It’s very unlikely that anyone would willingly walk into a bar named the KGB, but writers and book lovers in New York do it all the time. Iuliia Iarmolenko visited what is actually a lively literary venue and talked to its owner about its peculiar history. Anna Rice narrates her …
your ad hereEU Research Vessel Testing Carbon Capture Theory
Scientists are conducting a large-scale, underwater experiment in the North Sea, testing for carbon dioxide leaks in what they say is world first. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports the researchers are testing a plan to pump some of the world’s excess carbon into depleted underwater wells. …
your ad hereEuropean, US Authorities Bust Major Darknet Site
European and American investigators have broken up one of the world’s largest online criminal marketplaces for drugs, hacking tools and financial-theft wares in raids in the United States, Germany and Brazil. Three German men, ages 31, 22 and 29, were arrested after the raids in three southern states on allegations …
your ad hereGuatemala’s Poor Bear Brunt of Climate Change, Research Says
Guatemala’s subsistence farmers and indigenous people living in poor rural communities are most affected by rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall linked to climate change, a leading researcher said Friday. Poverty makes the Central American country highly vulnerable to the impact of global warming that damages harvests and causes food shortages, said Edwin Castellanos, lead author …
your ad herePresidential Hopeful Inslee Wants 100% Clean Energy by 2030
Democratic presidential hopeful Jay Inslee, as part of his pledge to make combating climate change the top national priority, is calling for the nation’s entire electrical grid and all new vehicles and buildings to be carbon pollution free by 2030. It’s the first major policy proposal from the Washington …
your ad here30 Nations Pitch Internet Security Rules Amid Huawei Concern
Cybersecurity officials from dozens of countries on Friday proposed a set of principles to ensure the safety of next generation mobile networks amid concerns over the use of gear made by China’s Huawei. The non-binding proposals were published at the end of a two-day meeting in Prague to discuss the …
your ad hereUS Adds Robust 263K Jobs; Unemployment at 49-Year Low
U.S. employers added a robust 263,000 jobs in April, suggesting that businesses have shrugged off earlier concerns that the economy might slow this year and anticipate strong customer demand. The unemployment rate fell to a five-decade low of 3.6% from 3.8%, though that drop partly reflected an increase in the …
your ad hereVietnam Develops Own Smartphones After Decades of Contract Work
Vietnam is used to being an order taker. Companies such as Nokia and Samsung Electronics use the Southeast Asian country’s cheap labor to assemble consumer electronics for export. Those investments from abroad have slowly handed Vietnam the supplies, parts and know-how needed for local companies to make their own smartphones. …
your ad hereSpaceX Admits Crew Capsule Destroyed in April Test
Nearly two weeks after a fiery explosion during a ground test of its new crew capsule, SpaceX confirmed Thursday that the vehicle was destroyed, but neither the company nor NASA, its primary customer, have publicly acknowledged the nature of the mishap. Instead, Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of flight reliability for …
your ad hereNational Parks Traveler Completes Record Three-Year Journey
National parks traveler Mikah Meyer just completed a three-year, record-setting journey visiting every National Park Service site in America. That’s 419 sites — from parks, canyons and prairies, to oceans, Civil War battlefields, and Native American territories. VOA’s Julie Taboh, who followed many of Mikah’s adventures, was there as he …
your ad hereActor Mayhew, Chewbacca in ‘Star Wars,’ Dies at 74
Actor Peter Mayhew, who played shaggy, towering Chewbacca in several of the “Star Wars” films, has died, his family said Thursday. He was 74. Mayhew died at his home in Texas on Tuesday, according to a family statement. No cause was given. The 7-foot-3 Mayhew played the beloved and furry …
your ad hereFacebook Bans Several Personalities for Hate Speech
The hugely popular social media site Facebook has banned Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and several others for hate speech. Facebook said Thursday that the individuals violated its policy against instigating violence. “Individuals and organizations who spread hate or attack or call for the exclusion …
your ad hereWhite House Downplays Trump Meeting With Tycoon
