Growing inequality and climate change will not only derail progress toward global sustainability goals but also will threaten human existence, leading scientists said Wednesday at the United Nations. The world is falling off track on ambitious global development goals adopted by U.N. members, a panel of scientists said in an independent assessment report released at U.N. headquarters. Member nations unanimously adopted 17 …
your ad hereSouth Korea Wants Japan’s ‘Rising Sun’ Flag Banned at Tokyo Olympics
South Korea has formally asked the International Olympic Committee to ban the Japanese rising sun” flag at next year’s Tokyo Games, calling it a symbol of Japan’s brutal wartime past and comparing it with the Nazi swastika. South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Wednesday said it had sent …
your ad hereMalaria Could Be Wiped Out In Generation, Experts Say
Malaria could be wiped out in a generation, if $2 billion more every year would be invested in tackling the disease, according to a major new report launched Wednesday. However, there is a debate over whether the global community should make eradication its primary goal — or if this is …
your ad hereFrance Eliminates USA from Basketball World Cup in Major Upset
Rudy Gobert scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as France handed the United States their first loss in the FIBA World Cup in 13 years on Wednesday to advance to the semi-finals in China with an 89-79 win.France will play next on Friday against Argentina, who advanced by defeating …
your ad hereBig Sean, Halsey, Migos Rock Rihanna’s Lingerie Fashion Show
Big Sean, A$ap Ferg, Halsey and Migos rocked Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty crowd Tuesday from a color-saturated stage at the Barclays Center as Normani and Laverne Cox joined an army of supermodels and dancers in a showcase of her latest loungewear and lingerie.But don’t look for the juicy new collection …
your ad hereRussian Family Rescues and Raises Raccoons
A family of animal lovers is looking after 12 abandoned raccoons in a rural area of the Rostov region in southern Russia. These wild animals lost their hunting and survival skills when they were raised as pets by owners who could no longer keep them. VOA’s Jim Randle narrates our …
your ad hereApple Introduces New iPhone as it Seeks to Keep Up with Competitors
Facing growing competition from less expensive smartphone providers, Apple introduced its new versions of its iconic iPhone Tuesday at its annual product launch event in California. Along with their latest upgrades and new offerings, Apple also caught the attention of both consumers and critics for something they didn’t do. VOA’s …
your ad hereApple Takes on Netflix With a $5-a-month Streaming Service
Apple is finally taking on Netflix with its own streaming television service and, uncharacteristically for the company, offering it at a bargain price — $5 a month beginning on Nov. 1.Walt Disney Co. is launching its own assault on Netflix the same month, for just $7.It may be sheer coincidence …
your ad hereHow Major Traumas Like 9/11 Impact Nation’s Psyche
Eighteen years ago, more than TV viewers said the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack was the all-time most memorable moment shared by television viewers during the past 50 years, according to a 2012 study.Cohen Silver, who studies the impact of collective trauma, says some individuals with no direct connection to …
your ad hereRenée Zellweger Felt a ‘Sense of Responsibility’ in ‘Judy’
Renée Zellweger said she felt a “sense of responsibility” to portray the late singer Judy Garland as authentically as possible in the movie “Judy,” which was shown at the Toronto Film Festival on Tuesday to a standing ovation.The film depicts the last six months of Garland’s life, arriving in London …
your ad hereGraffiti That Jumps, Technology Makes Art Come to Life
Artists are bringing their artwork into a new dimension using augmented reality. Deana Mitchell gets in on the action …
your ad hereA Hotter World Faces the Risk of ‘Cooling Poverty’
As climate change brings more frequent and extreme heat waves around the world, demand for air conditioners is soaring, with 10 new units sold every second on average, but the poor may be left to swelter, said a University of Oxford researcher.By 2050, energy use for cooling is projected to …
your ad hereUS Vaping Illness: What We Know So Far
U.S. health officials are investigating what might be causing hundreds of serious breathing illnesses in people who use e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. They have identified about 450 possible cases in 33 states, including six deaths.A look at what we know so far about the outbreak as the investigation continues:What …
