Virtual reality experiences are becoming more physical and more interactive. No longer just a “lean back” experience, the immersive technology is taking viewers out of the living room and into entirely new worlds. At the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, VOA’s Tina Trinh met with creators who are pushing …
your ad hereAstronomers Given Detailed Map of 1.7 Billion Stars
The European Space Agency has released an updated catalogue of more than 1.7 billion stars in our galaxy, as well as other celestial bodies, such as exoplanets, asteroids and quasars. The new data gives astronomers an unprecedented three-dimensional map for studying the origin of the universe and searching for habitable …
your ad hereUganda’s #Metoo Moment?
Is the #metoo movement coming to Uganda’s largest university? The school recently suspended a staff member accused of demanding sexual favors from a female student. Meanwhile, trial preparations are underway for a landmark civil suit filed by a former student who says the university failed to protect her from sexual …
your ad hereTrump to Meet with Carmakers on Trade, Pollution
President Trump plans to meet next week with leaders from U.S. and foreign carmakers on trade and changes to emission standards. “When the White House wants to meet with us about our sector and policy, we welcome the opportunity,” Alliance of American Automobile Manufacturers spokeswoman Gloria Bergquist said Wednesday. The …
your ad hereIMF Censures Venezuela
The International Monetary Fund censured Venezuela on Wednesday for failing to hand over essential economic data to the fund. “The [Executive] Board noted that adequate data provision was an essential first step to understanding Venezuela’s economic crisis and identifying possible solutions,” an IMF statement said. The board is giving Venezuela …
your ad hereData Firm at Center of Facebook Privacy Scandal Will Close
The data firm at the center of Facebook’s privacy scandal is declaring bankruptcy and shutting down. In a statement, Cambridge Analytica says it has been “vilified” for actions it says are both legal and widely accepted as part of online advertising. The firm says the media furor stripped it of …
your ad hereHawking’s Last Physics Paper Argues for a ‘Simpler’ Cosmos
Weeks after his death, physicist Stephen Hawking has delivered his last thoughts about the nature of the cosmos, and he says it may be simpler than often believed. Well, simpler if you understand theoretical physics, anyway. It remains incomprehensible for the rest of us. A paper that outlines his view, …
your ad hereFacebook Taps Advisers for Audits on Bias and Civil Rights
Facebook has enlisted two outside advisers to examine how it treats underrepresented communities and whether it has a liberal bias. Civil rights leader Laura Murphy will examine civil rights issues, along with law firm Relman, Dane & Colfax. Former Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, will examine concerns about a …
your ad here‘Jazz Ambassadors’ Tells Story of American Diplomacy Through Music
A new documentary about U.S. Public Diplomacy during the Cold War premieres Friday on Public Broadcasting System (PBS) television in the United Sates. Jazz Ambassadors, a remarkable story of music, diplomacy and race, features a group of now high-profile and legendary jazz performers, including trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Gillespie, who died …
your ad hereKanye West Criticized by Campaigners for ‘Unhelpful’ Stance on Slavery
Rapper Kanye West’s remarks about slavery being a choice were criticised on Wednesday by campaigners as disrespectful to victims and damaging to global efforts to eradicate the crime. The U.S. award-winning musician’s comments on the transatlantic slave trade came in a video interview on Tuesday at the California offices of …
your ad hereUS Centenarian Record Runner Publishes Inspiring Memoir
A 102-year-old woman from New York, who set a world record as a runner only seven years ago, has published a memoir documenting the achievements and tribulations of her challenging life. Ida Keeling’s newly published book is titled Can’t Nothing Bring Me Down. VOA’s Zlatica Hoke has more. …
your ad hereESA’s Mars Rover Undergoes Testing
If everything goes according to the plan, the European Space Agency, ESA, will launch its first robotic exploration vehicle to Mars in 2020. A prototype of the advanced 6-wheeled rover is now undergoing various tests in order to prove that it will be able to withstand the extreme environmental conditions …
your ad here‘Amazing China’ Documentary More Fiction Than Fact
