Officials in the Philippines, one of Asia’s fastest growing economies, are planning a series of economic stimulus measures in 2018 to ease poverty and compensate for a lag in foreign investment. Manila is building $169 billion in infrastructure, such as railways and an airport terminal, while toying with legal changes …
your ad hereTrump Administration Rescinds Rules for Drilling on Public Land
President Donald Trump’s administration is rescinding proposed rules for hydraulic fracturing and other oil- and gas-drilling practices on government lands, government officials announced Thursday. The rules developed under President Barack Obama would have applied mainly in the West, where most federal lands are located. Companies would have had to disclose …
your ad hereActress Rose Marie of ‘Dick Van Dyke Show’ Fame Dies at 94
Actress and comedienne Rose Marie, who grew up from a child superstar to become a television comedy legend, died Thursday in Hollywood at 94. She spent her entire life as a star, and was one of the last surviving entertainers whose career spanned all media — vaudeville, records, movies, Broadway, …
your ad hereWHO to Recognize Gaming Disorder as Health Issue
The World Health Organization is set to recognize gaming disorder as a serious mental health issue. In its 11th revision of the International Classification of Disease, a diagnostic manual to be published next year, the U.N. health agency defines gaming disorder as a “persistent or recurrent” problem that can cause …
your ad hereApple Apologizes After Outcry Over Slowed iPhones
Facing lawsuits and consumer outrage after it said it slowed older iPhones with flagging batteries, Apple Inc is slashing prices for battery replacements and will change its software to show users whether their phone battery is good. In a posting on its website Thursday, Apple apologized over its handling of …
your ad hereDOJ Charges 2 Romanians With Hacking of DC Police Surveillance Cameras
The Justice Department on Thursday unsealed details of its case against two Romanians who allegedly hacked computers tied to Washington, D.C., police surveillance cameras. Police in Bucharest arrested Mihai Alexandru Isvanca and Eveline Cismaru on December 15. U.S. attorneys have charged them with conspiracy to commit computer and wire fraud. …
your ad hereIn a Milestone Year, Gene Therapy Finds a Place in Medicine
After decades of hope and high promise, this was the year scientists really showed they could doctor DNA to successfully treat diseases. Gene therapies to treat cancer and even pull off the biblical-sounding feat of helping the blind to see were approved by U.S. regulators, establishing gene manipulation as a …
your ad hereWith Lineup Widening, Apple Depends Less on iPhone X
In years past, demand for Apple Inc.’s latest flagship phone was critical to the company’s results over the holiday shopping quarter. That dynamic might be changing, however, as Apple’s widening lineup of devices and services more than makes up for any tepidness in demand this quarter for its lead product, the $999 iPhone X. On …
your ad hereFailed Space Launches Haunt Russia; Kremlin Eyes Probe
Russia’s latest space launch failures have prompted authorities to take a closer look into the nation’s struggling space industry, the Kremlin said Thursday. A Russian weather satellite and nearly 20 micro-satellites from other nations were lost following a failed launch from Russia’s new cosmodrome in the Far East on November …
your ad hereExhibit Explores the History of China’s First Emperor
The discovery in China of an underground army of nearly 8,000 life-size terracotta soldiers is considered one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century. More than four decades after they were first seen in modern times, by farmers in Shaanxi province, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has …
your ad hereAs Online Shopping Grows, UPS Sees Record Holiday Package Returns
United Parcel Service Inc is on track to return a record number of packages this holiday shipping season, a sign that e-commerce purchases surged to new heights over the past month. The world’s largest package delivery company and rival FedEx Corp get paid by retailers like Amazon.com Inc and Wal-Mart …
your ad hereLackluster Year of Space Exploration
While the attention of much of the world was occupied with earthly happenings, space scientists had some notable achievements during the past year, ranging from new projects to the spectacular end of at least one program. VOA’s George Putic reviews the highlights of the year in space. …
your ad hereRehab Center Provides Second Chance to Critically Wounded Soldiers
