Futuristic electric flying taxis like those seen in the movie “Blade Runner” could offer a more sustainable – and much faster – way to travel long distances than traditional car journeys, academics at the University of Michigan said on Tuesday. Several firms are working to develop car-sized vertical takeoff and …
your ad hereFacebook Tweaks Tools for Remembering Dead Friends
Facebook says it will use artificial intelligence to help find profiles of people who have died so their friends and family members won’t get, for instance, painful reminders about their birthdays. The social network said Tuesday that it is also adding a “tributes” section to accounts that have been …
your ad hereUS Agents Smash Billion-Dollar Health Care Fraud Scheme
U.S. federal agents have smashed a worldwide medical care scheme that defrauded U.S. taxpayers of more than $1 billion. The Justice Department said Tuesday 24 people have been charged, including doctors, telemarketers and the heads of companies that provide back, wrist and knee braces. “This Department of Justice will not …
your ad hereVirgin Galactic’s 1st Test Passenger Gets Commercial Astronaut Wings
Virgin Galactic’s first test passenger received her commercial astronaut wings from the U.S. aviation regulator on Tuesday after flying on the company’s rocket plane to evaluate the customer experience in February. Virgin Galactic’s chief astronaut instructor, Beth Moses, who is a former NASA engineer, became the first woman to fly …
your ad hereNASA Turns Its Focus to Earth with Aid Partnership
NASA is using its satellites to solve humanitarian challenges in some of the most fragile places on earth under a landmark partnership with aid agency Mercy Corps. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration will use its wealth of data to help communities at risk from climate change and natural …
your ad hereCongo Ebola Outbreak ‘Far From Contained,’ US Aid Chief Says
The deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is far from contained, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green said on Tuesday. “In the last week we have seen a number of signs that the outbreak is far from contained. There’s a long way to go,” the …
your ad hereGloria and Emilio Estefan Bring Their Love Story to London
A musical depicting the love story between singer Gloria Estefan, the Cuban-American pop star, and her music producer husband Emilio, opens in London in June. “On Your Feet!” will feature some of her most famous hits such as “Rhythm is Gonna Get You”, and “Don’t Want to Lose You Now” …
your ad hereAncient Shipwreck to Be Made Accessible to Divers in Greece
Near the northern Greek island of Alonissos lies a remarkable ancient shipwreck: the remains of a massive cargo ship that changed archaeologists’ understanding of shipbuilding in antiquity. Now this spectacular find is to become the first ancient shipwreck to be made accessible to the public in Greece, including to …
your ad hereChina, EU Agree to Strengthen Trade Relationship
China and the European Union agreed Tuesday to strengthen their trade relationship, pledging to work toward making it easier for foreign investors to get access to China, the world’s second biggest economy. In a joint statement, the two sides said they committed to widening market access and eliminating discriminatory requirements …
your ad hereFirst Female Boss Vows to Shake Up Bangladesh’s Fashion Factories
The first woman to head one of Bangladesh’s biggest garment associations said on Tuesday she would boost female leadership as most factory workers were women, amid scrutiny over safety. Rubana Huq, 55, is managing director of Mohammadi Group, which owns a string of factories supplying brands like H&M and Primark …
your ad hereIMF Forecast: Global Growth Will Weaken This Year to 3.3%
The International Monetary Fund is downgrading its outlook for growth in the United States, Europe, Japan and the overall global economy and points to heightened trade tensions as a key reason. The IMF expects the world economy to grow 3.3 percent this year, down from 3.6 percent in 2018. That …
your ad hereGlobal Warming Is Shrinking Glaciers Faster Than Thought
Earth’s glaciers are melting much faster than scientists thought. A new study shows they are losing 369 billion tons of snow and ice each year, more than half of that in North America. The most comprehensive measurement of glaciers worldwide found that thousands of inland masses of snow compressed into …
your ad hereMadonna to Perform at Eurovision Song Contest in Israel
Pop superstar Madonna will make a guest appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel next month, her representatives said on Monday. Concert promoters Live Nation Israel and the singer’s U.S. representatives confirmed reports in Israeli media that Madonna will perform two songs in Tel Aviv during the three-day Eurovision …
