Relatives of the late singer Aretha Franklin say her funeral will be August 31 in her hometown of Detroit. There will be a two-day public viewing before the funeral at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, a publicist for the family, Gwendolyn Quinn, said, to …
your ad hereMiss America: Leadership Bullied, Manipulated, Silenced Me
The reigning Miss America says she has been bullied, manipulated and silenced by the pageant’s current leadership, including Gretchen Carlson. In a letter sent Friday to former Miss Americas, Cara Mund says she decided to speak out despite the risk of punishment. Her letter is reminiscent of the movie Mean …
your ad hereTesla Stock Drops; Musk Under Fire
Tesla shares dropped nearly 9 percent in value Friday, amid reports of CEO and co-founder Elon Musk meeting with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Musk wrote on Twitter last week of his plans to take the company private for a price of $420 per share, writing that he …
your ad hereStocks Jump as Hopes Rise for Progress on China Trade Talks
Stocks rose late in the day Friday as investors welcomed signs of progress in resolving the trade dispute between the U.S. and China. The Wall Street Journal reported that the countries hope to have a resolution by November. Industrial, health care and basic materials companies made some of the biggest …
your ad hereBenjamin Smith New CEO of Air France-KLM; Unions Concerned
Unions at Air France-KLM voiced concern after the company appointed Benjamin Smith as the new CEO with the support of the French state. The company said Thursday that Smith, who is 46 and was previously Air Canada’s chief operating officer, will fill the role by Sept. 30. Vincent Salles, unionist …
your ad hereTrump Asks SEC to Review Practicality of Quarterly Corporate Reports
President Donald Trump says he’s asking federal regulators to look into the effectiveness of the quarterly financial reports that publicly traded companies are required to file. In a tweet early Friday, Trump said that after speaking with “some of the world’s top business leaders,” he’s asked the U.S. Securities and …
your ad hereSecurity Issues Constrain DR Congo Ebola Operation
The World Health Organization says security issues could hamper efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The outbreak is in conflict-ridden North Kivu province, where some areas are too dangerous for health care workers to go. As of Wednesday, about two weeks after the …
your ad hereAsian Currencies Slip on Trade Fears as Authorities Try to Avert Crisis
Many of Asia’s currencies are losing value against the U.S. dollar this year as China and the United States fight over trade, but analysts say policymakers are handling the dip better now than during past down cycles. China, India, Indonesia and Myanmar, to name just a few, have seen their …
your ad hereIndonesia Pins Great Economic Hopes on Asian Games
Indonesia has spent more than $3 billion on preparations for the Asian Games, with the government projecting that it will produce immediate and long-term benefits for the country. While investments have been made in infrastructure development and in addressing the notorious traffic issues in the capital of Jakarta, some observers …
your ad hereGoogle Workers Protest China Plan Secrecy
Google is planning a return to China. But the project is shrouded in secrecy, and employees are demanding transparency. According to a report by The New York Times on Thursday, August 16, a petition calling for more oversight and accountability in the project racked up more than 1,000 signatures. Reuters …
your ad hereAs Egypt’s Housing Crisis Intensifies, Dangers Mount
Egypt’s decades-long housing crisis continues to worsen, with activists and authorities alike expressing concern about a continuing explosion of illegal, unsafe construction that is one of the consequences. Photojournalist Hamada Elrasam provides a glimpse of conditions that have resulted from unmanaged growth. …
your ad hereRetailers Count on Unique Back to School Supplies to Attract Kids, Parents
As summer comes to a close and kids prepare to head back to school, retailers are counting on novelty items such as scented markers and glitter glue to help win back some of the market share they’ve lost to iPads and popular electronic gadgets. VOA’s Jill Craig takes a look …
your ad hereFans Gather in New York, Los Angeles to Bid Aretha Goodbye
Fans of Aretha Franklin came together at New York City’s landmark Apollo Theater and on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday to pay their respects to the Queen of Soul, singing along to her hits and sharing memories of her remarkable career. Franklin, known for such classic songs as …
your ad hereCan Twitter Change Its ‘Core’ and Remain Twitter?
