Scientists are studying an ancient pathogen for clues as to how to fight a drug-resistant “superbug” in hospitals and other healthcare settings. They’ve found that resistance to modern antibiotics dates back millions of years. Enterococci are one of a group of six bacteria known as “superbugs,” microbes that infect patients …
your ad hereMexico Warns US of Alternatives on Trade, Points to China
Mexico sent a stark message to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, saying an upcoming visit to China in September made it clear Latin America’s No. 2 economy “has lots of other alternatives” amid tense trade negotiations. Mexico is grappling with Trump’s desire to renegotiate the North American Free Trade …
your ad hereEgypt’s Auto Rickshaw Gets New, Home-grown Challenger
In his workshop near Cairo’s pyramids, Ahmed Saeed Omar has manufactured a mini four-wheeled vehicle that he hopes will fill a gap in the market. Omar’s “mini car,” a rectangular vehicle made of a solid steel body which seats up to six people, is cheaper than the widely-used imported auto …
your ad hereDoctors Perform First Clitoral Restorative Surgeries in Kenya
Doctors from the U.S.-based organization Clitoraid are in Nairobi this month performing restorative surgery on women who have undergone female genital mutilation, known as FGM. It’s the first time this procedure has been done in Kenya. From Nairobi, VOA’s Jill Craig has more. …
your ad hereFighting Addiction at Thai Monastery
Cengiz seemed to have it all. A high-paying job in Germany’s tech sector gave him money and prestige, but his life was spiraling out of control. A cocaine addiction had pushed him to the brink of suicide. Desperate for escape after waking up one morning in a pool of his …
your ad hereJacqueline Kennedy Onassis Painting, Watch Head to Auction
A watercolor by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is being auctioned along with a Cartier watch she wore for years. Christie’s said Thursday that the then-first lady, who painted as a hobby, created the artwork in 1963 as a gift for her brother-in law, Stanislaw Radziwill. Radziwill gave her the watch. Both …
your ad hereSinister Text Messages Reveal High-tech Front in Ukraine War
Television journalist Julia Kirienko was sheltering with Ukrainian soldiers and medics two miles (three kilometers) from the front when their cellphones began buzzing over the noise of the shelling. Everyone got the same text message at the same time. “Ukrainian soldiers,” it warned, “they’ll find your bodies when the snow …
your ad hereLava Waves Flow Inside Loki Volcano Lava Lake
Waves of lava flow inside the largest volcano crater on Jupiter’s fourth biggest moon, Loki. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley were able to take advantage of a celestial alignment between Loki and another moon, Europa, to make the discovery. Loki, which is the most volcanic body in the …
your ad hereWhat’s Holding Back Self-driving Cars? Human Drivers
In just a few years, well-mannered self-driving robotaxis will share the roads with reckless, law-breaking human drivers. The prospect is causing migraines for the people developing the robotaxis. A self-driving car would be programmed to drive at the speed limit. Humans routinely exceed it by 10 to 15 mph (16 …
your ad hereEurovision: Pop, Politics, Dancing Ape – But No Russia
Sprinkle the sequins, spark up the disco lights and get ready for battle — it’s time for the Eurovision Song Contest , a celebration of kitsch and cheesy pop with an undercurrent of politics and patriotism. More than a singing contest, it’s diplomacy in dancing shoes. This week musical acts …
your ad hereVigorous Exercise Reduces Cell Aging by 9 Years
Vigorous exercise can reduce aging at the cellular level by nine years, a new study claims. “Just because you’re 40, doesn’t mean you’re 40 years old biologically,” said Brigham Young University exercise science professor Larry Tucker. “We all know people that seem younger than their actual age. The more physically …
your ad hereFarmers Convince Trump to Spare NAFTA
The answer is corn. The question is, what really changed U.S. President Donald Trump’s mind about saving the North American Free Trade Agreement and trying to revise it only hours after he said the United States was pulling out of the treaty? Edward Goldberg, professor at NYU’s School of Professional …
your ad hereIraq, Algeria Support Extension of Oil Production Cuts
Iraq and Algeria support the extension of oil production cuts by OPEC and non-OPEC producers through the end of the year to try to boost prices, they said in a joint statement Thursday. The oil ministers of the two countries held a press conference in Baghdad where Iraqi Oil Minister …
