Hungary’s government submitted plans to parliament on Monday to tighten its control over theaters, triggering protests from actors and audiences who feel that artistic freedom is under threat.On a cold wet day, about 1,000 to 2,000 people demonstrated against the legislation in downtown Budapest, with banners saying “Pigs, hands off …
your ad hereAmazon Blames Trump For Loss of Pentagon Contract
Amazon accused U.S. President Donald Trump of using “improper pressure” and bias that harmed its chances of winning a lucrative $10 billion contract from the U.S. Department of Defense.Amazon said in a lawsuit unsealed Monday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims that it lost the cloud computing contract, which …
your ad hereAir Pollution Tied to Hospitalizations for Wide Range of Illnesses
Older adults who are exposed to tiny particles in air pollution for just a day or two are more likely to be hospitalized for a wide variety of common health problems, a U.S. study suggests.Researchers focused on so-called PM 2.5, a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets smaller than …
your ad hereMalaysia Reports First Case of Polio in 27 Years
Malaysia began a vaccination campaign in a rural town on Borneo island after a 3-month-old boy was confirmed to have polio in the country’s first case of the highly infectious virus in 27 years. The infant from Tuaran town in Sabah state …
your ad here‘Marriage Story’ Tops Golden Globes Nominations with 6 Nods
“Marriage Story,” Netflix’s heart-wrenching divorce saga, topped the Golden Globe nominations Monday with six nods including best drama, kicking off the race for the Oscars.”The Irishman,” Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour gangster epic, and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino’s nostalgic love letter to 1960s Tinseltown, were hot on its …
your ad hereMore Wind Power, Renewables Needed to Fight Climate Change, Experts Warn
MARANCHON, SPAIN — The air was bone chilling on a recent afternoon, as blades from dozens of wind turbines lining the ridge cut through a milky sky. Not so long ago, Maranchon was Spain’s largest wind farm, its 104 machines capable of powering a mid-size city.But today it faces competition, …
your ad hereSouth Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi Crowned Miss Universe 2019
South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe 2019, giving the country its second title in in three years in a pageant that also saw strong showings from contestants from Puerto Rico and Mexico. Tunzi, a 26-year-old gender violence activist, said she was forced to abandon her studies …
your ad hereAmazon Says Trump’s ‘Improper Pressure’ Doomed Pentagon Bid
Amazon says President Donald Trump’s “improper pressure” and behind-the-scenes attacks harmed its chances of winning a $10 billion Pentagon contract.The Pentagon awarded the cloud computing contract to Microsoft in October. Amazon argues in a lawsuit unsealed Monday the decision should be revisited because of “substantial and pervasive errors” and Trump’s …
your ad here‘Marriage Story’ Tops Golden Globes Nominations
“Marriage Story,” Netflix’s heart-wrenching divorce saga, topped the Golden Globe nominations Monday with six nods including best drama, kicking off the race for the Oscars.”The Irishman,” Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour gangster epic, and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino’s nostalgic love letter to 1960s Tinseltown, were hot on its …
your ad hereGreta Asks Media to Focus on Other Young Climate Activists
Celebrity environmentalist Greta Thunberg is urging media to pay more attention to other young climate activists. The 16-year-old Swede has drawn huge crowds with her appearances at protests and conferences over the past year. “Our stories have been told over and over again,” Thunberg said as …
your ad hereSize of Earth’s Plastic Problems Comes Into View
Every year vast amounts of bottles and bags make their way into the world’s oceans….leaving scientists searching for solutions to purge the planet’s plastic problems. As VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, European researchers have started looking at the much, much bigger picture. …
your ad hereZellweger, Pitt and … ‘Cats’? Here Come the Golden Globes
Renee Zellweger, Brad Pitt and Eddie Murphy are locks. But whether “Cats” has it in the bag, too, we won’t know until the 77th annual Golden Globes are announced Monday morning.The Hollywood Foreign Press Association will unveil their nominations in Los Angeles beginning at 8:04 a.m. EST. They will be …
your ad hereHealth Experts Warn of Emerging Threat of Nipah Virus
