Careem, a Middle Eastern rival to Uber, has become the first ride-hailing firm to operate in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Dubai-based Careem, whose name is a play on the Arabic word for generous or noble, launched in Ramallah in June, aiming to bring digital simplicity to the Palestinian territory. There …
your ad hereSilicon Valley Reacts to Trump Decision to Delay International Entrepreneur Rule
President Trump’s decision to delay a new program for immigrant entrepreneurs to come to the U.S. has drawn criticism from the technology industry. VOA’s Arturo Martínez reports from Silicon Valley, California. …
your ad hereSyrian Artist Depicts Life in Raqqa Under Islamic State
Images of life under Islamic State rule are rare because taking photos, drawing or painting was discouraged or even banned. An artist who escaped from Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold in Syria which is now under siege, depicts scenes from the occupied city in a temporary shelter where he now …
your ad hereMeasles Kills 35 Children in Europe; Minnesota Outbreak Not Over
Thirty-five European children have died from measles in the past 12 months in what the World Health Organization calls an “unacceptable” tragedy. The deaths could have been prevented by a vaccine. A measles outbreak in Minnesota sent many to the hospital. Still, some parents in developed countries continue to believe …
your ad hereNative American Healing Class Sparks Unique Health Textbook
Laughter can combat trauma. Spiritual cleansings could be used to fight an opioid addiction. Cactus extract may battle diabetes and obesity. These insights are from curanderismo — traditional indigenous healing from the American Southwest and Latin America. University of New Mexico professor Eliseo “Cheo” Torres’ has included these …
your ad hereStory of Afghan Girls’ Team Just One of Many at Robotics Event
An international robotics competition in Washington was in its final day Tuesday, with teams of teenagers from more than 150 nations competing. The team getting the most attention at the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge was a squad of girls from Afghanistan who were twice rejected for U.S. visas before President …
your ad hereAfghan All-girls Robotics Team Impressed by ‘Friendly’ US
It took an intervention from U.S. President Donald Trump and other officials to allow the girls of the Afghan robotics team to receive visas after two rejections, letting them travel to the United States for a robotics competition. One of the biggest surprises once in Washington? The tight security. “The …
your ad hereSilicon Valley Mostly Quiet in Internet Surveillance Debate in Congress
Facebook, Alphabet’s Google, Apple and other major technology firms are largely absent from a debate over the renewal of a broad U.S. internet surveillance law, weakening prospects for privacy reforms that would further protect customer data, according to sources familiar with the matter. While tech companies often lobby Washington on …
your ad hereKenny, Dolly Announce Final Performance Together
Two of country music’s biggest stars, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, whose onstage chemistry spawned hit duets like “Islands in the Stream” and “Real Love,” will be making their final performance together this year. Rogers, who is retiring from touring, says his final performance with Parton will be part of …
your ad hereBoston Launches Poster Campaign to Combat Islamophobia
Boston has launched a new public service campaign to fight Islamophobia by offering the public ways to address aggression toward others because of their appearance or beliefs. The campaign launched Monday involves 50 posters that provide a step-by-step guide to handling when someone is being harassed. They will be posted …
your ad hereSpanish Soccer Executive, Son Arrested in Corruption Probe
The executive who oversaw Spain’s rise to dominate world soccer in recent years was arrested Tuesday in an anti-corruption investigation, dealing yet another blow to the sport’s already-tarnished image. Angel Maria Villar, his son, Gorka Villar, and two other soccer officials were detained while raids were conducted at the …
your ad hereChina Users Report WhatsApp Disruption Amid Censorship Fears
Users of WhatsApp in China and security researchers have reported widespread service disruptions amid fears that the popular messaging service may be at least partially blocked by authorities in the world’s most populous country. WhatsApp users in the country reported Tuesday on other social media platforms that the app was …
your ad hereDaniel Radcliffe Comes to Aid of London Mugging Victim