A White House meeting between the current U.S. president and a prominent businessman who is seeking to become president of Taiwan is causing concern. The White House on Thursday sought to downplay any diplomatic or political sensitivities, saying President Donald Trump and Foxconn founder Terry Gou did not discuss support for …
your ad hereMelinda Gates Speaks to VOA About Women’s Empowerment
VOA Africa Division’s Linord Moudou spoke to Melinda Gates about women’s empowerment, work in Africa, the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and how men can benefit from women’s empowerment. The interview also touched on the pay gap between men and women and the anti-vaccination movement. Q: Melinda Gates, thank you so much for joining …
your ad hereMelinda Gates Speaks About Women’s Empowerment
VOA Africa Division’s Linord Moudou spoke to Melinda Gates about women’s empowerment, work in Africa, the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and how men can benefit from women’s empowerment. …
your ad hereItaly, France Celebrate Da Vinci’s Genius on 500th Anniversary of His Death
Events have begun in Italy and France to celebrate the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vince on the 500th anniversary of his death. In his Tuscan hometown, Italian experts presented a lock of hair believed to belong to the artist, which they announced would undergo DNA testing. For the 500th anniversary …
your ad hereBeyond Meat Goes Public as Sales of Plant-based Meats Rise
The Nasdaq is adding fake meat to its diet. Beyond Meat, the purveyor of plant-based burgers and sausages, made its debut on the stock exchange Thursday. It’s the first pure-play maker of vegan “meat” to go public, according to Renaissance Capital, which researches and tracks IPOs. Beyond Meat raised about …
your ad hereTrump’s Favored Sanctions Meet Resistance
President Donald Trump is increasingly reliant upon economic sanctions to achieve his foreign policy goals, despite a repeated emphasis that the use of military force remains a viable option. However, these coercive measures, analysts say, have not produced their intended results, and at times have put the United States at …
your ad hereScientists Alarmed by Damage to World’s Biodiversity
Officials from 132 nations have been gathering in Paris to look at the state of biodiversity around the world. The meeting is the 7th session of the Intergovernmental Science and Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which will culminate with the presentation of a huge report when the meeting …
your ad hereJoe Jonas, Sophie Turner Marry in Surprise Wedding
Singer Joe Jonas and “Game of Thrones’” actress Sophie Turner have gotten married in a surprise ceremony in Las Vegas. It happened Wednesday night after the Billboard Music Awards, where the Jonas Brothers had performed. Turner’s publicist confirmed the nuptials, which DJ Diplo posted on his Instagram live feed. …
your ad hereSt. Lucia Quarantines Cruise Ship Over Measles Case
The Caribbean nation of St. Lucia has imposed a quarantine on a visiting cruise ship, barring any passengers or crew from leaving the boat while in port, after a case of measles was diagnosed on board, the island’s chief medical officer said. Dr. Merlene Frederick-James said in a video statement …
your ad hereKenya’s Deaf Rugby Team Hopes to Match National Team’s Success
Rugby is one of Kenya’s most popular sports, and the country’s national team has played in the World Cup. Inspired by the national team’s success, members of Kenya’s deaf community launched a deaf rugby team last year. The team, which is has been training for just more than a year …
your ad hereKenya’s Deaf Rugby Team Breaking Barriers
Rugby is one of Kenya’s most popular sports, and the country’s national team has played in the World Cup. Inspired by the national team’s success, members of Kenya’s deaf community launched a deaf rugby team last year. The team, which has been training for just more than a year now, …
your ad hereUS Renews Warning to Allies on Huawei
Britain’s prime minister fired her defense minister Wednesday after finding ‘compelling evidence’ that he leaked information to journalists about a secret decision to allow China’s tech giant Huawei to participate in some parts of the country’s 5G network. State Department correspondent Nike Ching reports his dismissal comes as the U.S. …
your ad hereBudget Office: Caveats to Government-Run Health System
Congressional budget experts said Wednesday that moving to a government-run health care system like “Medicare for All” could be complicated and potentially disruptive for Americans. The report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office was a high-level look at the pros and cons of changing the current mix of public and …
your ad here