Only days after the spectacular liftoff of what is currently the heaviest space rocket, the privately built Falcon Heavy, NASA announced the next launch will carry a specially built atomic clock. The new device, much smaller and sturdier than earth-bound atomic clocks, will help future astronauts navigate in deep space. …
your ad hereNorth Korean Ice Hockey Player Who Defected Lauds Effort of Joint Women’s Team
A North Korean women’s ice hockey player who defected in 1997 was flooded with memories of her tough sports training as she watched a team from North and South Korea skate through their Olympic matches earlier this month. Speaking with VOA Korea after the team’s fifth and final loss earlier …
your ad hereKeillor: Relationship With Accuser Simply ‘Romantic Writing’
Garrison Keillor described several sexually suggestive emails he exchanged with a former researcher who accused him of sexual misconduct as “romantic writing” that never resulted in a physical relationship, and the radio host rejected the idea that because he was her boss — and the driving force of a hugely …
your ad here‘Touch Me Not’ Wins Top Prize at Berlin Film Festival
Touch Me Not, a film about intimacy and sex that shocked some viewers with explicit scenes, won the Golden Bear prize for best film at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday. Romanian director Adina Pintilie said she had not expected to win the award for her film, which blurs reality and …
your ad hereFrench Farmers Heckle Macron at Agricultural Fair
President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday faced heckles and whistles from French farmers angry with reforms to their sector, as he arrived for France’s annual agricultural fair. For over 12 hours, Macron listened and responded to critics’ rebukes and questions — only to return home to the Elysee Palace with an adopted …
your ad hereSridevi, Famed Bollywood Actress, Dies at 54
Famed Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor, best known as Sridevi, died of a heart attack Saturday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a family member said. Sridevi was 54. She was known for her roles in the 1990s in Indian Hindi romantic drama films, including Chandni, Lamhe, as well as Mr. India and Nagina. She began working in films …
your ad hereInvestor Warren Buffett: Good Deals Hard to Find on Wall Street
Investor Warren Buffett says Wall Street’s lust for deals has prompted CEOs to act like oversexed teenagers and overpay for acquisitions, so it has been hard to find deals for Berkshire Hathaway. In his annual letter to shareholders Saturday, Buffett mixed investment advice with details of how Berkshire’s many businesses …
your ad hereNew Toys Help Cultivate Emotional Intelligence in Children
STEM toys, those that incorporate principles of science, technology, engineering and math, have garnered a lot of attention in recent years. Now, toy makers are addressing children’s social development and emotional intelligence with toys that not only cultivate their IQ but also their EQ or emotional quotient. VOA’s Tina Trinh …
your ad hereAustralia Failing to Curb Corruption, Global Survey Finds
Australia appears to be failing in its efforts to crack down on bribery, according to the latest survey conducted by Transparency International, a non-governmental organization based in Germany. The group said developed countries – including Australia – appeared to be lagging in their efforts to combat corruption in the public …
your ad hereMore US Companies End Marketing Programs With National Rifle Association
Three more companies say they have ended marketing programs with the National Rifle Association (NRA), as gun control advocates stepped up pressure on firms to cut ties to the gun industry following last week’s school shooting in Florida. Activists have posted petitions online, identifying businesses that offer discounts to NRA …
your ad hereUnlocking Secrets of a Sharp Mind at Old Age
There is no clear and easy way to tell when a person’s thinking process has peaked, but most scientists agree that intelligence starts slowly deteriorating somewhere around age 70. However, some individuals’ minds stay sharp well beyond that age and researchers would like to know why. VOA’s George Putic reports. …
your ad hereWine Tied to Healthier Arteries for Some Diabetics
Some diabetics with plaque buildup in their arteries might have less debris in these blood vessels after adding wine to their diets, a recent study suggests. For the study, researchers examined data on 224 people with type 2 diabetes who normally didn’t drink alcohol, but were randomly assigned to follow …
your ad hereAP Fact Check: Toughest Sanctions on North Korea Ever? Not Likely
