There’s little doubt that virtual reality is likely to be the future of video gaming. Now, a Russian company in Moscow is pushing the limits of the technology with a game changing VR experience. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad hereUS Auto Parts Firms Urge NAFTA Compromise to Cover Engineering Work
A trade group representing U.S. auto parts makers on Monday urged the Trump administration to adopt NAFTA automotive rules that cover research, engineering, design and software development work as part of North American regional value content goals. The proposal from the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) was sent to …
your ad hereChina Invites Latin America to Take Part in ‘One Belt, One Road’
China invited Latin American and Caribbean countries to join its “One Belt, One Road” initiative on Monday, as part of an agreement to deepen economic and political cooperation in a region where U.S. influence is historically strong. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the region was a natural fit for …
your ad hereAfter 90-year Wait, Minnie Mouse Gets Her Hollywood Moment
She waited 90 years and saw a trail of men and Disney princesses get there before her, but on Monday Minnie Mouse finally got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Minnie Mouse made her movie debut in the 1928 film “Steamboat Willie,” and her co-star and beau Mickey …
your ad hereNeil Diamond Retires From Touring, Says He Has Parkinson’s Disease
U.S. singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, one of pop music’s all-time best-selling artists, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and plans to retire from touring, his official website said on Monday. The onset of the disease has made it difficult for him to travel and perform on a large-scale, a statement on …
your ad here‘Hobbit’ Director Peter Jackson Making WWI Documentary
“The Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson is going from Middle Earth to the Western Front, transforming grainy black-and-white footage of World War I into 3-D color for a new documentary film. Jackson’s movie, announced Monday, is among dozens of artworks commissioned by British cultural bodies to commemorate …
your ad hereSocial Media Has Mixed Effect on Democracies, Says Facebook
Facebook took a hard look in the mirror with a post Monday questioning the impact of social media on democracies worldwide and saying it has a “moral duty” to understand how it is being used. Over the past 18 months, the company has faced growing criticism for its limited understanding …
your ad hereWHO: Brazil’s Death Toll From Yellow Fever Triples
The number of confirmed cases of yellow fever outbreak in Brazil has tripled in recent weeks, with 20 deaths since July, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. Of 35 confirmed cases, 20 were in Sao Paulo state, which includes South America’s largest city, Sao Paulo. Earlier this month, …
your ad hereEU Mulls New Link Between Budget, Civic Rights
The EU’s justice commissioner is working on a proposal that could oblige member states such as Poland, which has clashed with Brussels over reforms to its courts, to pass tests on the independence of their judicial systems before receiving funding. Vera Jourova said there was agreement within the executive European …
your ad hereILO: Global Unemployment Rate Stabilizing
The global unemployment rate is stabilizing after years in a slump due to a faltering economy, the International Labor Organization reports in “World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2018.” However, unemployment — which the ILO says stands at more than 192 million people globally — is expected remain persistently high …
your ad hereNAFTA’s Fate Uncertain Ahead of Montreal Round of Talks
The NAFTA trade agreement’s future hangs in the balance this week as negotiators from the United States, Canada and Mexico try to settle major differences over revamping a pact that President Donald Trump has threatened to abandon. Senior officials from the three nations will meet in Montreal for a week …
your ad hereCate Blanchett, Elton John, Shah Rukh Khan Receive Davos Human Rights Awards
Film star Cate Blanchett, singer-songwriter Elton John and Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan received awards at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday for their work raising awareness about human rights issues. Blanchett, an Australian, received a Crystal Award for her work with people who have fled their homes. …
your ad herePuerto Rico Moves to Privatize Troubled Power Company
Puerto Rico’s governor announced Monday that he is moving to privatize the U.S. territory’s public power company after its slow, troubled recovery from Hurricane Maria focused new attention on longstanding accusations of mismanagement and corruption. Nearly 30 percent of customers on this island of 3 million people remain without power …
your ad hereBill Cosby Tells Stories at Club in 1st Show Since 2015
Bill Cosby has performed in public for the first time since a sex abuse scandal embroiled him in 2015, telling stories and honoring old friends in his hometown on Monday as a retrial looms in his criminal sexual assault case. The 80-year-old entertainer took the stage Monday night at …
your ad hereHeat-not-burn Cigarette Alternative Faces US Scrutiny
A device that heats tobacco without burning it reduces some of the harmful chemicals in traditional cigarettes, but government scientists say it’s unclear if that translates into lower rates of disease for smokers who switch. U.S. regulators published a mixed review Monday of the closely watched cigarette alternative from Philip …
your ad hereTrump Slaps Stiff Taxes on Imported Solar Cells, Washing Machines
President Donald Trump imposed stiff tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines Monday, aiming to protect U.S. manufacturers. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office made the recommendation to the president for the tariffs. It said the independent U.S. International Trade Commission found that such imports were a “substantial cause of …
your ad hereFrance Makes a New Push to Tempt Bankers to Paris Post-Brexit
France’s prime minister on Monday renewed a push to tempt bankers to Paris after Britain leaves the European Union by pledging to temporarily exempt expats from paying into state pension schemes and making more places available in bilingual schools. France has already announced measures to cut labor costs to make …
your ad hereAmazon Opens Store With No Cashiers, Lines or Registers
No cashiers, no lines, no registers — this is how Amazon sees the future of in-store shopping. The online retailer opened its Amazon Go concept store to the public Monday, selling milk, potato chips and other items typically found at a convenience shop. Amazon employees have been testing the store, …
your ad hereFacebook Should Pay ‘Trusted’ News Publishers Carriage Fee: Murdoch
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch on Monday called on Facebook to pay “trusted” news publishers a carriage fee, similar to the model used by cable companies, amid efforts by the social media company to fight misinformation on its platform. “Facebook and Google have popularized scurrilous news sources through algorithms that are …
your ad hereBlood Test to Detect 8 Cancers Early Gives Promising Results
Scientists are reporting progress on a blood test to detect many types of cancer at an early stage, including some of the most deadly ones that lack screening tools now. Many groups are working on liquid biopsy tests, which look for DNA and other things that tumors shed into blood, …
your ad hereThree USA Gymnastics Board Members Resign in Wake of Sex Abuse Scandal
Three USA Gymnastics board members resigned on Monday in the wake of its former team physician sexually abusing female gymnasts, a step the organization said would support its reform efforts. USA Gymnastics has been criticized by several of the sport’s top gymnasts during the sentencing hearing of former team doctor …
your ad hereJesmyn Ward, Masha Gessen Among Nominees for Book Critics Awards
Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing, winner of the National Book Award for fiction, is now a nominee for the National Book Critics Circle prize. Other finalists announced Monday include Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West for fiction, Roxane Gay’s Hunger for autobiography and Masha Gessen’s The Future is History, winner of the …
your ad hereWHO Chief Calls for Universal Health Care
The World Health Organization’s director general is calling on the agency’s 192 member states to adopt universal health care as the best way of guaranteeing health for all. This is the first time Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has addressed the 34-member executive board since assuming his post in July as the …
your ad hereKid Rock Donates Merchandise Money for Voter Registration
Kid Rock has donated about $122,000 from sales of merchandise promoting his potential U.S. Senate campaign to a voter-registration organization. The Detroit-area rocker, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, teased the public for months. At a September concert, he was introduced as Michigan’s “next senator.” In October, he confirmed …
your ad hereCrows ‘Hooked’ on Fast Food
Some New Caledonian crows craft hooked tools out of branched twigs, and Scottish biologists have discovered why – the birds can extract food from cracks and crevises several times faster than by using straight twigs. “It is a painstaking sequence of behaviors,” explains Professor James St. Clair, from the University …
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