Dmitri Hvorostovsky, the Russian baritone known for his velvety voice, dashing looks and shock of flowing white hair, died Wednesday at a hospice near his home in London, a few years after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was 55. Called “the Elvis of opera” and the “Siberian …
your ad hereHollywood Spotlights Racial Tensions in America
America’s history of racial inequality and civil rights activism are prevalent themes in Hollywood films this season. Using gritty cinematography and A-list actors, directors Kathryn Bigelow, George Clooney and Dan Gilroy highlight America’s history of racial injustice, as well as opening up a conversation about racial tensions in the present. …
your ad herePoll: 1 in 3 Americans Dreads Political Talk at Thanksgiving
Bring on the turkey — but maybe hold the politics. Thanksgiving is Glenn Rogers’ favorite holiday, when people gather around the table and talk about things to celebrate from the past year. But Donald Trump’s presidency isn’t something everyone in the Rogers family is toasting. “For the most part, we …
your ad hereReview: Engelbert Humperdinck Defies Time, Age on New Album
There’s hardly a false note on Engelbert Humperdinck’s “The Man I Want to Be” (OK! Good Records). No rapping, no clumsy evidence of Auto-Tune, no heavy-handed attempts to sound hip and no screaming guitar solos. Instead, 50 years after his first hits and closing in on his 82nd birthday, Humperdinck …
your ad hereDisney Star Jordan Fisher Wins ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Disney Channel star Jordan Fisher has been crowned the winner of “Dancing with the Stars” alongside partner Lindsay Arnold. Fisher beat out violinist Lindsey Stirling and actor Frankie Muniz for the Mirrorball Trophy on the season 25 finale of the ABC reality competition Tuesday. Fisher paid tribute to Arnold on …
your ad hereNigeria Oil Spills Double Risk of Infant Mortality, Research Shows
Babies are much more likely to die in their first few weeks of life if their mothers live close to the site of an oil spill, according to new research. Scientists studied data on infant mortality and oil spills in Nigeria’s Niger delta region – and describe their results as …
your ad hereErykah Badu Offers `Soul Therapy’ Ahead of Soul Train Awards
Erykah Badu is offering what she calls “soul therapy” ahead of Sunday’s Soul Train Awards. The singer-songwriter transformed a West Hollywood hotel room into an intimate spiritual classroom for a small group of reporters this week to give an introductory lesson on chakras. Badu explained the Eastern concept of whirling …
your ad hereUber Reveals Cover-up of Hack Affecting 57M Riders, Drivers
Uber is coming clean about its cover-up of a year-old hacking attack that stole personal information about more than 57 million of the beleaguered ride-hailing service’s customers and drivers. So far, there’s no evidence that the data taken has been misused, according to a Tuesday blog post by Uber’s recently …
your ad hereKenyan Fashion Designers Struggle to Grow Business
The fashion and textile industry could generate nearly half a million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa over the next decade. That’s according to the African Development Bank, which launched its “Fashionomics” initiative in 2015 to revitalize the industry. However, designers in the region still struggle to grow their businesses. Lenny Ruvaga …
your ad hereIraq, GE Sign $400 Million Deal for Power Infrastructure
Iraq and General Electric have signed a deal to develop Iraq’s power infrastructure, which would help bring much-needed electricity to areas facing significant shortages across the country. GE says in a statement released Wednesday that the more than $400 million contract will help building 14 electric substations and supply critical …
your ad here‘Souper-Hero’ Serves Seasonal Soup with Help from Family Farm
Each year in America, when summer ends and fall begins, it’s a safe bet you’ll find pumpkins and sweet potatoes flavoring everything from coffee to pie. It’s seasonal food that makes its way from farms to tables around the country from Thanksgiving to Christmas time. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports from …
your ad hereRobotic Fingers Get a Feel for the Real World
You can reach into your pocket and tell whether you’ve grabbed coins or keys, and now researchers in California have developed a robot with a similar level of tactile sensitivity. Faith Lapidus reports. …
your ad hereTeen Idol David Cassidy, ‘Partridge Family’ Star, Dies at 67
David Cassidy, the teen and pre-teen idol who starred in the 1970s sitcom “The Partridge Family” and sold millions of records as the musical group’s lead singer, died Tuesday at age 67. Cassidy, who announced earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with dementia, died surrounded by his family, …
