More than 50 companies are showcasing a new generation of robots at this week’s Shanghai CES electronics show, built to serve as companions at home, attendants at shopping malls or just provide entertainment. Chinese companies including Shenzhen-based startup Aelos Robotic Inc. are displaying robots with heightened dexterity and skills. Beijing’s …
your ad hereJury May Soon Hear From Cosby, Possibly From Deposition Videos
A jury that heard seven hours of testimony from a woman who says Bill Cosby drugged and assaulted her may soon hear from Cosby himself — even if he doesn’t take the stand. Prosecutors are expected to show jurors an earlier deposition in which Cosby said that he routinely gave …
your ad hereLab Fire-tests New Building Materials
New, lighter, cheaper, sustainable and recyclable building materials are entering the market every day as developers try to lower costs and shrink their carbon footprint. But how safe are those materials? Are they resistant to fire? VOA’s George Putic visited a new U.S. government facility that can provide scientific answers …
your ad hereKenya Launches HIV Self-testing Kit
Kenya has become the latest African country to introduce HIV self-testing kits in a bid to get more people to know their status and seek treatment. The government estimates that there are as many as half a million people in Kenya who are HIV-positive but don’t know it. Lenny Ruvaga …
your ad here‘Foundation 500’ List of Women CEOs Challenges Stereotypes
From a Peruvian trout farm manager to the head of an Indonesian meatball company, a list of 500 women entrepreneurs in emerging markets was launched Thursday to challenge the stereotype of a typical company boss and inspire women globally. The “Foundation 500” list features the portraits and careers of 500 …
your ad hereIsrael’s in Love With Its Homegrown Wonder Woman Gal Gadot
For a country that takes pride in even the smallest successes of its international celebrities, the debut of Wonder Woman has sparked an Israeli lovefest for homegrown hero Gal Gadot. A huge billboard overlooking Tel Aviv’s main highway is tagged with a provincial “we love you” greeting, her Hebrew-accented …
your ad hereCruise Dances With Undead in ‘The Mummy’
Of all the supernatural forces slung in Alex Kurtzman’s The Mummy (and, believe me, there are a lot), none can compete with the spectacle of Tom Cruise, at 54. He and his abs are almost creepily ageless. So it’s almost fitting that in one of the typically bonkers scenes …
your ad hereArchaeologists Discover Aztec Ball Court in Heart of Mexico City
The remains of a major Aztec temple and a ceremonial ball court have been discovered in downtown Mexico City, shedding new light on the sacred spaces of the metropolis that Spanish conquerors overran five centuries ago, archaeologists said on Wednesday. The discoveries were made on a nondescript side street just …
your ad hereMoroccan Fossils Shake Up Understanding of Human Origins
The understanding of human origins was turned on its head on Wednesday with the announcement of the discovery of fossils unearthed on a Moroccan hillside that are about 100,000 years older than any other known remains of our species, Homo sapiens. Scientists determined that skulls, limb bones and teeth representing …
your ad hereMexican Sugar Producers Want Probe of US Corn Syrup Imports
Mexican sugar producers want an investigation into suspected dumping in Mexico by U.S. fructose producers even after a U.S.-Mexico deal on access to the U.S. sugar market, the head of the Mexican sugar industry group said Wednesday. The sugar lobby last month said it had asked the Mexican economy ministry …
your ad hereUS Small Businesses in Clean Energy Sector Still Hope for Best
Small-business owners who install solar panels or help customers use clean energy don’t seem fazed by President Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, saying they expect demand for their services will still keep growing. They’re confident in two trends they see: A growing awareness …
your ad hereStudy Examines Factors Associated With High African Newborn Mortality Rate
Nearly 16,000 young children die every day around the world, says researcher Sue Grady, citing U.N. figures. The Michigan State University medical geographer says newborns account for about half of the deaths. A U.N. study of neonatal mortality around the world found that Africa has the highest rate, at 28 …
your ad hereReport: Outdated Mental Health Care System in Need of Reform
