The Vatican is celebrating the big-bang theory. That’s not as out of this world as it sounds. The Vatican Observatory has invited leading scientists and cosmologists to talk black holes, gravitational waves and space-time singularities as it honors the late Jesuit cosmologist considered one of the fathers of the …
your ad hereBill Clinton and James Patterson Co-Writing a Thriller
Neither Bill Clinton nor James Patterson has ever tried something like this before. The former president and the best-selling novelist are collaborating on a thriller, “The President is Missing,” to come out June 2018 as an unusual joint release from rival publishers — Alfred A. Knopf and Little, Brown and …
your ad hereMeet the Iranian Who Looks Like Lionel Messi
An Iranian student who happens to look uncannily like soccer great Lionel Messi, nearly ended up in jail for disrupting public order. A photo event in Reza Paratesh’s home town of Hamedan attracted so many fans that police had to close it down, according to AFP. Paratesh’s brush with fame …
your ad hereBuffett’s ‘Carnival’ Draws Shoppers, Sleep-deprived
Katie Ryerson and her father took a train from their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to Omaha, Nebraska, for her first Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shareholder meeting, a weekend the conglomerate’s billionaire chief Warren Buffett calls “Woodstock for Capitalists.” They were part of a crowd expected to top last year’s estimated 37,000. …
your ad hereFacebook Removes Accounts in Fight Against Fake News
Facebook says it has deleted tens of thousands of accounts in Britain ahead of the June 8 general election in a drive to battle fake news. The tech giant also took out newspaper advertisements in Britain’s media offering advice on how to spot such stories. The ads suggest that …
your ad hereTrump Tower Resident who Listed Apartment on Airbnb pays $1K Fine
An Airbnb host who was renting out her Trump Tower apartment is among the first to pay a fine to New York City under a law banning advertising listings for short-term rentals. The host and owner of the Trump Tower apartment, Yelena Yelagina, paid a $1,000 fine to the …
your ad hereControversial Cartoon Frog Croaks
Pepe, the green, cartoon frog who some believed was a symbol of white supremacy, is dead. The creation of cartoonist Matt Furie, Pepe was shown in a recent comic strip dead in an open casket with his imaginary friends gathered around to mourn his death. Pepe first appeared online around …
your ad hereMTV Awards Salute ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Stranger Things’
Film hit Beauty and the Beast and Netflix newcomer Stranger Things were the night’s big winners with two trophies apiece as MTV partied with its Movie & TV Awards show. For this, the 26th edition of what was formerly known as the MTV Movie Awards, TV was added to the …
your ad hereChina Trying to Extend Belt Plan to Afghanistan to Expand Influence
China is extending its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to troubled Afghanistan, causing analysts to wonder if Beijing is trying to expand its role in the Middle East and also putting itself at the center of the international battle against terrorism. China’s connectivity program involves extending the China Pakistan Economic …
your ad hereNicki Minaj Pays College Costs for Twitter Fans
Nicki Minaj is putting some fans on scholarship. After a fan asked the hip-hop star if she would pay his college tuition on Twitter on Saturday night, Minaj agreed to pay fans’ school costs – on the condition that they show her perfect marks. She wrote , “Show me …
your ad hereChina to Strengthen Its Controls Over the Internet
China will further tighten its internet regulations with a pledge Sunday to strengthen controls over search engines and online news portals, the latest step in President Xi Jinping’s push to maintain strict Communist Party control over content. Xi has made China’s “cyber sovereignty” a top priority in his sweeping campaign …
your ad hereBuffett Talks Wells Fargo, IBM and His Successor at Annual Meeting
Warren Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Saturday faulted Wells Fargo & Co for failing to stop employees from signing up customers for bogus accounts even after learning it was happening. Wells Fargo, whose largest shareholder is Berkshire, with a 10 percent stake worth roughly $27 billion, gave employees …
your ad hereBuffett: GOP Health Care Bill a Tax Cut for the Rich
Berkshire Hathaway Inc Chairman Warren Buffett fumed Saturday that health care costs are eating away at the U.S. economy like “tapeworm” and said the Republican approach to overhaul Obamacare is a tax cut for the rich. The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday narrowly approved a bill to repeal and …