The heaviest, the largest, the most impactful — those were the superlatives the Trump administration used to describe its latest sanctions against North Korea. But were the Treasury Department designations of more than 50 companies and ships accused of illicit trading with the pariah nation really the toughest action yet …
your ad hereUS Gymnasts Tell AP Sport Rife With Verbal, Emotional Abuse
They were little girls with dreams of Olympic gold when they started in gymnastics. Now they’re women with lifelong injuries, suffocating anxiety and debilitating eating disorders. They are the other victims of USA Gymnastics. Thirteen former U.S. gymnasts and three coaches interviewed by The Associated Press described a win-at-all-cost culture …
your ad hereWith Rates Still Low, Fed Officials Fret Over Next US Recession
Federal Reserve policymakers fretted on Friday that they could face the next U.S. recession with virtually the same arsenal of policies used in the last downturn and, with interest rates still relatively low, those will not pack the same punch. In the midst of an unprecedented leadership transition, Fed officials are publicly debating whether to scrap …
your ad hereEU Leaders Draw Up Battle Lines for Post-Brexit Budget
European Union leaders staked out opening positions Friday for a battle over EU budgets that many conceded they are unlikely to resolve before Britain leaves next year, blowing a hole in Brussels’ finances. At a summit to launch discussion on the size and shape of a seven-year budget package to …
your ad hereStocks Rally as Fed Eases Rate Worry, Tech Climbs
U.S. stocks rallied on Friday, lifted by gains in technology stocks and a retreat in Treasury yields as the Federal Reserve eased concerns about the path of interest rate hikes this year. The U.S. central bank, looking past the recent stock market sell-off and inflation concerns, said it expected economic …
your ad hereTop 5 Songs for Week Ending Feb. 24
We’re lifting off with the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending Feb. 24, 2018. Does our top song change this week? No. Do any songs change this week? No. So if you liked last week’s chart, you’ll love this one …
your ad hereConstruction Begins on Afghanistan Section of International Gas Pipeline
Leaders of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan and its arch rival India jointly inaugurated construction work Friday on the Afghan section of a long-delayed multibillion-dollar gas pipeline connecting the four nations, raising hopes for regional cooperation and peace. A ceremony took place in the ancient Afghan city of Herat, attended by President …
your ad hereSecond Russian Athlete Tests Positive for Doping at Olympics
A second Russian athlete has failed a doping test at the Pyeongchang Games, a day before the International Olympic Committee’s executive board is to decide whether to reinstate the country for Sunday’s closing ceremony. Russian Bobsled Federation president Alexander Zubkov told The Associated Press on Friday that a drug-test …
your ad herePolice: Actor Chevy Chase Kicked in Roadside Altercation in New York
New York State Police say actor and comedian Chevy Chase was kicked in the shoulder during an altercation with another driver. Police say the 74-year-old Chase was driving in South Nyack on February 9 when he was cut off in traffic by a 22-year-old Long Island man. Authorities say the …
your ad hereJessie Diggins Picked to Carry US Flag at Olympic Closing
Jessie Diggins has one more big Olympic moment awaiting her. Diggins — who thrust herself across the finish line to give the Americans a dazzling gold medal in the cross-country team sprint — has been selected as the U.S. flagbearer for Sunday night’s closing ceremony at the Pyeongchang Games. She’s …
your ad here‘Sooner, Faster, Now’ — the Companies Surfing the E-Commerce Wave
Amazon’s assault on the retail industry has brought misery to traditional retailers without a strong web presence. Less well noticed is the patchwork of European companies that are turning the e-commerce revolution to their advantage, supplying online giants with everything from forklift trucks and storage space to cardboard boxes and …
your ad hereDon’t Call Them ‘Garlic Girls’: South Korean Curlers Become Olympic Rock Stars
Forget Lindsey Vonn and Adam Rippon. The real rock stars of the Pyeongchang Olympics are a humble group of Korean curlers who have no idea they’ve become a global sensation. They are known as the “Garlic Girls,” the South Korean women’s curling team with the fairy-tale story whose moniker reflects …
your ad here‘Speed Breeding’ in Australia Boosts Future Crop Possibilities
Australian scientists, inspired by NASA space experiments, have pioneered a new method of growing crops, known as “speed breeding,” which has the potential to help feed the world’s growing population. Faith Lapidus reports. …
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