Agrico, an agricultural company in the Middle East country of Qatar, is creating fertile soil through composting. The reason: Most crops can’t be grown in the Qatari desert, but with this specially-blended compost, vegetables are being cultivated in greenhouses. VOA’s Deborah Block tells us about it. …
your ad hereLandfill Turned Park Proves Nature’s Resilience
Landfills are probably the oldest type of waste disposal – dumping trash in a midden or pit. But when a landfill is filled up, what can a community do with the site? A 30-year project to reclaim what was once the largest landfill in the world demonstrates the possibilities. Faith …
your ad hereApple to Unveil New iPhone
It’s been only 10 years since Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs presented the first iPhone. Since then, the competition with other companies has evolved into a giant battle of smartphones, each trying to outsmart and outperform the others. Samsung and LG already released their new phones for this year, so …
your ad hereDel Toro’s Fairy Tale Wins Top Prize at Venice Film Festival
Mexican director Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water, a dark fairy tale in which a mute cleaning lady falls in love with an aquatic creature, won the Golden Lion award for best film at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. The film beat contenders including George Clooney’s Suburbicon and …
your ad hereDACA Repeal Could Cost US Businesses, Economy Billions
The White House’s decision this week to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), carries enormous repercussions for the nearly 800,000 beneficiaries: The undocumented young people who were brought to the United States as children. But the cost, which is difficult to quantify for a workforce faced with the …
your ad hereDACA Repeal to Cost U.S. Businesses, Economy Billions
The White House’s decision to repeal DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, carries enormous repercussions for the nearly 800,000 beneficiaries who arrived in the U.S. as children. Over the next two years, more than 700,000 employed recipients will find themselves without a job. And for their employers, laying off …
your ad hereDigital Photographs Can Steal Fingerprints
We know that fingerprints can be lifted off various surfaces. But now technology is available to steal fingerprints from a digital photograph. VOA’s Deborah Block explains how. …
your ad hereHurricanes Harvey and Irma Could Shave Up to 1 Percent From US GDP in 3rd Quarter
Two back-to-back storms will have a significant impact on U.S. growth and productivity, according to economists tracking the impact of Hurricanes Harvey in Texas, and Irma — expected to make landfall in Florida this weekend. Despite the potential catastrophic loss in lives and capital, economists who spoke with VOA say …
your ad hereChina’s Economy Growing Faster Than Expected
China’s producer price inflation accelerated more than expected to a four-month high in August, fueled by strong gains in raw materials prices and pointing to strong, sustained growth for both factory profits and the economy. The producer price index (PPI) rose 6.3 percent in August from a year earlier, from …
your ad hereEquifax Faces Lawsuits, Investigations After Major Data Breach
The U.S. credit monitoring company Equifax is facing a storm of criticism, lawsuits and investigations after a data breach that may have compromised personal data for about 143 million Americans. New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced Friday that his office would formally investigate the data breach, saying that …
your ad hereCountry’s ‘Gentle Giant’ Don Williams Dies at 78
Country music singer Don Williams, one of the biggest stars of the 1970s and 1980s, died on Friday at the age of 78, his publicist said. Williams, known as “the Gentle Giant” because of his 6-foot, 1-inch frame, mellow voice and low-key profile, had hits with Tulsa Time, I Believe …
your ad hereTroy Gentry of Country Duo Montgomery Gentry Dies in Crash
Troy Gentry, one half of the award-winning country music duo Montgomery Gentry, died Friday in a helicopter crash just hours before a concert, according to a statement from the band’s website. He was 50. The Federal Aviation Administration said the helicopter crashed into a wooded area near the Flying W …
your ad hereHugh Jackman, Lupita Nyong’o to Co-host New York’s Global Citizen Fest
Hugh Jackman, Lupita Nyong’o, Aaron Paul and Demi Lovato will co-host this year’s Global Citizen Festival, an annual free event held in New York’s Central Park. Performers at the Sept. 23 event include Stevie Wonder, Green Day, The Killers, The Lumineers, The Chainsmokers, Pharrell Williams, Big Sean, Andra Day and …
