleaning of Oil Fires
Every now and then scientists stumble upon a discovery that opens up new possibilities for research and lead to solutions for existing problems. Researchers at the University of Maryland say a fiery phenomenon called blue whirl could someday help clean up oil spills on water. …
your ad hereThe ‘Golden Voice of Africa’ Wows US Audiences
Salif Keita, star of African music, was in concert in the Washington area recently. He was born an albino, with skin that has no pigmentation, along with other ailments. And, like many in Africa, he suffered discrimination because of it. VOA’s Arzouma Kompaore talked to the Malian superstar. …
your ad hereWHO Reports ‘Record-breaking’ Progress in Fighting Neglected Tropical Diseases
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that unprecedented progress had been made in tackling many of the world’s most disfiguring and disabling neglected tropical diseases over the past 10 years. Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, said there has been “record-breaking progress towards bringing ancient scourges like sleeping sickness and elephantiasis …
your ad hereFrog Substance Shown to Kill Human Flu Viruses
A frog found in India secretes a substance that has been shown to be highly effective at killing influenza viruses. Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta say the secreted peptide — a subunit of a protein chain — kills dozens of flu strains that plague humans. It is effective against …
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