In the Nigerian city pf Maiduguri, the popular incense kaaji is a cherished, local tradition. Kaaji, made from generations-old recipes, is used during important ceremonies such as weddings to dispel evil spirits. But with the advance of technology and social media, the market for the incense is growing. Chika Oduah …
your ad hereAnother Partial Victory in Ending Polio
Ending polio has been a long haul. The global campaign to eradicate the virus has been going on since 1988, and while it’s close, it’s not over. Sometime in 2020, Africa may be declared polio-free. But the disease is hanging on stubbornly in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and as long as …
your ad hereNigeria’s Traditional Incense Thrives with Social Media Marketing
In the Nigerian city pf Maiduguri, the popular incense kaaji is a cherished, local tradition. Kaaji, made from generations-old recipes, is used during important ceremonies such as weddings to dispel evil spirits. But with the advance of technology and social media, the market for the incense is growing. Chika Oduah …
your ad hereNASA Eyes Inflatable Space Habitats for Moon, Mars and Beyond
When astronauts orbit the moon, or live on its surface in the decade ahead, they will probably be inside inflatable space lodges now in development. Dozens of NASA officials and veteran astronauts are wrapping up a review of five space habitat mockups built by different companies. VOA’s Jim Randle has …
your ad hereGreen Climate Fund Asks Donors to Dig Deeper
The Green Climate Fund, one of the main sources of finance for developing nations to tackle climate change, is hoping wealthy countries will pledge between $9 billion and $10 billion to refill its coffers at a conference in Paris Friday.Climate finance analysts said the outcome would be key to building …
your ad hereAsterix Gets Update with Female Heroine in Latest Outing
Asterix, the indomitable pint-sized Gaul forever outfoxing the Romans, returns this week for his 38th comic book adventure “Asterix and the Chieftain’s Daughter” featuring for the first time in its 60-year history a female heroine.In a move to update the books, which have been entertaining readers since 1959 and spawned …
your ad hereSurvey: American Drivers Warming to Self-Driving Cars
About 40% of adult Americans drivers are leaning more to buying self-driving cars in the future as they look to snack, chat on their phone or catch up on email while the car drives itself, a survey by Adobe Analytics showed on Wednesday.The survey of 1,040 American adults over the …
your ad hereTragedies Deepen US Jewish-Muslim Bonds to Fight Hate Crimes
Muslim groups helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue recover after a gunman killed 11 people there, one year ago this week. The Jewish congregation mounted its own fundraiser for New Zealand’s Muslims after a white supremacist shooter killed 51 people at two …
your ad hereUS, Gates Foundation Plan $200M for Sickle Cell, HIV Cures
The U.S. government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged Wednesday to jointly invest $200 million over the next four years to achieve affordable gene therapy-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV.The administration of President Donald Trump announced earlier this year its intention to end the HIV …
your ad hereFacebook’s Zuckerberg Grilled in US Congress on Digital Currency, Privacy, Elections
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg conceded on Wednesday that the company’s planned digital currency Libra was a “risky project,” but sought to reassure skeptical U.S. lawmakers that it could lower the cost of electronic payments and open up the global financial system to more people.Sporting a suit and tie, Zuckerberg also …
your ad hereFormer AP Civil Rights Reporter Kathryn Johnson Dies
Kathryn Johnson, a trailblazing reporter for The Associated Press whose intrepid coverage of the civil rights movement and other major stories led to a string of legendary scoops, died Wednesday. She was 93.Her niece, Rebecca Winters, said Johnson died Wednesday morning in Atlanta. Johnson was the only journalist allowed inside …
your ad hereFirst Lady Speaks on Opioids in Only Solo Trip to Congress
Melania Trump is marking the one-year anniversary of a federal law that that increases access to treatment for people addicted to opioids.The first lady made her only solo trip to Capitol Hill so far to thank Congress for passing the bipartisan SUPPORT Act her husband signed into law a year …
your ad hereGoogle Touts Quantum Computing Milestone
