The United Nations’ cultural agency UNESCO has appointed Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio as its goodwill ambassador for indigenous peoples. The 25-year-old actress made history as the first indigenous performer nominated for a best actress honor at the Academy Awards this year for her performance in the film “Roma”, …
your ad hereRobots, Holograms Staff Hotel in Japan
A high-tech hotel in Japan is science fiction come to life, with virtual ninjas staffing the front desk, facial recognition software that detects customers’ moods, and dinosaur footprints leading to the elevator. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi takes us back to the future. …
your ad here‘Joker’ Sets October Box-Office Record for Thursday Showings
“Joker” is getting the first laugh on its debut weekend, scoring an October box-office record with $13.3 million earned in Thursday night showings.Warner Bros. released the figures Friday morning.The strong start comes after weeks of discussion about the R-rated film and whether it will inspire some to commit violence. The …
your ad hereUN Appeals for $20 Million to Stop Cholera Outbreak in Sudan
U.N. agencies are appealing for $20 million to contain an outbreak of cholera in Sudan.Since the cholera outbreak was declared on Sept. 8 in Blue Nile and Sennar states, Sudan’s Ministry of Health reports more than 230 people have become ill and eight have died. U.N. agencies warn that more …
your ad hereVietnam Solar Supporters Plan a ‘Million Green Homes’
Vietnamese advocates of solar power have begun a “Million Green Homes” project, aimed at spreading the use of solar power in the country instead of coal and other fossil fuels.The project is being undertaken by the new Vietnam Coalition for Climate Action, formed in August by a group of leaders …
your ad hereUS, UK Seizing on Facebook Inc’s Plan to Apply End-to-End Encryption
The United States and the United Kingdom are seizing on Facebook Inc’s plan to apply end-to-end encryption across its messaging services to press for major changes to a practice long opposed by law enforcement, saying it hinders the fight against child abuse and terrorism.The two countries plan to sign a …
your ad hereResearchers Find Clue Linking Flu, Heart Problems
The flu season has started in the Northern Hemisphere. Although it’s still very early in the season, two deaths have been reported. One was a child, the other an adult with a chronic illness, but seemingly healthy people can also die from the flu.Those most likely to die from the …
your ad hereWhy Some Flu Patients Get Heart Problems
The flu season has started in the Northern Hemisphere. Although it’s very early in the season, two deaths have already been reported. One was a child, the other an adult with a chronic illness, but seemingly healthy people can also die from the flu. More from VOA’s Carol Pearson. …
your ad hereRobots, Holograms Staff High-Tech Hotel in Japan
A high-tech hotel in Japan is science fiction come to life, with virtual ninjas staffing the front desk, facial recognition software that detects customers’ moods, and dinosaur footprints leading to the elevator. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi takes us back to the future. …
your ad hereTokyo Olympic Games Organizers Seek Advice to Beat the Heat
Organizers of next year’s Tokyo Olympics are looking for new ways to battle the heat and are asking sports federations for advice, the International Olympic Committee said Thursday.IOC President Thomas Bach said Japanese organizers sent out a questionnaire to federations to see what measures they take to counter heat at …
your ad hereFrom Campy to Terrifying, Joker no Longer a Laughing Matter
There are no capes, no special powers and no battles between good and evil in the new “Joker” movie, whose portrayal of the most famous villain in comic book history is the most chilling twist on the character in 50 years.The Joker has been depicted on television and in movies …
your ad hereParalyzed Man Walks with Brain-Controlled Exoskeleton
A man paralyzed from the shoulders down has been able to walk using a pioneering four-limb robotic system, or exoskeleton, that is commanded and controlled by signals from his brain.With a ceiling-mounted harness for balance, the 28-year-old tetraplegic patient used a system of sensors implanted near his brain to send …
your ad hereRestoring Forests for Sake of Climate, Habitats
Editor’s note: Heroic efforts to revive ecosystems and save species are being waged worldwide, aimed at reversing some of humankind’s most destructive effects on the planet. “What Can Be Saved?,” an Associated Press series, chronicles the ordinary people and scientists fighting for change against enormous odds — and forging paths …
