Two-thirds of the world’s population currently lives with water shortages at least part of the year, according to one estimate. And climate change and growing populations are expected to stretch water supplies even further. Experts are looking for new ways to capture this precious resource. In some places, they are …
your ad herePakistani Engineers Develop a Smart Wheelchair to Help Disabled
A group of Pakistani engineering students has developed a voice-operated wheelchair to help those disabled achieve more self-reliance. The chair is getting some traction, as we see in this report from Saman Khan in Lahore, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard. …
your ad hereG-20 Ministers: Trade, Political Tensions Put Growth at Risk
“Heightened trade and geopolitical tensions” are putting global economic growth at risk, G-20 finance ministers said after two days of meetings in Buenos Aires on Sunday. In their final communique, the Group of 20 ministers stressed the need to “step up dialogue and actions to mitigate risks and enhance confidence.” …
your ad hereSomali Girl Dies After Undergoing FGM
Doctors in central Somalia say a 10-year-old girl has died after undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM). Director of Hanano hospital in Dhusamareb, Dr. Abdirahman Omar Hassan, who was on the response team who tried to save the girl, told VOA Somali that the victim bled to death after undergoing FGM. …
your ad herePoll: British Reject May’s Brexit Plan, Some turn to Boris, Far Right
Prime Minister Theresa May’s plans to leave the European Union are overwhelmingly opposed by the British public and more than a third of voters would support a new right-wing political party committed to quitting the bloc, according to a new poll. May’s political vulnerability was exposed by the survey which …
your ad herePoll: British Reject May’s Brexit Plan, Some Turn to Johnson, Far Right
Prime Minister Theresa May’s plans to leave the European Union are overwhelmingly opposed by the British public and more than a third of voters would support a new right-wing political party committed to quitting the bloc, according to a new poll. May’s political vulnerability was exposed by the survey which …
your ad hereInternational Musicians Create Harmony Through Music Program
Twenty-five young musicians from around the world have gathered in California to train and perform this month in an international program called iPalpiti, from the Italian word for heartbeats. The training program and performance festival mark a labor of love for Russian-born conductor and musical director Eduard Schmieder, who says …
your ad hereFostering International Harmony Through Music
Twenty-five young musicians from around the world have gathered in California to train and perform this month. As VOA’s Mike O’Sullivan reports from Los Angeles, the international program called iPalpiti, from the Italian word for heartbeats, is a labor of love for a Russian-born conductor who says music can break …
your ad hereGerman Industry: US Tariffs Risk Hurting US
German industry groups warned Sunday, ahead of a meeting between European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and U.S. President Donald Trump, that tariffs the United States has recently imposed or threatened risk harming the U.S. itself. The U.S. imposed tariffs on EU steel and aluminum June 1, and Trump is threatening …
your ad hereJonathan Gold, Pulitzer-Prize-Winning Food Critic, Dies
Jonathan Gold, who became the first restaurant critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for criticism, has died. He was 57. The Los Angeles Times, where Gold most recently worked, reported that he died Saturday after being diagnosed earlier this month with pancreatic cancer. “I can’t imagine the city without him. …
your ad hereResearchers Monitoring Utah’s Iconic Stone Arches
The United States has some incredible natural geological features: towering mesas, tall spires of limestone rock, erupting geysers and gravity-defying stone sculptures. Faith Lapidus reports on efforts to ensure that if and when gravity starts to win, land managers are not taken by surprise. …
your ad hereAmputee Soccer Team Trains with Hope of International Competition
A group of 15 amputees has overcome physical challenges to form a soccer team in the Gaza Strip. A member of the Palestinian Legislative Council has organized what he calls the “Team of Heroes” after watching Turkish and British amputees in a soccer match last year. Arash Arabasadi reports. …
your ad hereUnusual Pop-up Museum Promises to Keep Visit Sweet
An unusual pop-up museum in Lisbon is delighting social media-focused visitors with colorful and dreamy displays of giant ice creams, marshmallow pools and all things sweet. As VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports, the museum’s founders say its an attraction that strives to put a smile on the faces of all its …