your ad hereMetal Fabric Printed as One Piece
3D printing with metals is rapidly changing the way parts are being manufactured because it is now possible to create continuous complex shapes. Where once parts had to be welded to close the gaps, they can now be made as one solid piece. NASA’s scientists say they can now print …
your ad hereUS Bobsledding Star, Steven Holcomb, Dies at 37
Steven Holcomb was simultaneously ordinary and remarkable. America’s best bobsled pilot was a self-described computer geek who would rub elbows with Hollywood stars. He was never exactly in the best of shape, yet was a world-class athlete. He attempted suicide years ago, then revealed his story with hopes of helping …
your ad hereAlways Dreaming Wins Kentucky Derby
Always Dreaming splashed through the slop to win the Kentucky Derby by 2¾ lengths Saturday, giving trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez their second victories in the race but their first together. Pletcher and Velazquez have teamed up often over the years and are the sport’s leading money winners. …
your ad hereLast Hindenburg Survivor, 88, Recalls: ‘The Air Was on Fire’
Thunderstorms and wind had delayed the Hindenburg’s arrival in New Jersey from Germany on May 6, 1937. The father of 8-year-old Werner Doehner headed to his cabin after using his movie camera to shoot some scenes of Lakehurst Naval Air Station from the airship’s dining room. “We didn’t see him …
your ad hereRain Could Play Major Role in Already Unpredictable Kentucky Derby
The U.S. Kentucky Derby, the first of three major yearly horse races in the United States, will take place on Saturday with rain in the forecast, adding another variable to an already unpredictable race. The 20-horse field lacks a clear dominant horse following winter preparatory races, and the 40 percent …
your ad hereEntrepreneurs Outside US Can Attract Silicon Valley Backing
The venture fund 500 Startups has been making a splash in Southeast Asia, most recently with Khmerload, a Cambodian entertainment news website modeled after the American media giant Buzzfeed. Binh Tran, a venture partner with the firm, sat down with Sophat Soeung of VOA’s Khmer service to talk about how …
your ad hereAttention, Wizards and Muggles: Harry Potter Book Club Launches in June
J.K. Rowling is launching a free online book club for fans and newcomers to her “Harry Potter” series. The Wizarding World Book Club will launch in June in celebration of the 20th anniversary of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” the first in what would become a seven-book series. The …
your ad hereKenyan Misses Sub-2-Hour Marathon by Seconds
Eliud Kipchoge was 26 seconds from making history Saturday but the Olympic champion finished just short of becoming the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours. Kipchoge ran the 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) in 2 hours, 26 seconds, beating Dennis Kimetto’s world mark of 2:02:57. …
your ad hereAlbanian-American Soprano Brings Her Critically Acclaimed Madame Butterfly to Kennedy Center
Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly comes to the Kennedy Center in Washington with Albanian-American soprano Ermonela Jaho playing the title role. Jaho is fast becoming one of the most sought-after sopranos in the world. She credits her success to her emotional surrender to every role, including Puccini’s masterpiece, which she says …
your ad hereGeorgia Lawmaker Helps Parents Navigate State Medical Marijuana Laws
The use of medical marijuana is legal in the U.S. state of Georgia. But like many other states, it is illegal to grow, import or sell it. So how are patients who qualify to use it supposed to get it? Well, a coalition of families and one lawmaker is working …
your ad hereSmog Tracker Highlights Pollution Hotspots
In Rome, residents concerned about air quality may soon be able to use a smog tracker to monitor pollution levels as they travel around the city. A device is being tested that indicates which parts of the city have good or bad air quality. VOA’s Deborah Block has more. …
your ad hereFirst Players from Africa, Lithuania Mark New Era for Major League Baseball
In 1971, 24 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by becoming the first African-American baseball player, the Pittsburgh Pirates made history by fielding the first all minority team. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports, the Pirates continue to break ground for Major League Baseball, now by looking beyond borders …
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