The World Health Organization warns a highly infectious, deadly form of pneumonic plague is spreading rapidly in Madagascar and quick action is needed to stop it. Pneumonic plague, which is transmitted from person to person, has been detected in several cities in Madagascar. This worries the World Health Organization as …
your ad hereChina Manufacturing Expands at Fastest Pace in 5 Years
An official survey released Saturday said that China’s factory activity expanded in September at the fastest pace in five years, as the country’s vital manufacturing sector stepped up production to meet strong demand. The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index rose to 52.4 in September, up from 51.7 in the previous …
your ad hereSmart Windows Let Heat in During Winter, Keep It Out During Summer
Solar power is definitely the wave of the future. But in the future instead of a roof covered with solar panels, your own windows might not only be collecting power from the sun, but also helping your house conserve energy. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad hereUntangling US Tax System
Nearly all U.S. taxpayers say American tax law, which runs tens of thousands of pages, is an incredibly complicated, annoying mess. And there is no agreement on how to fix the problem. Republicans recently outlined a new effort they say will be clearer, fairer and helpful to the economy. Critics …
your ad hereVictoria & Abdul, American Made Based on Incredible True Stories
Two films on our radar this week are Stephen Frears’ heartwarming drama “Victoria & Abdul” and Doug Liman’s “American Made.” Both features offer intelligent, entertaining stories and a superb cast. VOA’s Penelope Poulou takes a look. …
your ad hereUnintended Social Consequences Catching up to Facebook
Years of limited oversight and unchecked growth have turned Facebook into a force with incredible power over the lives of its 2 billion users. But the social network has also given rise to unintended social consequences, and they’re starting to catch up with it: House and Senate panels investigating Russian …
your ad hereIn films ‘Victoria & Abdul’ and ‘American Made,’ Life is Stranger than Fiction
Two films on our radar this week are Stephen Frears’ heartwarming drama Victoria & Abdul about the deep friendship between Queen Victoria and her Indian servant Abdul Karim between 1887 and 1901, and Doug Liman’s American Made about Barry Seal, a 1970s audacious American pilot, who, during the Nicaraguan Crisis …
your ad hereTravel by Rocket From New York to Tokyo in 30 Minutes?
U.S. billionaire innovator Elon Musk has unveiled plans for a new rocket that would allow passengers to travel from one continent to another in about 30 minutes. At a presentation Friday in Adelaide, Australia, Musk showed a video of images of a rocket taking off in New York and landing …
your ad hereTop 5 Songs for Week Ending Sept. 30
We’re liberating the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending September 30, 2017. Last week featured a rare treat: a Hot Shot Debut single in the Top Five. We’re happy to announce that this week, history repeats itself. Number 5: Sam …
your ad hereIMF Chief tells Central Bankers to not Dismiss Bitcoin
Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, has a message for the world’s central bankers: Don’t be Luddites. Addressing a conference in London on Friday, Lagarde said virtual currencies, which are created and exchanged without the involvement of banks or government, could in time be embraced by countries …
your ad hereKenyans Cycle Toward Healthier Hearts
Cardiovascular disease is a growing health concern in Kenya and around Africa. In Nairobi, 100 motorcycle taxi drivers are riding stationary bicycles and being trained to provide emergency resuscitation using automatic electronic defibrillators. It’s all part of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness about heart health in Kenya. Lenny Ruvaga …
your ad hereResearchers Seek Cheaper, Energy-efficient Ways of Producing Clean Water
Having enough clean drinking water has been a challenge in many parts of the world, whether it’s a place where water is scarce or abundant. The World Health Organization finds 3 in 10 people globally still lack safe drinking water at home. The U.S. Department of Energy has just announced …
your ad hereSearch for Cheaper, Energy-efficient Ways of Creating Clean Water
Having enough clean drinking water has been a challenge in many parts of the world, whether it is a place where water is scarce or abundant. The U.S. Department of Energy has just announced it is providing $15 million in funding for projects to develop solar desalination technology at a …