your ad hereTanzania Denies Hiding Information on Suspected Ebola Cases
Tanzania denied Thursday it was withholding information from the World Health Organization (WHO) on suspected cases of Ebola, saying it was not hiding any outbreak of the deadly disease in the country.“Ebola is known as a fast-spreading disease, whose impact can be felt globally. This is not a disease that …
your ad hereMia Farrow Visits Chad to Promote New Approach to Hunger
Groups of women had traveled for days to find care for their starving children in Chad, blankly staring in exhaustion and with little hope. But other women smiled, relieved to see their children “fattened” by a new and simplified initiative for hunger.In an interview with The Associated Press, actress Mia …
your ad hereUS, UK Sign Electronic Data-Sharing Pact Under Controversial Law
The United States and the U.K. on Thursday signed an agreement, under a controversial new U.S. law, that will allow law enforcement agencies in the two countries to demand electronic data from tech companies for use in criminal and counterterrorism investigations.The agreement is the first of its kind under the …
your ad hereDC App Spotlights American Landmarks ‘With a Native Twist’
It is one of the most recognizable memorials in the United States — an 80-foot-high (24 meters) sculpture of six soldiers raising an American flag atop a mountain on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during World War II.And it has a secret hiding in plain sight.The Marine Corps War …
your ad hereHarvey Weinstein Loses Bid to Move Trial Out of New York
Harvey Weinstein has lost a longshot bid to move his sexual assault trial out of New York City.A state appellate panel rejected the request Thursday. It dismissed the movie mogul’s concerns he wouldn’t get a fair trial in the world’s media capital.The five-judge panel issued the decision after reading submissions …
your ad hereHow Sears Catalog Fought White Supremacists
By the late 19th century, slavery was over, but the American South was still rife with discrimination and injustice for rural African American sharecroppers.“They could only shop at one store, the country store, where prices were high,” says Louis Hyman, an economic historian and assistant professor at Cornell University.“It often …
your ad hereNorthern Fur Seals Multiply on Steaming Alaska Volcano
Alaska’s northern fur seal population for three decades has been classified as depleted, but the marine mammals are showing up in growing numbers at an unlikely location — a tiny island that forms the tip of an active undersea volcano.Vents on Bogoslof Island continue to spew mud, steam and sulfurous …
your ad hereBig Greenhouse Gas Emitter Moves to Join Climate Initiative
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is taking a big step in his effort to fight climate change in the nation’s fourth-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.The Democratic governor on Thursday ordered his administration to start working on regulations to bring Pennsylvania into a nine-state consortium that sets a price and limits on …
your ad hereTrump Tweet of Nickelback Video Aimed at Biden Removed
Twitter has removed a tweet from President Donald Trump that featured an edited Nickelback music video clip that took aim at former Vice President Joe Biden.The post was removed because of a copyright complaint. It featured a doctored version of the band’s 2015 music video “Photograph,” showing singer Chad Kroeger …
your ad hereTurkey Fines Facebook for Breach of Data Protection Laws
Turkey’s data protection authority says it has imposed a 1.6 million Turkish lira ($280,000) fine on Facebook for contravening the country’s data laws.The Turkish Personal Data Protection Council said Thursday that personal data belonging to 280,959 Turkish users, including their names, gender, birth dates, relationship status, religion and search history, …
your ad hereDozens of DC Dachshunds Race to Win Fastest Wiener Dog Title
Hundreds of spectators gathered recently at Washington, DC’s Wharf’s District Pier to watch an unusual competition in speed and agility. Maxim Moskalkov watched the four-legged race. …
your ad hereEU: Facebook Can be Forced to Take Down Certain Material
The European Union’s highest court says that Facebook can be ordered by an individual member state to remove or block access to material that was previously declared unlawful and says that it can have a worldwide impact.The European Court of Justice ruling Thursday is seen as a defeat for Facebook …
your ad here