Hand washing is one of the easiest ways to prevent some diseases. But in refugee camps and temporary shelters, providing access to soap, clean water and sanitation can put increased strain on resources. Officials at the global aid agency Oxfam say they have a solution that may overcome some of …
your ad hereUK Minister Tells Companies to Stop Brexit Warnings
A British minister accused Airbus and other major companies of issuing “completely inappropriate” threats and undermining Prime Minister Theresa May in a sign of growing tensions with businesses leaders over Brexit. Aircraft manufacturer Airbus last week issued its strongest warning over the impact of Britain’s departure from the European Union, …
your ad hereBloodless Test Detects Malaria With Light, Wins Prize
Languishing with fever and frustrated by delays in diagnosing his illness, Brian Gitta came up with a bright idea: a malaria test that would not need blood samples or specialized laboratory technicians. That inspiration has won the 25-year-old Ugandan computer scientist a prestigious engineering prize for a noninvasive malaria …
your ad hereSwat Team Needed in Volgograd Where Insects Bug Fans & Players
Before it became one of the venues for the World Cup, the city of Volgograd in southwest Russia was famous for an overabundance of small, annoying flies called midges. While the small two-winged flies don’t bite, soccer fans are finding that they don’t leave you alone either. VOA’s Mariama Diallo …
your ad hereJehovah’s Witnesses: Christians Without the Cross
Jehovah’s Witnesses have a long history of being persecuted around the world. Their activities are banned or restricted in several countries. They are considered an extremist organization in Russia, while their members are imprisoned in South Korea and Eritrea. Even near their main headquarters and publishing house in New York …
your ad hereNew Smithsonian Exhibit Examines Past and Present Pandemics
Globalization in the 20th century facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas and technology. But it also helped spread deadly germs and viruses around the world. A new exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History illustrates the impact of these sometimes lethal biological linkages and looks back at the deadliest …
your ad hereSeparation Stress May Permanently Damage Migrant Children
President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to keep migrant children with their parents at the southwestern U.S. border, but more than 2,000 children are living in shelters without their families. Doctors and mental health workers are concerned that some of these children will suffer permanent damage. VOA’s Carol Pearson …
your ad hereUS, Russia Energy Officials to Meet, Discuss Natural Gas
U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry will meet Russia’s energy minister next week in Washington, a person familiar with the situation said Friday, as the two countries compete to supply global markets with natural gas and crude. Perry will meet Russia’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak on Tuesday, in the context of …
your ad hereAlgorithms Aid Tracking of Migrating Songbirds in Arctic
Tracking wildlife migration has been historically difficult in the rugged terrain of Alaska. Researchers primarily rely on either surveys or GPS tracking to understand bird migration patterns. Both methods are expensive, either in terms of time or money. And the trackers are often too large or heavy. One way to …
your ad hereFrench Divided Over Bataclan Performances by Rapper Medine
“All I want to do is the Bataclan, the Bataclan.” Those are lyrics to a song released earlier in the year by rapper Medine. Two of his concerts are scheduled for the Bataclan theater in October. But not everyone wants to see the shows go on. At issue, in part, …
your ad herePolice: Backup Driver in Fatal Uber Crash Was Distracted
The human backup driver in an autonomous Uber SUV was streaming the television show “The Voice” on her phone and looking downward just before fatally striking a pedestrian in suburban Phoenix, according to a police report. The 300-page report released Thursday night by police in Tempe revealed that driver Rafaela …
your ad hereNo Drugs, No Alcohol in US Celebrity Chef Bourdain’s Body When He Died: Prosecutor
U.S. celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, who killed himself in a French hotel room earlier this month, had no narcotics or alcohol in his body when he died, a local prosecutor said on Friday. Bourdain, host of CNN’s food-and-travel-focused “Parts Unknown” television series, was 61. Brash and opinionated, he had spoken …
your ad hereImages from Michael Benanav’s journey with the Van Gujjars of Northern India.