your ad hereEnvironment Minister: Japan May Have to Dump Fukushima Water into Ocean
Tens of thousands of tons of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant might have to be released into the Pacific Ocean, Japan’s environment minister said Tuesday.The water, used to cool damaged fuel cores after the plant was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, is being stored in …
your ad hereHBO Produces Documentary to Help Kids Understand 9/11
For students from elementary to high school, the Sept. 11 terrorist attack isn’t a memory. It’s history. A new HBO documentary that debuts on the event’s 18th anniversary treats it that way.The necessity of her project, “What Happened on September 11,” struck filmmaker Amy Schatz when a third-grade girl told …
your ad hereFacebook Bans Self-Harm Images in Fight Against Suicide
Facebook will no longer allow graphic images of self-harm on its platform as it tightens its policies on suicide content amid growing criticism of how social media companies moderate violent and potentially dangerous content.The social network also said Tuesday that self-injury related content will now become harder to search on …
your ad hereScientists Rethink Alzheimer’s, Diversifying Drug Search
When researchers at the University of Kentucky compare brains donated from people who died with dementia, very rarely do they find one that bears only Alzheimer’s trademark plaques and tangles — no other damage. If they do, “we call it a unicorn,” said Donna Wilcock, an Alzheimer’s specialist at the university’s …
your ad hereWith Little Change, iPhones May Get Upstaged by Streaming
Apple is expected to unveil three new iPhone models that are so similar to last year’s lineup, they may be upstaged by details about the company’s upcoming video service.The company will show off its latest iPhones Tuesday at a products showcase in Cupertino, California. But the buzz surrounding its best-selling …
your ad hereNew Atwood Novel ‘The Testaments’ Revisits Dystopian World
Margaret Atwood often gets asked if “The Testaments,” her sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” is set in a dystopian world. “Let us hope so,” she says drily. The Canadian author noted as her new novel was published with a ferocious blast of publicity Tuesday that several U.S. states …
your ad hereMalawi Pageant Shines Light on Albino Beauty
Malawians have crowned a Mr. and Ms. Albinism during the country’s first ever beauty pageant for albinos, held in the capital Lilongwe. The Association of People with Albinism organized the event as part of efforts to destroy myths which have led to attacks on albinos in Malawi and other African …
your ad hereIndia’s Unmanned Lunar Lander Located on Surface
India’s space agency says it has located the lunar probe that was feared lost as it was making its final approach towards the surface last weekend.The Vikram lander was just two kilometers above the moon’s South Pole Saturday when ground controllers lost contact with the spacecraft. The Indian Space Research …
your ad herePuppet Reborn: Indonesian Pulls Strings to Revive Near-dead Art Form
It’s a warm night in Indonesia and the air is filled with excitement as villagers watch a puppet show accompanied by traditional music.To the rhythmic beat of cymbals, drums and a bamboo harmonica, the hand-held puppets wearing brightly colored batik headdresses and sarongs fight, and one gets flung off the …
your ad here‘Ford v Ferrari’ Revs into High Gear at Toronto Film Fest
As a big-budget original movie made largely with practical effects, “Ford v Ferrari” isn’t so much pointed against headwinds in Hollywood as it is speeding 200 miles-per-hour right into them.The film, directed by James Mangold, premiered Monday at the Toronto International Film Festival, unveiling a big, swaggering throwback movie, a …
your ad hereFacebook, Instagram Close Accounts of Italian Neo-fascist Groups
Facebook and Instagram on Monday blocked the social media accounts of two Italian neo-fascist groups and some of their activists because they had violated the platforms’ policies against spreading hate, Facebook said.Casapound and Forza Nuova, which espouse extreme right-wing ideologies, have boosted their profile in Italy by leading anti-migrant campaigns …
your ad hereHow Polluted, Noisy Barcelona Could Save Lives by Cutting Traffic
Barcelona could cut deaths from air pollution and improve quality of life by implementing in full a plan to calm traffic and free up space for residents, researchers said Monday.The compact Spanish city is home to more than 1.6 million people and is plagued by contaminants and noise largely due …
your ad here