On the last day of the calendar year, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” has surpassed “Beauty and the Beast” as the top grossing film in North America in 2017. It also topped the charts for the weekend for the third time, but just barely – Dwayne Johnson’s “Jumanji: Welcome to …
your ad hereMistrust Remains Two Years After Poisoned Water Crisis
Two years after a state of emergency was declared in Flint, Michigan because of lead-poisoned water, residents have been assured their water is now safe. But residents are wary even though these assurances come from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. VOA’s Anush Avetisyan visited Flint and spoke to residents …
your ad hereLibrary of Congress Will No Longer Collect Every Tweet Created
The U.S. Library of Congress says it will no longer collect every single tweet published on Twitter as it has been doing for the past 12 years. The library said this week that it can no longer collect everything across the entire social media platform because of recent changes Twitter …
your ad hereA 19th-century Arcade Game Is Hot in 21st Century
It’s not an Olympic sport, at least not yet, but pinball has a growing body of top-level athletes, and a growing number of international competitions. Faith Lapidus reports. …
your ad hereUsing Simple Electric Currents to Clean Dirty Water
The World Health Organization estimates more than 800,000 people around the world die every year because of unsafe drinking water. But researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology may have figured out a simple and inexpensive way to clean the world’s dirtiest water. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad hereDisasters Pounded North America in 2017 but Were Down Globally
North America couldn’t catch a break in 2017. Parts of the United States were on fire, underwater or lashed by hurricane winds. Mexico shook with back-to-back earthquakes. The Caribbean got hit with a string of hurricanes. The rest of the world, however, fared better. Preliminary research shows there were fewer …
your ad hereAnnual NYC Taxi Driver Calendar Is Out: Meet Mr. December!
Readying for his first television interview, Alex Wang gazes at his reflection in the back window of his yellow cab. Wiping his windswept mane behind the ear, he adjusts his red Shanghai Tang jacket and takes a swig of steaming tea. “Ahh,” he pauses emphatically, “warms your whole body.” Wang …
your ad hereIs It Hot in Here, or Is It New York’s 2018 Taxicab Models?
The New York City Taxi Drivers Calendar began as a tongue-in-cheek alternative to the famous chisel-chested firefighter pin-up, while benefiting a nonprofit that serves immigrant and low-income families. Now in its fifth year, the creators of the parody calendar are out with their 2018 edition, and it may be their …
your ad hereBeatles’ Ringo Starr Knighted in UK Honors List
Ex-Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has been knighted in Queen Elizabeth’s New Year’s honors list, along with Bee Gees singer Barry Gibb and author Michael Morpurgo, while ballet dancer Darcey Bussell becomes a dame. Ringo, 77, real name Richard Starkey, joined the Beatles as a replacement drummer for Pete Best in …
your ad hereTrump Dismisses Last of His HIV/AIDS Advisory Council
The Trump administration has fired the remaining members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, also known as PACHA. Council members received a letter this week saying that their appointments to the panel were terminated, “effective immediately,” according to a report in The Washington Post. PACHA was established in 1995, …
your ad hereIn Memoriam: Entertainers, Literary Giants Who Died in 2017
Some made us dance and filled our hearts with music, others made us dream with movies. While they are no longer with us, their work has touched many. From American and French music icons Chuck Berry and Johnny Hallyday to beloved American TV star Mary Tyler Moore to Chinese human …
your ad hereThe Biggest Consumer Electronics Show Opens in Two Weeks
January is almost here, and the world is bracing for the unofficial opening of this year’s race for the hearts, minds and pockets of tech enthusiasts. The international Consumer Electronics Show, CES for short, is the venue where technology manufacturers, from giants to startups, show their products, hoping they will …
your ad hereA Crystal Ball of Serenity for the New Year
It’s called the Crossroads of the World. New York City’s Times Square is the location for one of the biggest parties of the year, marked by the dramatic descent of a crystal ball on a huge pole, from high above a crowd of about a million people celebrating New Year’s …
your ad hereWall Street Ends Strong Year on Quiet Note
There were no fireworks on Wall Street for the last trading day of the year, as U.S. stocks closed out their best year since 2013 on a down note, with losses in technology and financial stocks keeping equities in negative territory for the session. Major indexes hit a series of …
your ad hereRussia Reports Virulent H5N2 Bird Flu at 660,000-bird Farm
Russia has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2 bird flu on a farm in the central region of Kostromskaya Oblast that led to the deaths of more than 660,000 birds, the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said Friday. The virus killed more than 44,000 birds in an …
your ad hereMystery Writer Grafton Dies in California
Mystery writer Sue Grafton has died in Santa Barbara, California. She was 77. Her daughter, Jamie Clark, posted news of her mother’s death on Grafton’s web page Friday. She says her mother passed away Thursday night after a two-year battle with cancer and was surrounded by family, including Grafton’s husband, …
your ad hereCambodia Filmmakers Face ‘Taxing’ Times
The launch of Angelina’s Jolie’s Khmer language feature “First They Killed My Father” promised to deliver a much needed shot of exposure and enthusiasm into the arm of Cambodia’s emergent film industry. Instead of using the spotlight to springboard their productions though, leading Cambodian filmmakers are fearing a proposed tax …
your ad hereFacebook, Twitter Threatened With Sanctions in Britain
Social media giants Facebook and Twitter could face sanctions in Britain if they fail to be more forthcoming in providing details about Russian disinformation campaigns that used their platforms in the run-up to last year’s Brexit referendum, the chairman of a British parliamentary inquiry committee warned. The companies have been …
your ad hereBeijing May Be Starting to Win Its Battle Against Smog
Beijing may have turned a corner in its battle against the city’s notorious smog, according to Reuters calculations, and environmental consultants say the Chinese government deserves much of the credit for introducing tough anti-pollution measures. The Chinese capital is set to record its biggest improvement in air quality in at …
your ad hereBrands Map ‘Invisible’ Shoemakers in South India
When the 55-year-old woman stood up to speak at a meeting of shoemakers in south India earlier this month, she was seeing her employers for the first time. She told them about the decades she had spent hunched up in her home, repeatedly pulling a needle through tough leather as …
your ad hereTrump Targets Amazon in Call for Postal Service to Hike Prices
President Donald Trump returned to a favorite target Friday, saying that the U.S. Postal Service should charge Amazon.com more money to ship the millions of packages it sends around the world each year. Amazon has been a consistent recipient of Trump’s ire. He has accused the company of failing …
your ad hereNew Robot Teaches Autistic Adults to Navigate Office Politics
Autism is on the rise in many developed countries, and the reasons why are still unclear. But more autistic children mean that, one day, more autistic adults will be entering the workforce. A new robot is trying to help these workers navigate the emotional elements on the job. VOA’s Bronwyn …
your ad hereTeen from Ghana Becomes First Black Woman on US Olympic Speedskating Team
Maame Biney, a 17-year-old from Ghana, will be the first African-American woman to represent the U.S. on the speedskating short track team at the 2018 Winter Olympics Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February. VOA’s Salem Solomon visited her where she first started skating in a local ice rink in …
your ad herePhotography Project Helps Fight Stereotypes of Africa
A new book just hit the bookstores in Europe and the U.S. that tries to show life in Africa beyond the stereotypes and misconceptions infused in Western media. Africa 54’s Zoe Leoudaki has the details …
your ad hereFloral Art Welcomes Visitors to the Met Museum
The drawings and paintings on the walls and sculptures on display are not the only art to see at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Floral arrangements are designed to complement the exhibits and time of season. VOA Russian Service reporter Elena Wolf takes us behind the scenes at the …
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