your ad hereOlympic Champion Gabby Douglas Says Team Doctor Abused Her
Olympic champion gymnast Gabby Douglas says she is among the group of athletes sexually abused by a former team doctor. Douglas, the 2012 Olympic all-around champion and a three-time gold medalist, wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday night that she waited so long to reveal the abuse by Larry Nassar …
your ad hereUber CEO Says Company Failed to Disclose Massive Breach in 2016
Uber Technologies Inc failed to disclose a massive breach last year that exposed the data of some 57 million users of the ride-sharing service, the company’s new chief executive officer said on Tuesday. Discovery of the company’s handling of the incident led to the departure of two employees who led …
your ad hereCBS Fires Journalist Rose After Sex Abuse Allegations Surface
The CBS television network fired veteran newsman Charlie Rose on Tuesday, a day after an explosive Washington Post report recounted stories from eight women who said he had sexually abused them with lewd comments, groping and walking around naked in their presence. Rose, 75, was co-host of the network’s CBS …
your ad hereMiami Faces Future of Rising Seas
Sue Brogan’s street is barely above sea level on a good day. During autumn’s “king tides,” when the sun and moon align to create the highest tides of the year, Biscayne Bay backs up through storm drains and flows into Brogan’s street, in Miami’s low-lying Shorecrest neighborhood. Roads flood. The …
your ad hereVenezuela Arrests Top Citgo Executives
Venezuelan authorities arrested the acting president of Citgo, the U.S. subsidiary of state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), along with five other senior executives Tuesday for alleged corruption. Attorney General Tarek William Saab told a press conference that interim president Jose Pereira and other managers allegedly arranged contracts that put …
your ad hereReport: Weinstein Paid $1M to Accuser After 2015 Case Died
Harvey Weinstein paid $1 million to silence an Italian model who accused him of groping her in 2015 after prosecutors decided not to charge him, and in the 1990s, his brother paid other accusers from his personal bank account, a magazine reported Tuesday. Ambra Battilana Gutierrez told The New Yorker …
your ad hereUS Charges Iranian National With Hacking HBO Computer Systems
U.S. prosecutors charged an Iranian with hacking into computer systems of the cable TV channel HBO earlier this year, stealing information about the hit program “Game of Thrones” and attempting to extort millions of dollars from the company. In an indictment Tuesday, prosecutors said 29-year-old Behzad Mesri has had ties …
your ad hereFCC Chairman Sets Out to Repeal ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Tuesday followed through on his pledge to repeal 2015 regulations designed to ensure that internet service providers treat all online content and apps equally, setting up a showdown with consumer groups and internet companies who fear the move will stifle competition and innovation. …
your ad hereDefense Minister – Denmark to Ramp up Cybersecurity Efforts
Denmark intends to invest to boost efforts to prevent cyber attacks in a strategy to be presented early next year, its defense minister said on Tuesday. “We are going to spend more money in this area,” Claus Hjort Frederiksen told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Copenhagen, though …
your ad hereCambodia’s Major Food Source is Slowly Dying
Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake, which lies in the center of the country, is home to hundreds of species of fish that provide the Southeast Asian nation with up to 60 percent of its protein. But the lake’s rich fishery is at risk because of overfishing, pollution and hydroelectric dams. VOA’s …
your ad hereVirtual Reality As a Mental Health Tool
It is a simple, but startling, statistic: one in four people around the world will have a mental or neurological disorder at some point in their lives. But dealing with mental health issues is so much easier if they are caught early. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports that is the thinking …
your ad hereUS Sues to Stop AT&T’s Takeover of Time Warner
The U.S. Justice Department is suing to stop AT&T’s multi-billion dollar bid to take over another communications giant, Time Warner, calling it illegal and likening it to extortion. “The $108 billion acquisition would substantially lessen competition, resulting in higher prices and less innovation for millions of Americans,” a Justice Department …
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