Scorching sun beats down on half a dozen women as they carry large sacks of crushed ore on their backs at the Osiri-Matanda gold mine near Kenya’s border with Tanzania. On wooden tables, they sieve the powdered ore into metal pans, add mercury, and heat the mixture over a charcoal …
your ad hereMost Distant Star Ever Detected Sits Halfway Across Universe
Scientists have detected the most distant star ever viewed, a blue behemoth located more than halfway across the universe and named after the ancient Greek mythological figure Icarus. Researchers said on Monday they used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to spot the star, which is up to a million times more …
your ad hereFrench Rail Unions in Showdown with Macron in Rolling Strike
France faces a first wave of rolling railway strikes Tuesday that are expected to bring travel chaos in a test of President Emmanuel Macron’s resolve to modernize the French economy. The four main rail unions have called two days of strikes in every five days for the next three months …
your ad herePhilippines, Malaysia Put Uber-Grab Deal Under Anti-Competition Scrutiny
The Philippines and Malaysia said on Monday they will look into whether Uber Technologies’ move to sell its Southeast Asian business to ride-hailing rival Grab hinders competition, days after Singapore began a probe into the deal on similar concerns. The expanded scrutiny of the deal in Southeast Asia could pose …
your ad hereChina Increases Tariffs on US Products, Effective Immediately
China has increased import duties up to 25 percent on a list of U.S. goods, including pork, fruit and other products, amounting to $3 billion. The tariffs, which took effect immediately on April 2, were announced late Sunday by China’s finance ministry, who said the country was responding to a …
your ad hereSpaceX Launches Used Supply Ship on Used Rocket for NASA
SpaceX has launched a used supply ship on a used rocket to the International Space Station. The Falcon rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Monday, hoisting a Dragon capsule full of food, experiments and other station goods for NASA. The Dragon and its 6,000-pound shipment should …
your ad hereToo Late to Plant Green Seed Among World’s Forgotten Palm Oil Farmers?
When palm oil farmer Isnin Kasno eventually retires, his three children will turn their backs on the family’s small plantation in Malaysia’s southern state of Johor. Like many aging oil palm growers in Southeast Asia, the 58-year-old struggles to make ends meet from his 2 hectares (5 acres), and his …
your ad hereTiger Economy Roaring as Golf’s Masters Approaches
Tiger Woods is back in Green Jacket contention and from country club bars to boardrooms, the former world No. 1 is once again the tide lifting all boats in the golfing world. Golf television ratings are trending upward, so are equipment and ball sales while Masters tickets and even tips …
your ad hereUS Factory Activity Slows, Manufacturers Worry About Tariffs
U.S. factory activity slowed in March amid shortages of skilled workers and rising capacity constraints, but growth in the manufacturing sector remains underpinned by strong domestic and global economies. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) survey published Monday also showed a surge in the cost of raw materials and worries …
your ad hereFacebook Faces Calls to Further Protect User Privacy
Facebook is a company in a hurry. Since the world learned about the latest customer data controversy at Facebook, the social media network has unleashed a swarm of changes. But it’s unclear whether Facebook’s own reckoning will be enough to satisfy regulators and lawmakers. “We’ve reached a tipping …
your ad hereAmazon Shares Fall 4 Percent as Trump Renews Attack
Shares of Amazon.com Inc fell 4 percent on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump again attacked the online retailer over the pricing of its deliveries through the United States Postal Service and promised unspecified changes. “Only fools, or worse, are saying that our money losing Post Office makes money with …
your ad hereNTSB ‘Unhappy’ Over Tesla Crash Statement
The National Transportation Safety Board is “unhappy” about Tesla’s decision to release information in a fatal crash investigation involving its Autopilot system. A vehicle using the semi-autonomous system crashed into a concrete lane divider in California last week, killing the driver. Tesla said that data shows the driver did not …
your ad herePromises, Promises: Facebook’s History with Privacy
“We’ve made a bunch of mistakes.” “Everyone needs complete control over who they share with at all times.” “Not one day goes by when I don’t think about what it means for us to be the stewards of this community and their trust.” Sound familiar? It’s Facebook CEO Mark …
