Hello Kitty might not have a mouth but she’s got a movie deal. Warner Bros.’ New Line Cinema announced Tuesday that it has acquired film rights to Hello Kitty from the Japanese corporation Sanrio. The 45-year-old iconic feline has never been turned into a movie despite its merchandising ubiquity. …
your ad hereJerry Merryman, ‘Brilliant’ Man Who Invented Calculator, Dies
Jerry Merryman, one of the inventors of the handheld electronic calculator who is described by those who knew him as not only brilliant but also kind with a good sense of humor, has died. He was 86. Merryman died Feb. 27 at a Dallas hospital from complications of heart and …
your ad hereHands Off! Kenyan Slum Dwellers Unite to Protect City Dam
It is Friday morning, and the southeastern fringe of Kibera slum comes alive as teams of women and youngsters converge on the edge of the Nairobi dam. There, on its northern perimeter, some rake and pile garbage for collection while others plant saplings on cleared terrain. Known as riparian land, …
your ad hereUN Again Defers Report on Companies With Israeli Settlement Ties
Publication of a U.N. database of companies with business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank has been delayed again, drawing the ire of activists who have campaigned for three years. The issue is highly sensitive as companies appearing in such a database could be targeted for boycotts …
your ad hereGoing TikTok: Indians Get Hooked on Chinese Video App Ahead of Election
A video clip shot on a sparse rooftop of what looks like a low-rise apartment block shows a young Indian man swaying while lip-syncing a song praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Describing himself as a proud Indian with the online identity “garrytomar”, he is wearing ear-studs and shows a beaded …
your ad here3 Quebec Radio Stations Stop Playing Michael Jackson Songs
Three major Montreal radio stations have stopped playing Michael Jackson songs as a result of child-molestation allegations against the late musician that aired Sunday in an HBO documentary. A spokeswoman for the owner of the French-language stations CKOI and Rythme and the English-language The Beat says Jackson’s music was pulled …
your ad hereArtwork by James Terrell and Zsudayka Nzinga Terrell
Artists James Terrell and Zsudayka Nzinga Terrell have been on a long quest to explore their identity and express it in their art works. The artists are both descendants of Africans who were brought to America and sold as slaves. Their latest exhibit, ‘Born at the Bottom of the Ship,’ …
your ad hereKen Burns Prize for Film to Honor Documentaries
The Library of Congress will begin presenting an award named for Ken Burns, who elevated the craft of historical documentaries. Officials announced on Tuesday the creation of the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. The annual award will recognize a filmmaker whose documentary uses original research and compelling …
your ad hereRussia’s Arctic Plans Add to Polar Bears’ Climate Woes
Last month’s visit by roaming polar bears that put a Russian village on lockdown may be just the beginning. For as Moscow steps up its activity in the warming Arctic, conflict with the rare species is likely to increase. More than 50 bears approached Belyushya Guba, a village on the …
your ad hereChina Sets Economic Policy for 2019
Tax cuts and increased defense spending are among the measures China will introduce this year to boost its flagging economy. Premier Li Keqiang announced the measures Tuesday on the opening day of China’s annual National People’s Congress in Beijing. Li told the legislators that policymakers are targeting economic growth of …
your ad hereFacebook Prohibits Foreign-funded Ads for Indonesia Election
Facebook says it will not allow foreign-funded advertisements for an upcoming presidential election in Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, hoping to allay concerns that its platform is being used to manipulate voting behavior. The announcement on Facebook’s website said the restriction in Indonesia took effect Monday morning and is …
your ad hereNew Techniques Let Scientists Zero In on Individual Cells
Did you hear what happened when Bill Gates walked into a bar? Everybody there immediately became millionaires — on average. That joke about a very rich man is an old one among statisticians. So why did Peter Smibert use it to explain a revolution in biology? Because it shows averages …
your ad hereActivists Campaign for Treaty to End Violence Against Women
Women’s rights activists from 128 nations are launching a public campaign Tuesday for an international treaty to end violence against women and girls, a global scourge estimated by the United Nations to affect 35 percent of females worldwide. The campaign led by the Seattle-based nonprofit organization Every Woman Treaty …
your ad here‘The End of a Fantastic Era’ — a Look Back at the Concorde
The speed and elegant appearance of the Concorde inspired awe. Its ear-rattling sonic booms irritated people on the ground and led to restrictions on where the jet could fly. The Concorde’s maiden flight was 50 years ago this month. Although the plane went out of service in 2003, its …
your ad hereTrump Extends US Sanctions Against Zimbabwe By a Year
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday extended by one year sanctions against Zimbabwe saying that the new government’s policies continue to pose an “unusual and extraordinary” threat to U.S. foreign policy. The renewal comes despite calls by African leaders, including South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, for the sanctions to be …
your ad hereWhat Are Tornadoes, Why Are They So Deadly?