your ad hereConservationists Work to Save World’s Rarest Cats
To the untrained eye, the Scottish wildcat looks quite similar to a normal domestic cat. But it is a unique species, and it could become extinct. As VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports, the greatest threat to these cats is other cats. …
your ad hereNew Dipstick Test Quickly Discovers People with Zika Virus
A new simple dipstick test can provide fast results for people who may have contracted the Zika virus or dengue fever. People who fear they may have been exposed to the mosquito-borne viruses can seek immediate help. And women can be tested for the Zika virus before they get pregnant …
your ad hereTelescope Moves Forward on Land Sacred to Native Hawaiians
A long-running effort to build one of the world’s largest telescopes on a mountain sacred to Native Hawaiians is moving forward after a key approval Thursday, reopening divisions over a project that promises revolutionary views into the heavens but has drawn impassioned protests over the impact to a spiritual place. …
your ad hereHundreds of Species Arrive in US on Japanese Tsunami Debris
Nearly 300 species of fish, mussels and other sea critters hitchhiked across the Pacific Ocean on debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami, washing ashore alive in the United States, researchers reported Thursday. It is the largest and longest marine migration ever documented, outside experts and the researchers said. The …
your ad hereActress Louis-Dreyfus Says She’s Battling Breast Cancer
Emmy-winning comedic actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus said Thursday that she was battling breast cancer, and she highlighted the case for universal health care in the United States. Louis-Dreyfus, 56, who plays foul-mouthed fictitious former U.S. President Selina Meyer on HBO’s Veep, said, “1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I’m …
your ad hereTree-trimming Company Hit With Record Fine for Hiring Undocumented Workers
The government has fined U.S. tree-trimming company a record $95 million for knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants. U.S. prosecutors said the fine against Philadelphia-based Asplundh Tree Expert Co. was the largest criminal penalty ever imposed in an immigration case. Prosecutors said company managers deliberately looked the other way while supervisors knowingly …
your ad hereWas Hefner Oppressor or Liberator? Women Debate His Legacy
Oppressor or liberator? Feminist in a silk robe, or pipe-smoking exploiter? Opinions were flying a day after Hugh Hefner’s death over just what he did — and didn’t do — for women. On one side, there were those who saw Hefner’s dressing women in bunny costumes with cottontails on their …
your ad hereEven With Billions Online, Digital Gender Divide Persists
Around the world, women are using technology to overcome barriers in education and employment. Getting online, however, remains a challenge for many women in developing countries. In the United States, the issue isn’t access to technology, but the lack of women pursuing technical careers. Beginning Oct. 4 in Orlando, …
your ad hereHugh Hefner, Playboy Publisher, Dead at 91
Hugh Hefner, the publisher of Playboy Magazine has died at the age of 91. Famous for his smoking jacket, his magazine and his lifestyle Hefner singlehandedly changed the publishing industry, and maybe the world. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad here‘Loving Vincent’ Brings Van Gogh’s Art Alive
You have seen his “Sunflowers” in a museum, sung along with Don McLean to “Vincent (Starry Starry Night)” and gawped at the tens of million of dollars his works have fetched at auction. But you have never seen Vincent Van Gogh’s art quite like it is shown in the film …
your ad hereSenegalese Music Start-ups Race to Be West Africa’s Spotify
Senegalese start-ups are testing a fledgling market for online music platforms in French-speaking West Africa, where interest in digital entertainment is growing but a lack of credit cards has prevented big players from making inroads. Long celebrated in Europe for their contribution to “world” music – with Mali’s Salif Keita, …
your ad hereSaudi Women Will Drive, But Not Necessarily Buy New Cars
What’s your dream car to drive? Saudi women are asking that question after the kingdom announced that females would be granted licenses and be allowed to drive for the first time. An Arabic Twitter hashtag asking women what car they want to drive already had more than 22,000 responses on …
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