Folk dance groups from 11 Balkan countries gathered in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir, Turkey for the 13th annual Balkan Folk Dance Festival. The dance groups performed in different districts of Izmir. Aside from Turkey, dance groups from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia …
your ad hereHow Old is Cacao? New Research Pushes Back Date
New research strengthens the case that people used the chocolate ingredient cacao in South America 5,400 years ago, underscoring the seed’s radical transformation into today’s Twix bars and M&M candies. Tests indicate traces of cacao on artifacts from an archaeological site in Ecuador, according to a study published Monday. …
your ad hereZimbabwean Widows Punished by Tribal Courts for Selling Gold-rich Land
When massive gold deposits were discovered about a decade ago in Chimanimani, eastern Zimbabwe, the rural district became famous for attracting hundreds of artisanal miners from across the country every year. Wealthy small-scale prospectors regularly offer residents generous deals for their land, locals say. To many widows selling their unused …
your ad hereMountain Birds on ‘Escalator to Extinction’ as Planet Warms
A meticulous re-creation of a three-decade-old study of birds on a mountainside in Peru has given scientists a rare chance to prove how the changing climate is pushing species out of the places they are best adapted to. Surveys of more than 400 species of birds in 1985 and then …
your ad herePro Wrestling Proves a Hit with Egyptian Crowds
When a high school in the northern Egyptian city of Ismailia hosted a pro wrestling event, the crowd spilled over onto the roofs of neighboring buildings. Pro wrestling, a popular entertainment form in the U.S., mixes theatrical performance with athletics and is gaining traction in Egypt where thousands came to …
your ad hereUS Survey: What Pay Gap? Men Less Aware of Women’s Workplace Struggles
Far more men than women think their companies offer equal pay and promote the sexes equally, yet younger generations are wising up, a U.S. entertainment industry survey found on Monday. Only a quarter of women think their employers pay them the same as men, while twice as many men believe …
your ad hereScientists: Producing Bitcoin Currency Could Void Climate Change Efforts
Demand for bitcoin could single-handedly derail efforts to limit global warming because the increasingly popular digital currency takes huge amounts of energy to produce, scientists said on Monday. Producing bitcoin at a pace with growing demand could by 2033 defeat the aim of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, …
your ad hereUS Restricts Exports to Chinese Semiconductor Firm Fujian Jinhua
Opening a new front in its trade and technology disputes with China, the Trump administration on Monday took action to cut off a Chinese state-backed semiconductor maker from U.S. exports of components, software and technology goods. The Commerce Department said it has put Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co Ltd on …
your ad hereIran Silent on S. Korea’s Hyundai Quitting Major Construction Project
South Korean conglomerate Hyundai’s cancellation of a major Iran construction project due to problems related to U.S. economic sanctions has been met with silence in Iranian media. In a brief regulatory filing published Monday, Hyundai Engineering & Construction said it canceled a $521 million contract a day earlier for building a …
your ad hereRock Band Kiss Promises ‘Unapologetic’ Final Tour
Members of the rock band Kiss said they are kicking off a farewell concert tour in January because they wanted to say goodbye while they could still deliver the over-the-top performances that have thrilled audiences over a 45-year career. Known for their makeup, big hair and outrageous costumes, Kiss was …
your ad hereFrank Underwood is Dead but Looms Large in Final ‘House of Cards’ Season
In the final season of Netflix’s “House of Cards,” Frank Underwood is physically gone, having died unexpectedly in his sleep. But the ghost of the win-at-all-costs politician played by Kevin Spacey haunts his wife and her young presidency. Writers of the acclaimed drama had to rework the story after Spacey …
your ad hereUN Human Rights Expert Urges States to Curb Intolerance Online
Following the shooting deaths of 11 worshippers at a synagogue in the eastern United States, a U.N. human rights expert urged governments on Monday to do more to curb racist and anti-Semitic intolerance, especially online. “That event should be a catalyst for urgent action against hate crimes, but also a …
your ad hereUS Steel Tariff Fight Stirs Up Swarm of WTO Litigation
The United States urged European Union governments on Monday to reflect on whether it was really in their interest to go ahead with a trade dispute over U.S. metals tariffs, and said it was hopeful of settling the issue with Mexico and Canada. The U.S. tariffs attracted an unprecedented seven …