your ad hereDeadly Australian Spider Gives Hope to Stroke Patients
Venom from a dangerous spider could give stroke patients a better chance of survival, according to Australian biochemists. A bite from the Fraser Island funnel-web spider can kill a person in 15 minutes, but its venom could be used to develop a drug to prevent brain damage. Scientists say the …
your ad hereUS ‘Not Satisfied Yet’ in China Trade Talks, White House Official Says
U.S. officials are “not satisfied yet” about all the issues standing in the way of a deal to end the U.S.-China trade war but made progress in talks with China last week, a top White House official said on Monday. The United States and China have been embroiled in a …
your ad hereUS Blocks Deal for Major League Baseball to Sign Cuban Players
The Trump administration on Monday blocked a historic agreement between Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation that would have allowed Cuban players to sign with U.S. teams without needing to defect. The existing deal will not be allowed to go forward because it was based on an erroneous …
your ad hereBig Tech Feels the Heat as US Moves to Protect Consumer Data
Momentum is gaining in Washington for a privacy law that could sharply rein in the ability of the largest technology companies to collect and distribute people’s personal data. A national law, the first of its kind in the U.S., could allow people to see or prohibit the use of their …
your ad hereCommissioner: SEC Steps on Tesla ‘Reasonable’ to Prevent Problems
The U.S. securities watchdog’s request that a federal judge hold Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk in contempt over the billionaire entrepreneur’s use of Twitter was “reasonable,” said a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission official on Monday. SEC Commissioner Robert Jackson, a Democrat, told reporters at a conference in Washington that …
your ad hereRussia Signals OPEC and Allies Could Raise Oil Output From June
One of the key Russian officials to foster a supply pact with OPEC, Kirill Dmitriev, signaled on Monday that Russia wanted to raise oil output when it meets with OPEC in June because of improving market conditions and falling stockpiles. Dmitriev, head of Russian sovereign wealth fund RDIF, was the …
your ad hereOprah Winfrey Donates $2 Million to Puerto Rico Relief
Oprah Winfrey is donating $2 million to help rebuild Puerto Rico and support arts and cultural programs after the devastating 2017 hurricane. The Hispanic Federation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund said in a statement on Monday $1 million would go to support long-term needs after Hurricane Maria, and a further …
your ad hereUS Measles Tally Hits 465, With Most Illnesses in Kids
U.S. measles cases are continuing to jump, and most of the reported illnesses are in children. Health officials say 465 measles cases have been reported this year, as of last week. That’s up from 387 the week before. The numbers are preliminary. The 2019 tally is already the most since …
your ad herePinterest Sets Conservative Pricing After Lyft Drop
Pinterest, among the gaggle of tech companies hoping to go public this year, set a conservative price range Monday for its initial public offering. It hopes to raise as much as $1.5 billion in its initial offering of shares. The digital scrapbooking site said in a regulatory filing that it …
your ad hereEU Says AI Must Be Accountable, Sets Ethical Guidelines
Companies working with artificial intelligence need to install accountability mechanisms to prevent its being misused, the European Commission said on Monday, under new ethical guidelines for a technology open to abuse. AI projects should be transparent, have human oversight and secure and reliable algorithms, and they must be subject to …
your ad hereAdventurous Dutchman and His Electric Car Complete Historic 3-Year Journey
Three years ago, a Dutchman climbed into his electric car and set out on a journey. Sunday, a motorcade of electric vehicles escorted him and his converted Volkswagen across an iconic bridge in Australia as he finished his record-setting adventure. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi takes us for a ride. …
your ad hereMore Endangered Turtles Beached on US Coast
When the weather turns cold and stormy around Cape Cod, it’s common for some sea turtles to get stranded in the choppy waters and end up on the areas beaches. But the numbers of turtles getting beached has been going up dramatically every year, and that’s worrying local scientists. VOA’s …
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