Actor Daniel Radcliffe came to the aid of a man who was mugged by moped-riding attackers in London. Former police officer David Videcette told the Evening Standard newspaper that two moped riders attacked a man just off the upmarket King’s Road in west London, slashing him across the face and …
your ad hereWar-torn South Sudan at Grave Risk on Climate Change
“I’m addicted to cutting trees,” says Taban Ceasor. His stained hands sift through jagged pieces of charcoal in his busy shop in South Sudan’s capital. But the 29-year-old logger says the number of trees needed to fuel his trade is falling sharply as the country’s forest cover disappears. …
your ad hereSmall US Towns Brace for Rare Solar Eclipse, and Crowds
Hyrum Johnson, mayor of the tiny city of Driggs, Idaho, expects some craziness in his one-stoplight town next month when the moon passes in front of the sun for the first total solar eclipse in the lower 48 U.S. states since 1979. The town of 1,600 people in Teton County, …
your ad hereHouse Budget Blueprint Boosts Military, Cuts Benefits
House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a 10-year budget blueprint that would dramatically increase military spending while putting the GOP on record favoring Medicare cuts opposed by President Donald Trump. The GOP plan, authored by Budget Chairman Diane Black, R-Tenn., would also pave the way for overhauling the U.S. tax code …
your ad hereTrump Touts ‘Made in America Week’
The Trump Administration has launched “Made In America Week” to highlight the importance of U.S. manufacturing and tout its policies to bring more such jobs back home from overseas. But as VOA White House Bureau Chief Steve Herman reports, many Trump family products are made in foreign factories, leading to …
your ad hereHyperloop Technology Takes One Small Step Forward
Engineers at Hyperloop recently took a significant step toward proving their new vacuum-tube-based transportation system may in fact be the future… and not just hype. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad hereTrump Declares ‘Hard Part Now is Done’ to Bring Jobs Back to America
President Donald Trump inspected products brought to the White House on Monday from all 50 U.S. states to launch his “Made In America Week.” On display from the easternmost state of Maine was a yacht. From the distant shores of Hawaii, more than 7,500 kilometers from the nation’s capital, there …
your ad hereNetflix Still Piling Up Viewers — and Big Programming Bills
Netflix is pulling in new viewers and award nominations in droves, but the online video service still faces a long-term problem: Its acclaimed programming line-up is costing far more money than what subscribers pay for it. That hasn’t been a big issue so far, thanks to investors’ willingness to …
your ad hereUS Makes Lower Trade Deficit Top Priority in NAFTA Talks
The United States on Monday launched the first salvo in the renegotiation of the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), saying its top priority for the talks was shrinking the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico. In a much-anticipated document sent to lawmakers, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer …
your ad hereHearing is Believing: Speech May be a Clue to Mental Decline
Your speech may, um, help reveal if you’re uh … developing thinking problems. More pauses, filler words and other verbal changes might be an early sign of mental decline, which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease, a study suggests. Researchers had people describe a picture they were shown in taped …
your ad hereTwo Iranians Charged in US for Hacking, Selling Weapons Software
Two Iranian nationals have been charged in the United States in an alleged scheme to steal and resell software to Iran, including a program to design bullets and warheads. According to an indictment unsealed Monday, Mohammed Saeed Ajily, 35, recruited Mohammed Reza Rezakhah, 39, to break into companies’ computers to …
your ad hereAfghan Girls Robotics Team Competes after Visa Obstacles
Their team shirts didn’t say “Afghanistan” and their name badges were handwritten, not typed, suggesting the last-minute nature of their entry into the United States. But the Afghan girls competing Monday in an international robotics competition in Washington were clearly excited to be representing their nation. The team of six …
your ad hereResearch Tries ‘Shock and Kill’ to Eliminate HIV
Researchers working on a one-two punch to eliminate HIV say their first punch has landed and they can start working on the second, though plenty of work will be needed on both fronts before a cure is available. HIV spreads just like other viruses: It takes over a cell’s DNA …
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