your ad hereWall Street Drops on Trade Worries, S&P Nears Correction
U.S. stocks fell on Monday in a volatile session, with the S&P 500 ending just shy of confirming its second correction of 2018, hurt by fresh worries of an escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions and a sharp drop in big tech and Internet names. Following a morning rally, major U.S. …
your ad hereElection of Far-right President in Brazil Cheered by Trump, Markets
Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right former Army captain who won Brazil’s presidential election in convincing fashion, rode a wave of enthusiasm on Monday from giddy supporters, bullish investors and budding ally U.S. President Donald Trump. Bolsonaro, who early in his legislative career declared he was “in favor” of dictatorships and demanded …
your ad hereRussia Sends Officials to Venezuela to Advise on Crisis Reforms
Russia has sent a high-level official delegation to Venezuela, including a deputy finance minister, to help advise the cash-strapped country on economic reform at a time of crisis, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Finance said Monday. Almost 2 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2015, driven out …
your ad hereHow Green Is My Forest? There’s an App to Tell You
A web-based application that monitors the impact of successful forest-rights claims can help rural communities manage resources better and improve their livelihoods, according to analysts. The app was developed by the Indian School of Business (ISB) to track community rights in India, where the 2006 Forest Rights Act aimed to …
your ad hereZimbabwe President Asks Business Leaders to Address Shortages
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa met with business leaders Monday in an effort to assure the public his government can stabilize the sinking economy. But as one business leader explains, uncertainty about the cash supply and the currency in use makes it hard for the economy to function. Addressing business executives …
your ad hereWHO: Air Pollution a Health Risk for Children
The World Health Organization says air pollution kills hundreds of thousands of children every year and puts the physical health and neurological development of hundreds of millions of other youngsters at serious risk. The WHO is issuing a report titled “Air pollution and child health: Prescribing clean air” on the …
your ad hereApp Taken Down After Pittsburgh Gunman Revealed as User
Gab, a social networking site often accused of being a haven for white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other hate groups, went offline Monday after being refused by several web hosting providers following revelations that Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers used the platform to threaten Jews. “Gab isn’t going anywhere,” said …
your ad hereDisease Sniffing Dogs Could Help Stop the Spread of Malaria
Dogs are well known and valued for their ability to smell everything from drugs, to bombs to contraband electronics. But scientists at Lancaster University have trained them to sniff out illnesses, specifically malaria. And that could be game changing in the fight to stop the spread of the disease. VOA’s …
your ad hereReport: Africa Not Creating Enough Jobs for Booming Youth Population
A new report says African nations are failing to create enough jobs for a booming young population even as some countries have seen strong economic growth. The latest Ibrahim Index of African Governance sounds a warning for a continent where the sub-Saharan population is projected to double by 2050. …
your ad hereSurvey: Most Americans Would Fail US Citizenship Test
Most Americans would fail a U.S. citizenship test if they had to take it. Just one in three Americans can pass a multiple choice exam featuring questions taken from the U.S. Citizenship Test, according to a recent survey. And the bar isn’t particularly high. Test takers must get a score …
your ad hereChina’s Yuan Sinks to 10-Year Low Against Dollar
China’s yuan sank to a 10-year low against the dollar on Monday, coming close to breaking the politically sensitive level of seven to the U.S. currency. The yuan declined to 6.9644 per dollar at midday, passing its most recent low in 2016 before recovering slightly. It was the lowest level …
your ad hereEU Agency: Air Pollution Still Exceeds Limits, Must Improve
The European Union’s environmental agency says air pollution is slowly improving across the continent but still exceeds the bloc’s limits and guidelines from the U.N. health agency. The European Environment Agency on Monday issued its 2018 report on air quality and said emissions from road traffic, agriculture, energy production, industry …
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