A Chinese company that manufactured Ivanka Trump shoes and has been accused of serious labor abuses is being celebrated in a blockbuster propaganda film for extending China’s influence around the globe. The state-backed documentary “Amazing China” portrays the Huajian Group as a beneficent force spreading prosperity — in this …
your ad hereTomorrow’s Jobs Require Impressing a Bot with Quick Thinking
When Andrew Chamberlain started in his job four years ago in the research group at jobs website Glassdoor.com, he worked in a programming language called Stata. Then it was R. Then Python. Then PySpark. “My dad was a commercial printer and did the same thing for 30 years. I have …
your ad hereBritish Children Learn the ABCs of FGM to Help End Harmful Practice
As teacher Tanya Mathiason flicked through a slideshow to display diagrams of male and female genitalia to primary school children in northwest London, no one flinched or giggled. Instead, the students eagerly discussed the meaning of the words: female, genital and mutilation. “Break those words down: What does female mean? …
your ad hereFacebook’s Zuckerberg Vows to ‘Keep Building’ in No-apology Address
With a smile that suggested the hard part of an “intense year” might be behind him, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed developers Tuesday and pledged the company would build its way out of its worst-ever privacy debacle. It was a clear and deliberate turning point for a company that’s been …
your ad hereUS Cigarette Makers Ordered to Display New Warnings
A U.S. federal court has given tobacco companies until June 18 to post a corrective statement on their websites about the dangers of their products and their efforts to mislead the public about those risks. The companies were also ordered to include the statement on cigarette packages by November, according …
your ad hereMexico to Reply to US NAFTA Auto Proposal Next Week
Mexico will respond to the latest U.S. proposals to rework automotive sector rules under a revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) when ministers meet next week, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Tuesday. Guajardo is due to meet U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia …
your ad hereVolatile Oil Prices Prompt Algerian Agricultural Drive
Algerian farmer Hassen Miri trudges through mud to inspect his durum wheat field, helping the oil-producing nation in its efforts to boost agricultural output and reduce food imports. “Things are moving slowly but better than in past years,” said Miri, who has fields of cereals and vegetables in Bourkika, about …
your ad hereCosta Rica’s New President Promises Plan to Speed Clean Transport
Costa Rica will reach 200 years of independence in 2021 and the country’s new president plans to mark it with a revolution of his own: A plan to end the use of fossil fuels in transport. “When we reach 200 years of independent life we will take Costa Rica forward …
your ad hereCalifornia Sues Over Plan to Scrap Car Emission Standards
California, 16 other states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration Tuesday over its plan to scrap Obama-era auto emissions standards that would require vehicles to get significantly higher gas mileage by 2025. At issue is a move by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to roll back 2012 …
your ad hereUS Expects Positive Outcome to Trade Talks
The White House said Tuesday that it expected to wrap up trade talks with the European Union, Canada and Mexico within the 30 extra days of freedom from tariffs that President Donald Trump granted the previous day. “Hopefully, we can get something that works for everybody,” spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders …
your ad hereWomen’s Sports Leagues Band Together With SheIS Initiative
Women’s sports leagues are banding together with a new initiative, SheIS. Eight leagues, including the WNBA, U.S. Tennis Association, Women’s Pro Fastpitch League and Canadian Women’s Hockey, will try to help each other increase resources, viewership and attendance. “Each commissioner has agreed to come to one another’s events,” WNBA President …
your ad hereInstead of Spring Bounce, US April Auto Sales See Thud
Major automakers on Tuesday posted lower U.S. new vehicle sales in April as consumer demand continued to weaken and competition intensified following a lengthy boom for the industry. Auto sales have been on a bit of a roller coaster ride this year, with a weak performance in February followed by …
your ad herePace of US Factory Growth Slows Again in April
U.S. manufacturers say the pace of their expansion continued to slow in April, with many factories saying their output is still growing but is crimped by shortages of workers and skills. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, reported Tuesday that its manufacturing index fell to …
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