your ad hereOvercoming Barriers, African Scientists are Creating Award-winning Innovations
When Cameroonian medical doctor Conrad Tankou won the top health award at an international innovation competition, he breathed a sigh of relief. Winning the $25,000 prize at the Next Einstein Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, last week was the culmination of years of struggle. “Sometimes, I doubted I would get this …
your ad hereOvercoming Barriers, African Scientists Creating Award-winning Innovations
When Cameroonian medical doctor Conrad Tankou won the top health award at an international innovation competition, he breathed a sigh of relief. Winning the $25,000 prize at the Next Einstein Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, last week was the culmination of years of struggle. “Sometimes, I doubted I would get this …
your ad hereNew Hope for Frog Once Feared Extinct in Australia
Sydney’s Taronga Zoo has released a specially-bred group of critically endangered yellow-spotted bell frogs into the wild. Yellow-spotted bell frogs were thought to have become extinct until a chance discovery a decade ago. It allowed scientists to breed a so-called insurance population’ in captivity to help the species recover. Historically, …
your ad hereChina Raises Tariffs on US Pork, Fruit in Trade Dispute
China raised import duties on a $3 billion list of U.S. pork, fruit and other products Monday in an escalating tariff dispute with President Donald Trump that companies worry might depress global commerce. The Finance Ministry said it was responding to a U.S. tariff hike on steel and aluminum that …
your ad hereSteven Bochco, Creator of ‘Hill Street Blues,’ Dies at 74
Steven Bochco, a writer and producer known for creating the groundbreaking police drama “Hill Street Blues,” died Sunday. He was 74. A family spokesman says Bochco died in his sleep after a battle with cancer. Bochco, who won 10 primetime Emmys, created several hit television shows including “L.A. Law,” “NYPD …
your ad hereAfrican Scientists Compete at 2018 Next Einstein Forum
Sixteen African scientists competed in Rwanda last week for a chance to solve some of the most pressing problems in their communities. Chika Oduah reports for VOA from Kigali, which hosted the 4th annual Next Einstein Forum March 26-28. …
your ad hereCoral Farms Revive the Reefs
Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the world’s ocean beds, yet they are home to a quarter of all marine life on the planet. But they are facing serious challenges that threaten their survival. As Faiza Elmasry tells us, beneath the waters of the Indian Ocean island nation …
your ad hereUsing Humor to Promote ReligiousTolerance
Dialogue and social discourse are among the most effective tools for promoting cultural understanding. So is humor. That’s the tool of choice for one white, Christian comedian from South Carolina, who claims an affinity for Muslims and a spicy South Asian rice dish called Biryani. VOA’s Deewa Service correspondent Niala …
your ad hereChinese Space Lab Burns Up in the Atmosphere
A defunct Chinese space lab met its expected end early Monday morning as its remaining fragments plunged into the South Pacific. China’s Manned Space Engineering Office said the Tiangong-1 spacecraft “mostly” burned up in the atmosphere. Any pieces that failed to disintegrate during the fiery trip back to Earth fell …
your ad hereIn ‘Ready Player One,’ Reality is Virtual, but Characters, Story Are Real
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg is going into the future with his virtual reality adventure Ready Player One. Based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, the film takes place in the dystopian world of 2045, while referencing 1980s popular culture. Set more than 25 years in the future, the characters are …
your ad hereTech Startups Add Automation, Drones to Aid Construction Industry
Having robots to do the dirty, tedious parts of the job is a dream come true in the construction business. Automation technology developers say robotics are transforming the industry, making it safer, and helping companies take on more projects and finish them faster. Faiza Elmasry has the story. Faith Lapidus …
your ad hereExhibit Highlights Inclusive Design for People with Disabilities
More than 1 billion people around the world have some sort of disability. Rong Shi of VOA’s Mandarin service toured an exhibit in New York that showcases the latest gadgets and inventions designed to help those with a range of physical, sensory or cognitive abilities lead more independent lives and …
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