Google said it has achieved a breakthrough in quantum computing research, saying an experimental quantum processor has completed a calculation in just a few minutes that would take a traditional supercomputer thousands of years. The findings, published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature, show that “quantum speedup is achievable …
your ad hereFDA Wants Stronger Warning on Breast Implants About Risks
U.S. health officials want women getting breast implants to receive stronger warnings about the possible risks and complications. The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that manufacturers should add a boxed warning – the most serious type – to information used to market and prepare patients for implants. The …
your ad hereSpanish Village Gears up for Dictator Franco’s Remains
For visitors wondering why a tranquil cemetery outside Madrid suddenly needs around-the-clock police security, the answer is simple: an empty burial space awaits the remains of Gen. Francisco Franco, who is being reunited with his wife 44 years after he died.Weather permitting, the Spanish dictator’s preserved body will be flown …
your ad hereZuckerberg Appears in Congress as Facebook Faces Scrutiny
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is again appearing before Congress to face questions about his company’s massive market power, privacy lapses and tolerance of speech deemed false or hateful.Zuckerberg has been summoned to testify at a hearing Wednesday by the House Financial Services Committee on Facebook’s plan to create a global …
your ad hereNigerian Polio Survivor Gives Hope to Thousands
Ten years ago, Nigeria accounted for half of the world’s polio cases, but following an aggressive vaccination program, the African nation is on the verge of being declared polio-free. Despite the milestone, Nigeria’s many polio survivors are left to struggle with their disabilities, although one survivor has found a way …
your ad hereAlbanian-American MMA Fighter Has Big Dreams for UFC Title
Over the past two decades, mixed martial arts events have begun filling arenas and attracting millions of TV viewers and considerable advertising dollars. Erion Zekthi is a Albanian American fighter who is looking to make his mark on the sport. VOA’s Ardita Dunellari met with the fighter in Saint Louis, …
your ad hereStudying Hurricanes Indoors
In the age of climate change hurricanes are becoming more numerous and stronger. To understand what that means the Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel, at the University of Maryland is coming in handy. Voice of America reporter Iacopo Luzi, went there to experience hurricane force winds. …
your ad herePoor Posture Can Lead to Chronic Pain
Have you ever thought about your posture while you were using a cell phone or a computer? Researchers found that most people, or at least most Americans, don’t. But it’s something everyone should think about. More from VOA’s Carol Pearson. …
your ad hereNew York’s Premier Museum Gets a Makeover
One of New York’s most beloved museums – the Museum of Modern Art is reopening after months-long renovation. VOA’s Elena Wolf visited MoMA before it opens its doors. Anna Rice narrates her story. …
your ad hereHollywood is Taking Albuquerque by Storm
The first thing one experiences when landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an elevation of about 1,600 meters, is the vastness of open space around the quiet southwestern town.The 360-degree vistas extend as far as the eye can see on the arid high plateau, interrupted only by the Sandia Mountains …
your ad hereNASA: Antarctic Ozone Smallest Since 1980s
The South Pole’s ozone hole is currently the smallest on record since it was first detected in the 1980s, according to NASA.NASA reported the hole in Earth’s protective ozone layer averaged only 3.6 million square miles. Normally, the ozone hole grows to a maximum area of about 8 million square …
your ad hereUS Endorses Tobacco Pouches as Less Risky Than Cigarettes
For the first time, U.S. health regulators have judged a type of smokeless tobacco to be less harmful than cigarettes, a decision that could open the door to other less risky options for smokers.The milestone announcement on Tuesday makes Swedish Match tobacco pouches the first so-called reduced-risk tobacco product ever …
your ad hereAnonymous Senior US Official Writes ‘Tell-All’ Book
A “tell-all” book is to be released next month by a person described as an anonymous senior official of President Donald Trump’s administration.The author is the same person who wrote an opinion article last year for The New York Times, claiming to be part of a “resistance” against Trump inside the …
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