your ad hereEU Court: Uber a Transport, Not Information, Service
Uber provides a transport service and must be licensed, the European Union’s top court said Thursday, in a potential blow to the U.S. firm that says it is merely a digital enabler. “The Uber electronic platform, whilst innovative, falls within the field of transport: Uber can thus be required to …
your ad hereAlaska Natives Look to Arctic Council to Preserve Pristine Region, Way of Life
The foreign ministers of the eight Arctic Council nations will meet to discuss climate change this week, amid news last month that temperatures in the pristine region are warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. A high-level meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and …
your ad hereUber Chases GrabTaxi in Myanmar, Expanding in Southeast Asia
Uber is launching its private ride-hailing service in the Myanmar commercial capital of Yangon on Thursday, aiming to tap into one of the world’s youngest and fastest-growing online markets. The launch follows Singapore-based GrabTaxi’s debut by about two months. Uber is one of the world’s largest on-demand transportation platforms. It …
your ad hereStudy: US Foreclosure Activity Drops to Lowest Level Since 2005
Housing foreclosure activity in the United States dropped to the lowest level since 2005 last month, according to a business research group. ATTOM Data Solutions tracks default notices, auctions and bank repossessions across the nation and says the number of actions dropped 23 percent from a year ago. That means …
your ad hereFighting Algae Blooms From the Top of the Food Chain
Algae blooms happen when simple algae plants start growing out of control. The tiny plants are not usually toxic on their own, but the overabundance creates so-called dead zones because they suck all the oxygen out of the water. In Sweden, researchers have enlisted the aid of native fish that …
your ad hereDogs Help Autistic Children at the Dentist’s Office
Autistic children are naturally sensitive to changes in their routines, including visits to the doctor or dentist. They may become agitated and uncooperative. When a dog trainer in Chile tried bringing dogs to the office to help the children relax, the experiment proved so successful that it evolved into a …
your ad hereChina Simulates Extended Moon Stays Amid Space Drive
China is testing the ability for future astronauts to stay on the moon for extended periods, as Beijing accelerates its space program and looks to put people on the surface of the moon within the next two decades. The official Xinhua news agency said volunteers would live in a “simulated …
your ad hereMontenegro’s Historic Town at Risk of Losing UNESCO Status
Montenegro’s historic port city of Kotor has earned the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site for the beauty of its well preserved medieval town. But Kotor’s international fame has become a source of trouble in recent years. Excessive construction is now threatening to diminish the town’s beauty and its reputation …
your ad hereChina: Silk Road Plan Not Tied to Xi Presidency
China’s President Xi Jinping initiated the ambitious Belt and Road development plan but it has become a world plan not tied to his presidency, the Commerce Ministry said Wednesday, days before Xi hosts a global forum on the initiative. The forum in Beijing next week will draw heads of state …
your ad hereTesla Selling Solar Tiles, Says They Look Like Traditional Roof
Electric carmaker Tesla has added another product to its lineup: Solar roof tiles. As of Wednesday, customers worldwide could order a solar roof on Tesla’s website. Installations will begin next month in the U.S., starting with California. Installations outside the U.S. will begin next year, the company said. The glass …
your ad hereAmazon Trounces Rivals in Battle of the Shopping ‘Bots’
Earlier this year, engineers at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. who track rivals’ prices online got a rude surprise: the technology they were using to check Amazon.com several million times a day suddenly stopped working. Losing access to Amazon.com Inc.’s data was no small matter. Like most big retailers, Wal-Mart relies on …
your ad hereRascal Flatts Look to Young Songwriters for Big Hits
Early on in their career, the country group Rascal Flatts often dealt with critics of their pop-country sound and being labeled a country music boy band. Bassist and producer Jay DeMarcus noted that one early review referred to their music as “bouncy, bouncy, flop.” Seventeen years later with the …
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