A deadly virus called Nipah carried by bats has already caused human outbreaks across South and South East Asia and has “serious epidemic potential,” global health and infectious disease specialists said on Monday.The virus, identified in 1999 in Malaysia and Singapore, has sparked outbreaks with mortality rates of between 40% …
your ad herePuppeteer Behind ‘Big Bird’ Dies at 85
You didn’t know his name, but you certainly knew his voice and alter ego.Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for nearly 50 years on TV’s Sesame Street, died Sunday at his home in Connecticut. He was 85.The Sesame Workshop, which produces the show, says …
your ad hereLinda Ronstadt, ‘Sesame Street’ to Receive Kennedy Center Honors
Actress Sally Field, singer Linda Ronstadt and the disco-funk band Earth Wind and Fire awaited their turn in the spotlight Sunday night as part of the latest group of recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime achievements in the arts.Also in this year’s class are conductor Michael Tilson Thomas …
your ad hereSamoa’s Measles Death Toll Rises to 68
Samoa said Sunday its death toll from measles has risen to 68, with three fatalities recorded in the previous 24 hours. The Health Ministry has confirmed 4,581 cases of the disease. Most of the victims have been young children.The South Pacific island has declared a state of emergency, closing all …
your ad hereCongo Authorities Say Ebola Survivor Falls Ill Second Time
An Ebola survivor has fallen ill with the disease for a second time in eastern Congo, the Congolese health authorities said on Sunday, saying it was not yet clear if it was a case of relapse or reinfection.The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has infected over 3,300 people …
your ad hereIdris Elba DJs, Banana Art Sells for $120k at Art Basel
3D-printed cocktails, a traffic jam sculpture made of hundreds of tons of sand and more celebrity sightings than a Kardashian Christmas party were all part of over-the-top festivities during the week of Art Basel Miami.Art collector Wayne Boich hosted a lavish dinner at his home Friday night that included Dan …
your ad here‘Emotional’ Will Smith Campaigns Against Homelessness in New York
Will Smith still feels “emotional” about homelessness years after playing a destitute man in one of his most acclaimed film roles, the Hollywood star has told charity campaigners braving a fierce New York winter night to sleep rough.Hundreds of people had gathered in Times Square on Saturday, rugged up and …
your ad hereAfrican Artists Reclaim Homeland With Touring Exhibition
Berlin, Paris and London are common destinations for African artists seeking to establish their careers and build name recognition. But as they focus their attention on the West, they risk being forgotten at home. Such was the inspiration behind a traveling exhibition making its way across Africa.An oil on canvas …
your ad hereSamoa’s Measles Death Toll Rises
Samoa said Saturday the death toll from measles has risen to 65. Most of the victims were young children.The Health Ministry said 103 new cases have been reported since Friday.The new figures were released after a two-day lockdown, allowing the government to conduct a mass immunization campaign.The ministry said almost …
your ad hereDisappearing Frontier: Alaska’s Glaciers Retreating at Record Pace
Alaska will soon close a year that is shaping up as its hottest on record, with glaciers in the “Frontier State” melting at record or near-record levels, pouring waters into rising global seas, scientists said after taking fall measurements.Lemon Creek Glacier in Juneau, where records go back to the 1940s, …
your ad hereClamor as Greta Thunberg Joins Climate Activists in Madrid
Climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived in Madrid Friday to join thousands of other young people in a march to demand world leaders take real action against climate change. After making it through a swarm of media cameras and microphones at the Spanish capital’s northern train station, the Swedish …
your ad hereDrones: A New Weapon in the Fight Against Malaria in Tanzania
Drones are being used as a new weapon in the fight against Malaria on the island of Zanzibar. In the village of Cheju in particular, drones are spraying a silicone-based liquid on large stretches of stagnant water in rice paddies where malaria-carrying mosquitoes lay their eggs. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo …
your ad herePalestinian Museum Designed to Highlight Palestinian Culture
Most Americans understand the Palestinian people in context of their decades long conflict with Israel. To provide more context, a museum in Washington D.C. is shining a light on its culture and heritage; one artifact at a time. More on this museum from VOA’s Imron Jadoon …
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