A new report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council has called for the urgent retooling of what it calls an outdated mental health care system. The report contends the current system is injurious to mental well-being and violates the human rights of patients. Dainius Puras is the author …
your ad hereOverfishing Leaves an Industry in Crisis in Senegal
It was almost sunset as fishermen guided their boats back onto the beach at Joal, Senegal, after a long day at sea. At first glance, it looks as though they’d collected a good day’s haul, but their nets were full of small sardinella, known locally as yaabooy. Fisherman Mamdou Lamine …
your ad hereMore Deadly Heat Waves Expected in India as Temperatures Rise
India is likely to experience deadly heat waves more frequently in the years ahead, even though there only has been a slight increase in human-driven warming over the past few decades, according to a study released Wednesday. “It’s getting hotter, and of course more heat waves are going to kill …
your ad hereFacebook Launches Features to Connect US Users, Elected Officials
Facebook announced three new features Wednesday that are intended to boost civic engagement among users in the United States on its platform by connecting them more easily with their elected representatives. The new offerings come as the social media juggernaut has sought to rehabilitate its image as a credible source …
your ad hereDC Bars to Open Early for Comey Viewing Parties
While it’s unclear how much the rest of the country is eagerly awaiting Thursday’s testimony from former FBI Director James Comey, for Washingtonians, the event is must-see TV, prompting some bars to open as early to host viewing parties. And yes, one bar, Shaw’s Tavern, will be serving a special …
your ad herePeru, Indonesia to Make Fishing Boat Tracking Data Public
Peru joined Indonesia Wednesday as the only two countries worldwide to make their fishing boat tracking data available to the public. Such access will give conservationists, along with those who buy, sell and eat seafood, a clearer picture where their favorite dishes come from. Officials from both countries made their …
your ad hereNASA Selects 12 New Astronauts From Crush of Applicants
NASA chose 12 new astronauts Wednesday from its biggest pool of applicants ever, selecting seven men and five women who could one day fly aboard the nation’s next generation of spacecraft. The astronaut class of 2017 includes doctors, scientists, engineers, pilots and military officers from Anchorage to Miami and points …
your ad hereUS Sculptor Focuses London Exhibit on Iraq, Syria Conflicts
A replica of an Assyrian statue destroyed by Islamic State militants in Iraq in 2014 will soar over tourists in London’s Trafalgar Square beginning in March, courtesy of a vision from American artist Michael Rakowitz. The 15-foot high statue of an lamassu — a human-headed winged bull — reflects …
your ad hereInternational Artists Bring Color to Israeli, Jordanian Streets
With large murals of black cats and colorful grotesque faces, a group of traveling international artists are bringing a splash of colorful street art to towns in Israel and Jordan. The eye-catching works, including large portraits and spying eyes, are produced under the banner of the international POW! WOW! event, …
your ad hereNo Good Fish in the Sea: Overfishing in Senegal
Both local, foreign industrial boats are blamed for Senegalese fishing industry’s continued problems. The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization says more than half of West Africa’s fisheries are dangerously depleted. …
your ad hereFlight Attendant Wins Miss Tibet Pageant
Tenzin Paldon, 21, emerged from the largest ever field of contestants — nine — to take the title of Miss Tibet at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) in McLeod Ganj in Dharamshala, the city that is home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. …
your ad hereColombia to Up Public Sector Wages by 6.75 Percent, as Teachers Strike
Colombia will raise the salaries of public employees by 6.75 percent this year, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Wednesday, a move which may help end a more than three-week-long teachers strike. The deal with seven public employee unions, which will increase the wages of 1.2 million workers, including educators, …
your ad hereCMT Awards to Feature Stars From All Genres and Hollywood
The 2017 CMT Music Awards will honor the top acts in country music as well as lend its stage to pop, rock and R&B performers and Hollywood stars. Ashton Kutcher, Jada Pinkett Smith and Katherine Heigl will be among the presenters at the awards show Wednesday night in Nashville, …
your ad here