your ad hereApple Embarks on Emmy Quest With Big Bet on Video Streaming
Television is one of the few screens that has Apple hasn’t conquered, but that may soon change. The world’s richest company appears ready to aim for its own Emmy-worthy programming along the lines of HBO’s Game of Thrones and Netflix’s Stranger Things. Apple lured longtime TV executives Jaime Erlicht and …
your ad hereRwanda’s Largest Solar Field Also Empowers Orphans
In Rwanda, less than 15 percent of the population has access to electricity. In rural areas, it can be as low as one percent. In order to increase Rwanda’s energy capacity, a 17-hectare solar field with 28,000 panels was constructed in six months in 2014 by private power companies. It …
your ad hereNew Genetic Discovery May Eventually End Premature Birth
Researchers have found genetic mutations that affect whether a woman is likely to have her baby early or carry it to full term. Even late preterm babies, those born between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation, are more likely to die or experience problems, even if they are the size …
your ad hereNew Genetic Discovery May Someday End Premature Birth
An international team of researchers has identified — for the first time — six genes that determine the length of pregnancy and whether a baby is born preterm. Preterm birth is a major cause of infant death and disability. Now, as VOA’s Carol Pearson reports, scientists may have clues about …
your ad hereWorld’s First Biodegradable Car Designed
There are smart cars, hybrid cars, electric cars, and now a biodegradable car. A group of technology students has built the first car with a biocomposite structure. VOA’s Deborah Block tells us more about it. …
your ad hereDC’s Bats Good for Environment but Threatened by Disease
Washington, D.C., is home to nine species of bats. They play a vital role in the ecosystem, but biologists are worried that some may have contracted a deadly disease called white-nose syndrome. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias went on a so-called bat walk with the researchers on an island in the …
your ad hereUN Environment Head: Asia Must Lead Charge for Pollution-free Planet
Asia-Pacific — home to more than half the world’s population and some of its fastest-growing economies — is a key battleground in the fight against pollution, one of the biggest threats to the planet and its people, the U.N. environment chief said. An estimated 12 million people die prematurely each …
your ad hereRyan Aiming for Low- to Mid-20 Percent US Corporate Tax Rate
With Republicans in Congress under pressure to deliver on taxes, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday the GOP plan will aim to reduce the corporate tax rate to low- to mid-20 percent — a smaller cut than what President Donald Trump wants. Ryan provided some specifics as the Republicans …
your ad hereEquifax: Cyberattack Could Affect 143M Americans
About 143 million Americans could be affected by a cyberattack on the credit monitoring company Equifax. The Atlanta-based company said Thursday the hackers obtained names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses of more than 40 percent of the U.S. population. “Based on the company’s investigation, the unauthorized access occurred from …
your ad hereAlcohol Industry Accused of Misleading Public Over Cancer Risk
Scientists have accused the alcohol industry of misleading the public over the link between alcohol and cancer. Researchers looked at the websites of 28 global organizations representing the alcohol industry, and concluded that the vast majority distort or misrepresent the evidence of an alcohol-related cancer risk. “What you might see …
your ad hereCholera Outbreak Threatens More Than 1M People in Nigeria Refugee Camps
At least 1.4 million people uprooted by Boko Haram’s insurgency in northeast Nigeria are living in ‘cholera hotspots,’ prey to an outbreak of the deadly disease which is sweeping through camps for the displaced, the United Nations said on Thursday. An estimated 28 people have died from cholera in the …
your ad hereBMW Gears Up to Mass Produce Electric Cars by 2020
Germany’s BMW is gearing up to mass produce electric cars by 2020 and will to have 12 different models by 2025, it said on Thursday, as traditional manufacturers race to catch up with U.S. electric car pioneer Tesla. Car buyers shunned electric vehicles because of their high cost and limited …
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