A succession of tornadoes ripped through Alabama’s Lee County on Sunday with winds of 150 miles per hour (241 kph), killing at least 23 people including children in the deadliest such storms to strike the United States in almost six years. What is a tornado? Tornadoes, described as a …
your ad hereEgypt Releases Prominent Photojournalist After 5 Years in Prison
After five years of imprisonment, prominent Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zaid was released and returned to his family Monday. Zaid, popularly known as “Shawkan,” said he would continue his work as a journalist, despite harsh conditions to his release. Shawkan will remain under “police observation” for the next five years, …
your ad hereWhere’s the Beef? US, Britain Clash Over Post-Brexit Trade Deal
Sharp differences have emerged between the United States and Britain over farming standards and practices in any post-Brexit trade deal. The trans-Atlantic allies have already begun exploratory talks on a trade agreement after Britain’s EU exit, which is scheduled for March 29. Britain, however, is resisting U.S. demands to …
your ad hereUS Actor Luke Perry Dead at 52
Luke Perry, who gained instant heartthrob status as wealthy rebel Dylan McKay on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died Monday after suffering a massive stroke, his publicist said. He was 52. Perry was surrounded by family and friends when he died, publicist Arnold Robinson said. The actor had been hospitalized since …
your ad here‘Where’s The Beef? US, Britain Clash Over Post-Brexit Trade Deal
London and Washington are beginning exploratory talks over a trade deal after Britain leaves the European Union – which both sides say could deliver huge economic benefits. But already sharp differences have emerged over what might be included, as Britain resists U.S. demands to open its markets to agricultural products …
your ad hereTrump Prepares to Tighten Trade Embargo on Cuba
The Trump administration is preparing to tighten the six-decade trade embargo on Cuba on Monday by allowing some lawsuits against foreign companies using properties confiscated by the Cuban government after its 1959 revolution, U.S. officials say. Every president since Bill Clinton has suspended a section of the 1996 Helms-Burton act …
your ad hereFrom Satirical to Silly, Walking Clubs Spice Up Mardi Gras
A floppy-eared pooch wearing a red crustacean costume rides in a wagon decorated like a shrimp boat, followed by another “boat” wagon occupied by a pug in a sailor hat. Behind them, on a leash, strolls a white maltese in a Wonder Woman costume alongside canines in fluffy purple, green …
your ad hereDisabled Children Suffer Discrimination, Denial of their Human Rights
Human rights advocates are calling for an end to the discrimination that denies children with disabilities the same right to an equal education and other opportunities available to other children in society. The U.N. Human Rights Council is holding a special session in Geneva on the empowerment of children with …
your ad hereChina Launches Tech Hub Megalopolis to Rival Silicon Valley
As the global race to gain the lead in next generation tech heats up, China is stepping up its efforts, recently announcing a long-awaited plan to link up its southern Pearl River Delta into a massive hub of technology, research finance and innovation. The possibilities and challenges of the project …
your ad hereEthiopian Disability Rights Advocate Champions Opportunities for Women
Yetnebersh Nigussie lost her sight at the age of five, but she has not let her disability slow her down. A tireless advocate for people with disabilities in Africa, she has received prestigious prizes, including the Spirit of Helen Keller Award and the Alternative Nobel Prize. Yetnebersh Nigussie recently spoke …
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