A bakery in a low-income area of Johannesburg slashed prices of its popular bread, with unexpected results. What started as a way to help feed the community became a recipe for success as the bakery has a lot more business than ever. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports. ((NARRATOR)) …
your ad hereMugabe Removed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador
The World Health Organization rescinded Sunday its appointment of Zimbabwe’s longtime President Robert Mugabe as a goodwill ambassador. “I have listened carefully to all who have expressed their concerns, and heard the different issues that they have raised. I have also consulted with the Government of Zimbabwe and we have …
your ad hereArtist Gives Invasive Plant Species New Life
For almost 15 years, environmental activist Patterson Clark has been one of the U.S. National Park Service volunteers who go through forests and remove invasive plants. Because he knew how destructive these plants can be, killing their native host trees, increasing soil erosion, and causing major damage to streams and …
your ad hereChinese Propaganda Battles Pop Culture for Young Hearts, Minds
When the propaganda film, “The Founding of an Army,” hit theaters in China recently, the reaction wasn’t quite what the ruling Communist Party might have hoped for. Instead of inspiring an outpouring of nationalism and self-sacrifice for the state, it was roundly mocked for trying to lure a younger audience …
your ad herePakistan Still Struggles to Enforce Laws Against Early Marriage
Despite laws banning child marriage, rights groups in Pakistan say the problem continues, partly because of a desire to follow tradition, and partly because of poverty. No matter the reason, development experts say early marriage hurts the education and health prospects for girls. Sahar Majid brings us this report by …
your ad hereHelping Autistic Children Fit in by Educating Their Peers
Autistic children often have social difficulties. They tend to linger on the edges of social groups at school and have fewer friendships than those without the condition. But that can change, if their classmates understand them and give them a chance. As Faiza Elmasry tells us, an Australian mother wrote …
your ad hereFed’s Powell, Economist Taylor, Yellen on Trump’s Federal Reserve List
President Donald Trump is considering nominating Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell and Stanford University economist John Taylor for the central bank’s top two jobs, in an apparent bid to reassure markets and appease conservatives hungry for change. Under that scenario, either Powell or Taylor would take the reins from Fed …
your ad hereUS Warns About Attacks On Energy, Industrial Firms
The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation warned in a report distributed by email late on Friday that the nuclear, energy, aviation, water and critical manufacturing industries have been targeted along with government entities in attacks dating back to at least May. The agencies warned that hackers …
your ad hereTurkey Bank Regulator Dismisses ‘Rumors’ After Iran Sanctions Report
Turkey’s banking regulator urged the public on Saturday to ignore rumors about financial institutions, in an apparent dismissal of a report that some Turkish banks face billions of dollars of U.S. fines over alleged violations of Iran sanctions. “It has been brought to the public’s attention that stories, that are …
your ad hereGeorgia Rep. Price Says HIV Comments Taken Out of Context
Georgia Rep. Betty Price says her comments on people with HIV that ignited a national firestorm were “taken completely out of context.” Price, the wife of former U.S. Health Secretary Tom Price, was in a legislative committee meeting Tuesday when she asked a state health official whether people with HIV …
your ad hereEra Ends: Hong Kong Stock Trading Floor to Close
Hong Kong’s last remaining stock market floor traders are taking their final orders as the exchange prepares to shut its trading hall. The bourse’s operator, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, says it will close the trading hall by the end of the month and turn the space into a showcase …
your ad hereKids, Screens and Parental Guilt: Time to Relax a Bit?