Rehabilitation centers give critically wounded soldiers a second chance at life. Paraplegics and quadriplegics spend their days together in an environment built to aid them in self-reliance. Arash Arabasadi reports on one such facility. …
your ad hereAirbus Reportedly Ready to Ax A380 If It Fails to Win Emirates Deal
Airbus is drawing up contingency plans to phase out production of the world’s largest jetliner, the A380 superjumbo, if it fails to win a key order from Dubai’s Emirates, three people familiar with the matter said. The moment of truth for the slow-selling airliner looms after just 10 years in …
your ad hereRussia Says Programming Error Caused Failure of Satellite Launch
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday that the failed launch of a 2.6 billion-ruble ($44.95 million) satellite last month was due to an embarrassing programming error. Russian space agency Roscosmos said last month that it had lost contact with the newly launched weather satellite — the Meteor-M — after it blasted off from …
your ad hereThe Silver Lining of Disasters in Fiji? Improving Lives of Women
When Cyclone Winston pummeled through Fiji last year, the largest storm recorded in the southern hemisphere, Sofia Talei’s taro and cassava crops were destroyed, leaving her livelihood as a farmer uncertain. “I was so desperate. All the effort we put into it was destroyed after a few hours,” Talei, 33, …
your ad hereChinese Crew Joins Famous Race from Sydney to Hobart
On Sydney’s glittering harbor, the Chinese have been on a mission to conquer the world of sailing. With an average age of 24, the crew onboard the yacht De Rucci includes professional athletes and former members of China’s special forces. They have been here training and competing for weeks in …
your ad hereFishermen in Mexico Shoot Down Environmental Group’s Drone
The environmental group Sea Shepherd said fishermen fired 25 shots at one of its night-vision drones in Mexico’s Gulf of California, bringing it down. Various drones have been employed to patrol the Gulf, also known as the Sea of Cortez, to combat illegal fishing and save the critically endangered vaquita …
your ad hereReview: ‘Phantom Thread’ Spins a Rich Showcase for Day-Lewis
With echoes of Rebecca and lavish Max Ophuls productions, writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson spins the tale of an obsessive fashion designer and his muse into a suspenseful and often funny parlor drama with all the trimmings in Phantom Thread. Anderson is revered for his grand stage meditations on …
your ad hereRussian Ballet Dancers Battle Brutal Training, Gender Stereotyping for Success
Russian ballet and its dancers are famous the world over and inspire many Russians to pursue a career in the classical dance. But to break into ballet, dancers have to struggle through a brutal training regime and gender stereotypes. VOA Moscow videographer Ricardo Marquina Montanana talked to an aspiring ballerina …
your ad hereHomelessness to Digital IDs: Five Property Rights Hotspots in 2018
The global fight over land and resources is getting increasingly bloody and the race for control of valuable assets is expanding from forests and indigenous territories to the seas, space and databanks. Here are five hotspots for property rights in 2018: Rising violence: From Peru to the Philippines, land rights …
your ad hereGene Editing Promises Cures for Genetic Disorders
There’s a good chance that 2017 will go down in the history of medicine as a year when genetic engineering finally started moving from research labs to clinics. Several successful stories coming from different parts of the world promise that hereditary diseases and cancers may soon be conquered. VOA’s George …
your ad hereSocial Media is Changing the Way Restaurants Cater to Customers
In this digital age, meals are now shared over the internet. With social media users looking for dishes that are both ready to snap and to eat, restaurateurs across the globe are taking advantage, styling their creations to be camera ready. VOA’s Jesusemen Oni has more. …
your ad hereMilitary Moves Toward Autonomous Aircraft
When it comes to autonomous vehicles, putting them in the relatively open skies may be easier than putting them on crowded roads. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports on how one branch of the military is investigating the use of autonomous helicopters. …
your ad hereVenezuelans Scramble to Survive as Merchants Demand Dollars
There was no way Jose Ramon Garcia, a food transporter in Venezuela, could afford new tires for his van at $350 each. Whether he opted to pay in U.S. currency or in the devalued local bolivar currency at the equivalent black market price, Garcia would have had to save up …
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