Michael Benanav has traveled around much of the world, chronicling in words and pictures nomadic communities from Mali, to Jordan to Mongolia. But when the photographer heard about the Van Gujjar tribe of Northern India, he knew he wanted to do more than just document their existence. He wanted to …
your ad hereAmerican Photographer Documents 44 Days with Endangered Tribe
Michael Benanav has traveled around much of the world, chronicling in words and pictures nomadic communities from Mali, to Jordan, to Mongolia. But when the American photographer heard about the Van Gujjar tribe of Northern India, he knew he wanted to do more than just document their existence. He wanted …
your ad hereTrump Threatens 20 Percent Tariff on EU Cars
U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to impose a 20 percent tariff on vehicles assembled in the European Union and shipped to the United States, in retaliation for European tariffs on American imports. On Friday, the day new EU tariffs went into effect, Trump tweeted, “…if these Tariffs and Barriers …
your ad herePaul McCartney Drives Down Memory Lane for ‘Carpool Karaoke’
It had been a magical mystery tour as Paul McCartney led James Corden through his hometown of Liverpool during a “Carpool Karaoke” segment on CBS’ “The Late Late Show.” Thursday’s program wraps up a weeklong stay in London and the 76-year-old Beatles legend joined Corden for a drive. In between …
your ad hereIndia Joins Countries Announcing Retaliatory Tariffs on US Products
Retaliating against the Trump administration’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, India has raised duties on 29 U.S. goods worth about $240 million. New Delhi made the announcement Thursday after Washington ignored its request to be exempted from the tariffs because its exports were tiny compared to others, such as …
your ad hereKentucky Governor Downplays Effect of EU Tariffs on Bourbon
In comments at odds with his home state’s whiskey distillers, Kentucky’s Republican governor is downplaying fears that the European Union’s retaliatory tariffs could disrupt the booming market for the Bluegrass state’s iconic bourbon industry. “There’s always the potential for some type of impact, but I don’t think it will be …
your ad hereOPEC Agrees to Increase Oil Production
OPEC ministers agreed Friday to increase oil output, a move that could ease supply fears and lower world prices, but uncertainties remain about the durability of the outcome. The agreement theoretically sees OPEC raising crude oil production by a million barrels a day, but analysts say the output will be …
your ad hereTop 5 Songs for Week Ending June 23
We’re shaking hands with the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending June 23, 2018. Two new entries and a new champion: if you’re looking for action this week, you came to the right place. No. 5: Drake “God’s Plan” Drake …
your ad hereQ&A: Sam Smith on Touring, Therapy, Smoking and Lip Syncing
Sam Smith knows his music is melancholy and emotional, but he’s hoping his live shows will be uplifting and feel “like a fistful of love,” as he put it. The singer, known for down-tempo hits like “Stay With Me” and “Too Good at Goodbyes,” is launching “The Thrill of It …
your ad hereEurope to Impose New Tariffs on US Goods
The European Union is set to impose tariffs Friday on billions of dollars worth of American goods — including jeans, bourbon and motorcycles. The action is the latest retaliation against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to slap import tariffs on steel and aluminum from around the globe. The U.S. is …
your ad hereFighting Prejudice by Checking Out People
A report published Friday by Europe’s top human rights body finds xenophobia and hate speech are on the rise across the region. Despite progress in some areas, the Council of Europe finds minorities, including Muslims, Jews, homosexuals and Roma, face stigma, intolerance and sometimes exclusion across its 48 member states. …
your ad here1 More American Confirmed Hurt by Mystery ‘Attack’ in Cuba
One more U.S. Embassy employee in Havana, Cuba, has been affected by mysterious health incidents, the State Department said. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said one of two Americans recently evacuated from Cuba was “medically confirmed” to have been affected, while the other was “still being evaluated” by doctors. 25 …
your ad hereOverweight? Depressed? It May Be Your Microbes
Microbes may be helping stir up anxiety and depression in obese people, if results from a new mouse study hold true in humans. The authors link the effects to how the brain responds to insulin, the hormone that regulates sugar levels in the blood. The research raises questions about whether …
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