Parents of small children have long been hearing about the perils of “screen time.” And with more screens, and new technologies such as Amazon’s Echo speaker, the message is getting louder. And while plenty of parents are feeling guilty about it, some experts say it might be time to relax …
your ad hereJudge Tosses $400 Million Verdict in Cancer, Talc Powder Case
A California judge on Friday threw out a $417 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit by a woman who claimed she developed ovarian cancer after using its talc-based products like Johnson’s Baby Powder for feminine hygiene. The ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maren Nelson marked …
your ad hereFilm Explores an America of Poverty Alongside Disneyworld’s Glitter
Millions of children the world over dream of visiting Disneyworld. But Sean Baker’s heartbreaking film The Florida Project, throws light on those living in dire poverty in the shadow of Cinderella’s castle in Orlando. The film underscores the social divide in America through the eyes and lives of children. The film …
your ad hereChina Set to Spend Billions on ‘One Belt One Road,’ But Some Want Focus on Poverty
Running 1,300 kilometers over the world’s highest mountain pass, the “Friendship,” or Karakoram, Highway is evidence of China’s willingness to spend big as a contributor to global development. Costing tens of billions of dollars, the road links western China with Pakistan, part of Beijing’s “One Belt One Road” Initiative, which …
your ad hereWearable Air Filter Combats Pollution
Environmental pollution, from filthy air to contaminated water, kills at least 9 million people a year, according to a new study published by the medical journal The Lancet. Two entrepreneurs from Georgia have invented a wearable filter they say can produce clean, fresh air. Faith Lapidus reports. …
your ad hereAn America of Poverty Subsists Alongside the Glitter of Disney World
Millions of children the world over dream of visiting Disney World. But Sean Baker’s heartbreaking film “The Florida Project,” throws light on those living in dire poverty in the shadow of Cinderella’s castle in Orlando. The film underscores the social divide in America through the eyes and lives of children. …
your ad hereMore Allegations Leveled Against Disgraced Movie Producer Weinstein
Another actress has accused U.S. movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexually assaulting her, the latest of some 40 women who have alleged sexual harassment and assault spanning decades. Former actress Heather Kerr told a news conference Friday that Weinstein attacked her during a private meeting in 1989 when she was …
your ad hereG-7 Backs Internet Industry Effort to Detect, Blunt Extremism
The Group of Seven industrialized nations threw their support behind a new technology industry alliance aimed at detecting and blunting online propaganda, saying Friday it had a “major role” to play in combating extremism on the internet. G-7 interior ministers meeting in Italy invited representatives from Google, Microsoft, Facebook and …
your ad hereSouth Sudan Opens Its First Kidney Hospital
President Salva Kiir opened South Sudan’s first-ever kidney hospital Thursday in Juba, calling it a breakthrough for the country’s medical care. The facility — a welcome positive sign in conflict-torn South Sudan — is to provide free services to all kidney patients in the country, including foreigners who have been …
your ad herePhilippines Faces More Transit Strikes Ahead of Year-end Reform Deadline
A mass transit strike in the Philippines this week risks more disruptive collective action unless drivers and the government settle differences over costly upgrades to an aging yet iconic vehicle fleet, analysts say. Thousands of drivers and operators of “jeepneys” went on strike Monday and Tuesday. The government called for …
your ad hereMalaria Outbreak Kills 4 at Kenyan Refugee Camp
A malaria outbreak has killed at least four people at a refugee camp in northwestern Kenya, according to local residents and health officials. Hundreds of people have come down with the infectious disease at the Kalobeyei refugee complex in Kenya’s Turkana County. “Already four to six people have died due …
your ad herePolitical Uncertainty Slows Down Kenya’s Economic Growth
Kenya’s economy is expected to grow next year by 5 percent, down from a projected 6 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund. The slowdown is largely blamed on the political uncertainties related to the re-run presidential election scheduled for October 26. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Kisumu, an opposition stronghold …
your ad herePneumonic Plague Continues to Spread Rapidly in Madagascar
The World Health Organization reports pneumonic plague is continuing to spread at an alarming rate in urban areas of Madagascar and greater effort is needed to bring this deadly disease under control. Latest figures put the number of suspected cases at 1,153, including 94 deaths. Health agencies are worried at …
your ad hereSpacewalking Astronauts Replace Blurry Camera on Robot Arm
Astronauts went spacewalking Friday to provide some necessary focus to the International Space Station’s robot arm. The main job for commander Randy Bresnik and teacher-turned-astronaut Joe Acaba was to replace a blurry camera on the new robotic hand that was installed during a spacewalk two weeks ago. The two men …
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