After long resisting change, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey wants to revamp the “core” of the service to fight rampant abuse and misinformation. But it’s not clear if changing that essence — how it rewards interactions and values popularity — would even work. Though Dorsey was scant on details, what …
your ad hereLittle Leaguers Connect With Translate, Fortnite, Facebook
Outfielder Rolando Rodriguez from Panama heard a reporter’s question, but he doesn’t speak English. So Georgia shortstop Tai Peete helped him out, pecking the words into Google Translate to ask about how young baseball players are sharing technology during the Little League World Series. “It was easier than expected,” Rodriguez …
your ad hereAg Minister: Ban on Glyphosate Would Be ‘Disaster’ for Brazil Agriculture
A potential ban on the popular herbicide glyphosate in Brazil over concerns it may cause cancer in humans would be a “disaster” for the country’s agricultural industry, Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said on Thursday. A Brazilian court ruled on Aug. 3 that new products containing the chemical could not be …
your ad hereNew Generic EpiPen Wins FDA Approval
U.S. health officials Thursday approved a new generic version of EpiPen, the emergency allergy medication that triggered a public backlash because of its rising price tag. The new version from Teva Pharmaceuticals is the first that will be interchangeable with the original penlike injector sold by Mylan. The Food and …
your ad hereFinance Minister: Turkey Will Emerge Stronger from Lira Crisis Despite Row with US
Finance Minister Berat Albayrak assured international investors on Thursday that Turkey would emerge stronger from its currency crisis, insisting its banks were healthy and signalling it could ride out a dispute with the United States. In a conference call with thousands of investors and economists, Albayrak — who is President …
your ad hereAretha Franklin Leaves a Powerful Civil Rights Legacy
Aretha Franklin, who was born and rose to fame during the segregation era and went on to sing at the inauguration of the first black president, often used her talent, fortune and platform to inspire millions of black Americans and support the fight for racial equality. “She not only provided …
your ad hereAntibodies Could Knock Out Ebola Virus
In 1995, a patient sick with the Ebola virus, in what was then called Zaire and is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, miraculously recovered from this deadly disease. At that time, when the virus first jumped from animals to man, Ebola meant almost certain death. Doctors found that …
your ad hereEmma Thompson, 59, Wants More Film Roles for Older Women
Oscar-winning British actress Emma Thompson, now starring at age 59 as a family court judge in the dramatic movie “The Children Act,” said on Thursday that older women still need more opportunity on the big screen. Known for period dramas such as “Howards End” and “Sense and Sensibility,” Thompson plays …
your ad hereMeasles Outbreak Hits 21 US States, CDC Says
More than 100 cases of measles have been diagnosed this year in 21 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. As of July 14, 107 people had contracted the viral infection in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, …
your ad hereUS Charges 22 Chinese Importers with Smuggling Counterfeit Goods into US
A federal court in New York has charged 22 Chinese importers with smuggling nearly half-a-billion dollars in counterfeit goods into the United States from China. The fake products include such popular luxury items as Louis Vuitton bags, Michael Kors wallets, and Chanel perfume. Twenty-one of the defendants were arrested Thursday. …
your ad herePsychology Researchers Explore How Vaccine Beliefs Are Formed
The scientific community has long acknowledged that vaccines work and have saved millions of lives. However, a vocal community, particularly in the U.S., believes that vaccines expose children to health risks and can cause harm. It can be easy to write off these opinions, but psychology researchers have long known …
your ad hereRussia Calls Latest US Sanctions on Companies in Russia, China, and Singapore ‘Useless’
Russia says the latest U.S. sanctions imposed on Russian, Chinese, and Singaporean companies are “destructive” and “useless.” The U.S. penalized the three companies Wednesday, accusing them of helping North Korea avoid international sanctions. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday the new U.S. sanctions come when “joint international efforts” are …
your ad here