The world’s largest private equity fund, backed by Japan’s Softbank Group and Saudi Arabia’s main sovereign wealth fund, said Saturday that it had raised over $93 billion to invest in technology sectors such as artificial intelligence and robotics. “The next stage of the Information Revolution is under way, and building …
your ad herePippa Middleton Marries Millionaire Hedge Fund Manager
Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, married millionaire hedge fund manager James Matthews on Saturday in Englefield, England. Prince William and Prince Harry were on hand for the lavish ceremony at a 12th century church in rural England. The wedding party also included William’s children, …
your ad hereIconic American Circus Performs Last Show on Sunday
An American institution, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, promoted as “The Greatest Show on Earth,” is closing Sunday after 146 years. “After a lot of discussion, my family decided that with the decline in ticket sales, it was just the right business decision to close Ringling Brothers,” …
your ad hereVirtual Avatar Could Be Your Doctor
One day instead of visiting a doctor in person for health information or searching online, you could be asking for advice from a medical expert’s avatar. A new app is being developed that can be used on a smartphone to ask a virtual doctor about various medical conditions and their …
your ad hereJob Prospects for 2017 College Grads, Best in More Than a Decade
About 3 million Americans will enter the job pool this year as graduation ceremonies get underway at various colleges and universities across the United States. With unemployment at a 10-year low, 2017 is shaping up to be a good year for new grads. But as Mil Arcega reports, success for …
your ad hereHollywood Is Ready With More Big-budget Summer Blockbusters
This time of the year, Hollywood rolls out its big-budget films. Monsters and superheroes are framed by spectacular special effects on IMAX screens, and the industry’s big stars flex their muscles, figuratively and literally. Most of these movies promise chills and thrills for not a small fee at the box …
your ad hereSummer Blockbusters, Hollywood’s Moneymaking Machines
This time of the year, Hollywood rolls out its big-budget films. Monsters and superheroes are framed by spectacular special effects on IMAX screens, and the industry’s big stars flex their muscles, figuratively and literally. This summer, some of the industry’s monster flicks look promising. VOA’s Penelope Poulou reports. …
your ad hereHey, Graduates: Good Jobs Exist With or Without 4-Year Degree
About three million American university graduates will enter the job market this year. And with unemployment currently at a 10-year low, it’s a good time to be graduating, says Nicole Smith, chief economist at Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW). “We are at one of the lowest …
your ad hereFamily of Musician Chris Cornell Disputes He Killed Himself
The family of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell is disputing “inferences that Chris knowingly and intentionally” killed himself. The family said in a statement that without toxicology tests completed, they can’t be sure what led to his death, or if any substances were involved. According to lawyer Kirk Pasich, Cornell had …
your ad hereTop 5 Songs for Week Ending May 20
We’re liberating the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending May 20, 2017. This week’s lineup is a real thriller, but you’ll have to wait until the end for the payoff. Number 5: Ed Sheeran Shape of You Ed Sheeran slides …
your ad hereWhy Trump’s Combative Trade Stance Makes US Farmers Nervous
A sizable majority of rural Americans backed Donald Trump’s presidential bid, drawn to his calls to slash environmental rules, strengthen law enforcement and replace the federal health care law. But last month, many of them struck a sour note after White House aides signaled that Trump would deliver on another …
your ad hereWHO Says Time to Stop Ignoring Adolescent Health
The World Health Organization has delivered dramatic news about the causes of death for young people the world over. Governments and health agencies have made great strides in reducing deaths of young children through immunization and programs that address maternal and infant care. But adolescents have somehow fallen through the …
your ad hereOPEC May Extend, Deepen Cuts to Oil Output
An OPEC panel reviewing scenarios for next week’s policy-setting meeting is looking at the option of deepening and extending an OPEC-led deal to reduce oil output, OPEC sources said Friday. OPEC’s national representatives — officials representing the 13 member countries, plus officials from OPEC’s Vienna secretariat — met Wednesday and …
your ad hereExperts: N. Korea Role in WannaCry Cyberattack Unlikely
A couple of things about the WannaCry cyberattack are certain. It was the biggest in history and it’s a scary preview of things to come. But one thing is a lot less clear: whether North Korea had anything to do with it. Despite bits and pieces of evidence that …
your ad hereJapan, China Pull Combustible Ice From Seafloor
Commercial development of the globe’s huge reserves of a frozen fossil fuel known as “combustible ice” has moved closer to reality after Japan and China successfully extracted the material from the seafloor off their coastlines. But experts said Friday that large-scale production remains many years away, and if not …
your ad hereMore than a Feeling, Robots Developing Sense of Touch
Robots can see well enough to drive a car. Computers can hear our voices and respond to commands. VOA’s Arturo Martinez and Steve Baragona report that engineers are breaking through the next sensation frontier for robots: touch. Steve Baragona narrates. …
your ad hereFloating Barge on New York River Grows Crops
In New York, where buildings outnumber green spaces, some people have small gardens to grow some of their own food. Now, another garden is growing in New York in a very unusual location. On a barge, floating on a river, a variety of crops are being nurtured. VOA’s Deborah Block …
your ad hereAward Recipient Charts New Path in Human Spaceflight
Virgin Galactic’s Beth Moses, who received the Adler Planetarium’s “Women in Space Science Award” this year, views the opportunity for widely available space flight as a unifying endeavor for humanity. As Kane Farabaugh reports from Chicago, Moses is telling students about space flight as a way to motivate them to …
your ad hereBaquiat’s ‘Untitled’ Sells for Record $110.5 Million
Nearly 30 years after his death, the work of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is breaking records. Basquiat’s “Untitled” canvas was sold Thursday at Sotheby’s for $110.5 million. The auction house said the price tag was a record for the artist and also set a record price for an American artist …
your ad hereClues Found to Ransomware Worm’s Lingering Risks
Two-thirds of those caught up in the past week’s global ransomware attack were running Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system without the latest security updates, a survey for Reuters by security ratings firm BitSight found. Researchers are struggling to try to find early traces of WannaCry, which remains an active threat …
your ad hereScientists Discover Human Antibodies to Fight Ebola Virus
Scientists have discovered a possible cure for all five known Ebola viruses, one of which ravaged West Africa in recent years. The so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies were discovered in the blood of a survivor of the West African epidemic, which ran from late 2013 to mid-2016. The deadly virus killed …
your ad hereHeavy Rain May Have Once Fallen on Mars
Heavy rain shaped the Martian landscape billions of years ago, according to a new study. According to researchers at the Smithsonian Institution and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, rain on Mars once carved river beds and created valleys much like rain on Earth has, and does. It no …
your ad hereRisk of Colon Cancer Death Reduced in Patients with Healthy Lifestyle
Colon cancer patients who adopt a healthy lifestyle after treatment could potentially reduce their risk of death from a recurrence by more than 40 percent, according to new research. The findings were released ahead of a conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the world’s largest organization of clinical …
your ad hereTrump Administration Begins NAFTA Renegotiation Process
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration says it has notified Congress it intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. In a letter sent Thursday to congressional leaders, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the administration plans 90 days of consultations with lawmakers over how to …
your ad hereSomali Community in Minnesota Fights Measles, Misinformation
An ongoing measles outbreak in Minnesota has shined a light on the fact many Somali immigrants choose not to vaccinate their children. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 63 measles cases have been reported statewide as of May 16, and 53 of those cases were Minnesotans of Somali …
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