Astronomers say a new instrument, now being tested on one of the telescopes in Chile’s Atacama desert, will greatly enhance their ability to search for earthlike planets. VOA’s George Putic has more. …
your ad hereExperts: More Stock Volatility Ahead, but No Reason to Panic
It’s been a tough week on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial average closed more than 300 points higher Friday, after plunging more than 1,000 points the day before, the second steepest decline in history. The biggest dive happened Monday when the blue chip index fell more than 1,100 points. …
your ad hereRide-Sharing Uber and Self-Driving Car Firm Waymo Settle Legal Battle
Ride-sharing giant Uber and the self-driving car company Waymo have agreed to settle their legal battle over allegedly stolen trade secrets. The surprise agreement Friday came as lawyers for the companies prepared to wrap up the first week of the case’s jury trial in San Francisco, California. As part of …
your ad hereRussians Held for ‘Mining Bitcoin’ At Top Nuclear Lab
Engineers at Russia’s top nuclear research facility have been detained after they attempted to mine bitcoin on its computers, Russian news agencies reported Friday. Several employees at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center in the city of Sarov have been detained after making “an attempt to use the work computing facilities …
your ad hereYouTube Suspends Ads From Video Star Logan Paul’s Channels
YouTube has temporarily suspended all ads from video star Logan Paul’s channels after what it calls a pattern of behavior unsuitable for advertisers. In an emailed statement, YouTube said that the videos on Paul’s channels are also “broadly damaging to the broader creator community.” Last month, Paul posted video of …
your ad hereTop 5 Songs for Week Ending Feb. 10
We’re soaring with the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending February 10, 2018. This is a rare week. Not only do we get a new No. 1 single, it’s also the Hot Shot Debut. Number 5: Bruno Mars Featuring Cardi …
your ad hereUS Stocks Slump After Opening Higher in Last Trading Session of Turbulent Week
U.S. stocks slumped Friday afternoon after opening higher in the last trading session of a turbulent week in which the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index plunged into correction territory for the first time in two years. The Dow, the more broad-based S&P 500 and …
your ad hereAfrican Nations Make History with Winter Olympic Competitors
The 2018 Winter Olympic Games have officially begun in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with a spectacular light show and the traditional parade of athletes entering the Olympic stadium. This year, Nigeria has its first team in the Winter Games — a women’s bobsled team. They’ll be hurtling down the ice at …
your ad hereKenya’s Flower Producers Eye US Market
Kenya’s cut-flower industry has blossomed since the 1980s, and now holds the biggest market share for exports to Europe. Kenya’s flower producers are hoping direct flights set to open between Nairobi and New York City could help them put down roots in a new market — the United States. On …
your ad hereOlympic Gymnast Simone Biles Takes On New Role: College Student
World champion and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles has 19 medals to her name, but there’s one accolade that’s been out of her reach. Until now. VOA’s Tina Trinh met with the all-star gymnast to discuss her next big goal. …
your ad hereBritain Targets Global Corruption With Law to Seize Unexplained Wealth
Politicians and public figures suspected of buying property with corrupt money will be forced to explain their wealth, or face the seizure of their assets under new legislation that has come into force in Britain this month. As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, the so-called Unexplained Wealth Orders have been …
your ad hereEye Contact Between Adults, Babies Synchronizes Brainwaves
When two people see things the same way, it is often said that they are “operating on the same wavelength.” That concept recently got a scientific stamp of approval when researchers at the University of Cambridge found that adults’ and infants’ brainwaves synchronize when they look at each other’s eyes …
your ad herePlant Breeding for a Better, Less Bitter Seed
Mustard seeds are a great source of protein, but they taste horrible. Now a group of geneticists is working to breed a better seed without the bitter taste that is also resistant to drought and disease. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad here16 Years Later: Salt Lake City’s Olympic Legacy
Salt Lake City, Utah, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002, is considering making a bid for the Winter Games in 2026 or 2030. Rafael Saakov from VOA’s Russian Service recently visited the Salt Lake City venues to see what they look like 16 years after the Olympics. …
your ad hereCalifornians to Trump: ‘We Will Fight’ Offshore Drilling
Commissions that oversee coastal lands and water pushed the Trump administration to leave California out of plans to expand offshore drilling, saying the state will throw up any barriers possible to prevent pumping and transportation of oil. The warning came weeks after Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he wants to …
your ad hereStudy: Therapy in Virtual Reality Seems to Ease Paranoia in Psychotics
Virtual-reality-based therapy combined with standard treatment reduced paranoia and anxiety in people with psychotic disorders, scientists reported Friday. In clinical trials involving 116 patients in the Netherlands, virtual reality exercises led to less fraught social interactions, a team wrote in The Lancet Psychiatry. More research is needed to confirm the …
your ad hereTrudeau Pitches Canadian Globalism to California Tech Firms
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday pitched Canadian globalism and the country’s new fast-track visa as reasons why Silicon Valley companies should consider Canada as a place to do business and spend money. Trudeau brought his charm offensive to the San Francisco Bay Area amid increasing unease over U.S. …
your ad hereBacteria-Infected Mosquitoes Might Be Good Thing for Miami
Mosquitoes are a year-round downside to living in subtropical Miami, but millions of bacteria-infected mosquitoes flying in a suburban neighborhood are being hailed as an innovation that may kill off more bugs that spread Zika and other viruses. Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control and Habitat Management Division is releasing non-biting male …
your ad hereRomanian Study: Half-Day-Old Snow Is Safe to Eat
How safe is it to eat snow? A Romanian university study says it depends upon how fresh it is. A 2017 experiment showed it was safe to eat snow that was a half-day old, and safer to eat it in the colder months. But by two days old, the snow …
your ad hereUS Stocks Fall on Concern of Rising Rates, Inflation
U.S. stocks tumbled again Thursday as investors continued to fret about the possibility of rising inflation and higher interest rates. For the second time in four days, the Dow Jones industrial average sank more than 1,000 points, or 4.2 percent, to end Thursday day at 23,860. The Standard and Poor’s …
your ad hereSouth Sudan Declares End to Cholera Epidemic
South Sudan has officially declared an end to the country’s cholera epidemic, which erupted more than 18 months ago, infecting more than 20,000 people and killing 436. World Health Organization and health ministry officials announced the end of the outbreak at a news conference Wednesday in Juba. The outbreak, the …
your ad hereUS Agriculture Department Takes on Invasive Species
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced $17.5 million in emergency funding to fight the spread of the spotted lanternfly in Pennsylvania. The invasive species was first spotted in District Township in 2014. It has since spread to 12 counties and threatens the state’s $18 billion grape, orchard and logging …
your ad hereMars on Earth: Simulation Tests in Remote Desert of Oman
Two scientists in spacesuits, stark white against the auburn terrain of desolate plains and dunes, test a geo-radar built to map Mars by dragging the flat box across the rocky sand. When the geo-radar stops working, the two walk back to their all-terrain vehicles and radio colleagues at their …
your ad hereTwitter Turns First Profit, But Problems Remain
Twitter says it had first quarterly profit in history and returned to revenue growth in the fourth quarter. Its stock increased in pre-market trading Thursday. Though the results beat Wall Street’s cautious expectations, they don’t solve the company’s broader problems. It’s been dealing with abuse, fake accounts …
your ad hereIt’ll be Lights Out at Statue of Liberty for Electrical Work
It will be lights out on part of the Statue of Liberty as work is done on the monument’s electrical system. The National Park Service says the lights that illuminate the exterior of the statue will be turned off Thursday night. But the lights on the statue’s torch, crown …
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