your ad hereFiat Chrysler Names Jeep Boss to Replace Stricken CEO
Fiat Chrysler named on Saturday its Jeep division boss, Mike Manley, to take over immediately for Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne, who is seriously ill after suffering major complications following surgery. The carmaker said British-born Manley, who also takes responsibility for the North America region, will push ahead with the midterm …
your ad hereTariffs Will Hurt Economy, IMF Warns, as Trump Threatens More
The International Monetary Fund warned world economic leaders on Saturday that a recent wave of trade tariffs would significantly harm global growth, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened a major escalation in a dispute with China. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said she would present the G-20 finance ministers and central bank …
your ad hereIran Leader Backs Suggestion to Block Gulf Oil Exports if Own Sales Stopped
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday backed President Hassan Rouhani’s suggestion that Iran may block Gulf oil exports if its own exports are stopped and said negotiations with the United States would be an “obvious mistake.” Rouhani’s apparent threat earlier this month to disrupt oil shipments from neighboring …
your ad hereEastern, Southern Africa Most Affected by HIV Epidemic
A report by UNAIDS, “Miles to go—closing gaps, breaking barriers, righting injustices”, warns that the global response to HIV is at a critical point. Eastern and southern Africa remain the regions most affected by the HIV epidemic, accounting for 45 percent of the world’s HIV infections and 53 percent of …
your ad hereCholera Threatens Cameroon
A cholera outbreak in Cameroon has claimed at least a dozen lives. Hundreds of people have been rushed to several hospitals in the central African state. It is feared some of the cases were imported from Nigeria and may contaminate refugees fleeing the Boko Haram insurgency. Arabo Saidou, the highest …
your ad hereFacebook Suspends Another Analytics Firm
Facebook says it has suspended working with Boston-based analytics firm Crimson Hexagon until it can determine how the firm collects and shares Facebook and Instagram user data. Facebook announced the suspension Friday. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the suspension and said that one of Crimson Hexagon’s …
your ad hereFashion Industry Reinventing Itself by Embracing the Digital Age
For years denim jeans have been finished in foreign factories where workers use manual and automated techniques such as scraping with sandpaper or other abrasives to make the jeans appear worn and more comfortable to wear. But things are changing in the fashion world. As VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports, fashion …
your ad hereNew York City Bathroom Aims to Prevent Drug Overdoses
A specially-outfitted bathroom in New York City has been converted into a safe haven for drug users. The goal: to curb an overdose crisis that’s sweeping the United States. New data shows drug overdoses killed 47,000 people nationwide in the 12 month period that ended in November 2017. Aside from …
your ad hereSome US Colleges Now Offering Scholarships to Gamers
Not so long ago, someone playing video games into the early morning hours might have been seen as a slacker, someone lacking in ambition. But perceptions are changing with the times. Today, being glued to an X-Box or Play Station and excelling at computer games might pay off, as more …
your ad hereFDA Approves Drug to Stop Some Malaria Relapses
U.S. regulators Friday approved a simpler, one-dose treatment to prevent relapses of malaria. Standard treatment now takes two weeks and studies show many patients don’t finish taking every dose. Malaria is caused by parasites that are spread to people through mosquito bites. Anti-malarial drugs can cure the initial infection, but …
your ad hereUS Loses Latest Attempt to Stop Youths’ Climate Change Suit
A federal appeals court on Friday rejected the Trump administration’s renewed bid to dismiss a lawsuit by young activists who say it is ignoring the perils of climate change. By a 3-0 vote, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the government fell short of the …
your ad hereUS Sentences 21 People in India Call Center Scam
The U.S. government has sentenced 21 people to jail terms for their involvement in a call center scam based in India that targeted U.S. victims. The prison sentences for the convicted ranged from 4 to 20 years. “The stiff sentences imposed this week represent the culmination of the first-ever, large …
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