Moscow registered the warmest December weather in over a century on Wednesday, as an unusually snowless month put winter activities on hold and confused plants into blooming.One weather station in northern Moscow registered a temperature of 5.4 degrees Celsius (41.7 degrees Fahrenheit), said the Fobos weather center.”This is a new …
your ad hereNew Technology Helps Some Patients Avoid Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest kinds of cancer there is because it’s almost always found too late. This cancer is hard to detect, and symptoms only show up when the cancer is advanced. But, as VOA’s Carol Pearson reports, researchers are beginning to make inroads in this most …
your ad hereFrench Strikers Angry About Pension Reform Cut Power to Homes, Companies
France’s warring trade unions on Wednesday defended their decision to cut power to thousands of homes, companies and even the Bank of France to force a weakened government to drop a wide-ranging pension reform.The power cuts added to a sense of chaos in the second week of nationwide strikes that …
your ad hereEuropean Planet-Studying Mission Launches from South America
A European spacecraft launched from South America Wednesday on a three-year mission to study planets in other solar systems.The Characterizing ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS) mission blasted off from Kourou, French Guiana at 0854 GMT (3:54 a.m. EST) atop a Russian Soyuz rocket. The launch came 24 hours after a first attempt …
your ad hereFiat Chrysler and Peugeot Sign Deal for 50-50 Merger
The boards of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Peugeot on Wednesday signed a binding merger deal creating the world’s fourth-largest auto company with the scale to confront the challenges of stricter emissions regulations and the transition to new driving technologies.The companies said in a joint statement the new group will …
your ad hereGunmen Kill 2 Policemen Escorting Polio Team in Pakistan
Gunmen in Pakistan shot and killed two policemen on Wednesday who were part of the most recent anti-polio drive in the country’s rugged and volatile northwest, officials said.The gunmen opened fire as the policemen were heading on foot to the town of Lower Dir in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering …
your ad hereTech Company Takes on Food Waste
According to a United Nations study, the world produces enough food waste to feed as many as 2 billion people each year. A tech startup has a goal to get that food to those who need it. Matt Dibble reports. …
your ad hereUgandans Embrace Equestrian Sports
In Uganda, performance horse-riding, or equestrian sports, are known as a pastime for the rich. But in recent years, less well-off Ugandans have started to embrace equestrian sports with the hopes of competing internationally. Halima Athumani reports from Wakiso, Uganda. …
your ad hereThe Christian December Dish Nothing to do with Christmas
Stirring a giant vat in a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian Christian Maryam Salem prepares a special festive dish — not for Christmas, but the St Barbara’s Day festival.It is celebrated every December 17 in Aboud, which residents believe is the last resting place of Saint Barbara, a …
your ad hereDid It Keep Its Flavor? Stone-Age ‘Chewing-Gum’ Yields Human DNA
Danish scientists have managed to extract a complete DNA sample from a piece of birch pitch more than 5,000 years old, used as a kind of chewing gum, a study revealed Tuesday.The Stone-Age sample yielded enough information to determine the source’s sex, what she had last eaten and the germs …
your ad hereEurope Postpones Launch of Planet Mission, Seeks Soyuz Fix
European space officials on Tuesday postponed the launch of a three-year mission to study planets in other solar systems shortly before it was due to blast off.The European Space Agency announced that the launch from Kourou, French Guiana, of the Characterising ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS) mission would be delayed by at …
your ad herePlayers on 2011 World Cup Team to Open Olympic Torch Relay
Members of the Japan soccer team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2011 will be the first to carry the torch for the Tokyo Olympics when the relay opens its Japanese leg on March 26, 2020.The relay is to begin in J-Village in Fukushima prefecture, located about 250 kilometers …
your ad hereStudy: Vaping Raises Lung Disease Risk, but Less So Than Smoking
A new U.S. study has concluded that the use of e-cigarettes, called vaping, increases the risk of developing chronic lung diseases, but less so than smoking.The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, surveyed 32,000 American adults between 2013 and 2016 who had no signs of lung disease …
your ad here‘Obamacare’ Sign-Up Deadline Extended Following Glitches
People will get more time to sign up for “Obamacare” health insurance, the Trump administration announced Monday, following a spate of computer glitches over the weekend.The new HealthCare.gov deadline is 3 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a statement. Coverage takes effect …
your ad hereIn Reversal, Hallmark Will Reinstate Same-Sex Marriage Ads
The Hallmark Channel, reversing what it called a “wrong decision,” said Sunday it will reinstate commercials featuring same-sex couples that it had pulled following a complaint from a conservative group.The earlier decision by Crown Media, Hallmark’s parent company, to pull several ads for the wedding planning site Zola featuring two …
your ad hereUN AIDS Agency Fires Whistleblower After Misconduct Probe
The United Nations’ AIDS agency has fired two staffers for financial and sexual misconduct, including a whistleblower whose allegations of being sexually assaulted sparked months of turmoil at the organization. Last March, Martina Brostrom publicly accused a senior UNAIDS director of forcibly kissing her and trying to drag her out …
your ad hereZimbabwe Doctors’ Strike Floods Mission Hospitals with Patients
With no end in sight to the Zimbabwe doctors’ strike over salaries and poor working conditions, desperate patients have looked to church-run mission hospitals for much-needed healthcare. Karanda Mission Hospital, about 200 kilometers north of the capital Harare, is overwhelmed by patients seeking treatment. Columbus Mavhunga reports from Mount Darwin, …
your ad hereHoliday Exhibit Showcases America’s Spectacular Gardens
The spirit of Christmas is featured again at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC. This year’s annual holiday event showcases displays highlighting the beauty of America’s public gardens. They include recreations of garden conservatories, fountains and other sculptures made from plant-based materials. VOA’s Deborah Block takes us on a …
your ad hereHouses of Worship Attacked With Deadly Frequency in 2019
On Dec. 1, a band of assailants opened fire on worshippers at a small-town Protestant church in Burkina Faso, an impoverished West African country where the Christian minority is increasingly a target of attacks. The victims included the pastor and several teenage boys; regional authorities attributed the attack to “unidentified …
your ad hereReparations Mark New Front for US Colleges Tied to Slavery
The promise of reparations to atone for historical ties to slavery has opened new territory in a reckoning at U.S. colleges, which until now have responded with monuments, building name changes and public apologies.Georgetown University and two theological seminaries have announced funding commitments to benefit descendants of the enslaved people …
your ad hereNamibia Rhino Poaching Drops in 2019, After Sharp Rise Last Year
Rhino poaching in Namibia dropped to 41 individuals killed in all of 2019 so far, compared with nearly 72 during the same period last year, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism said Saturday.Namibia has the second-largest population of white rhinos in the world after South Africa and, according to NGO Save …
your ad hereDisagreement Drags UN Climate Talks Into Second Extra Day
U.N. climate talks in Madrid dragged into a second day of extra time Sunday, with officials from almost 200 countries unable to break the deadlock on key points of difference.The chair of the meeting, Chilean Environment Minister Carolina Schmidt, told weary delegates to examine new agreements drafted by her team …
your ad hereFrustrated Climate Activists Dump Manure Outside Madrid Summit
Green activists dumped horse manure and staged a mock hanging outside the venue of a U.N. climate summit in Madrid on Saturday, airing their frustration at the failure of world leaders to take meaningful action against global warming.Led by grass-roots group Extinction Rebellion, the actions were timed to coincide with the closing …
your ad hereGasping for Air, Delhi’s Residents Try Out an Oxygen Bar
As Delhi chokes on air so dirty that many struggle to breathe or develop niggling coughs or far more serious respiratory problems, some residents are heading to an upscale mall for a brief respite. At the city’s first so-called oxygen bar, they fork out $4 to $7 for a …
your ad hereIn Surprise Decision, US Approves Muscular Dystrophy Drug
U.S. health regulators approved a second drug for a debilitating form of muscular dystrophy, a surprise decision after the medication was rejected for safety concerns just four months ago.The ruling marks the second time the Food and Drug Administration has granted preliminary approval for the disease based on early results …
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