A Moscow court on Friday convicted acclaimed Russian theater and film director Kirill Serebrennikov of fraud, in a long-running case that critics have slammed as fabricated.The judge ruled that Serebrennikov, 50, and two co-defendants were guilty of misappropriating 129 million rubles ($2 million) of state funds that financed a theatrical …
your ad hereKanye West to Bring Yeezy Brand, But Not Sneakers, to Gap
The rap superstar will design adult and kids’ clothing that will be sold at Gap’s stores next year. Yeezy is best known for pricey sneakers that sell out online quickly. But Yeezy footwear, made with sneaker company Adidas, won’t be sold at Gap stores.San Francisco-based Gap Inc., whose sales are …
your ad hereCountry Music Reckons With Racial Stereotypes and Its Future
When country singer Rissi Palmer was working on her debut album, she wanted a song like Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman,” a song that would introduce her and tell her story to fans. On her 2007 debut single, “Country Girl,” she celebrated her country roots while explaining that she didn’t have …
your ad hereUN Weather Agency Recognizes 2 World Record Lightning Strikes
The U.N.’s weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), says it has verified two “megaflashes” of lightning in South America that set records for longest distance and longest duration.The WMO says on its website Friday its Committee on Weather and Climate Extremes used new satellite lightning technology to verify that …
your ad here20 Years On, Human Genome Project Helps Drive COVID-19 Research
Until this March, machines at the Broad Institute in Massachusetts were decoding the equivalent of an entire human genome every 10 minutes.The automated DNA sequencing facility is among the world’s largest genomics labs. Its technology descends from that which produced the first working draft of the human genome 20 years …
your ad hereDespite Pandemic, Trump Administration Urges End to ACA
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act.The administration’s latest high court filing came the same day the government reported that close to half a million people who lost their health insurance amid the economic shutdown …
your ad hereDixie Chicks Drop ‘Dixie’ from Name with Release of New Protest Song
Country music trio The Dixie Chicks are now just The Chicks, joining other artists and companies who have recently altered their brands to discard names that connote racism or slavery. The Chicks’ release of a new protest song Thursday came with new social media handles, a new website address and …
your ad hereNYC Judge Rejects Trump Family Effort to Halt Tell-All Book
A New York City judge on Thursday dismissed a claim by Donald Trump’s brother that sought to halt the publication of a tell-all book by the president’s niece, saying the court lacked jurisdiction in the case. Surrogates Court Judge Peter Kelly said the claims were not appropriate for his court, …
your ad here‘Antebellum’ Brings Racial Justice Call to Reopened Theaters
Back in March, filmmakers Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz gathered their artist friends and a few journalists at Manhattan’s members-only social club, Soho House, for a screening of their first feature-length project, “Antebellum.”They wanted a constructively critical reaction ahead of the planned spring release of the film — a psychological …
your ad hereUS Lab Renowned for Nuclear Research Using High Tech to Fight COVID-19
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory is known historically as an important nuclear research center. But as VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports, a critical present-day mission at the suburban Chicago facility is using some of the world’s most sophisticated technology to combat COVID-19. Video editor: Barry Unger …
your ad hereUS, Europe, Japan Space Agencies Announce COVID-19 ‘Dashboard’
The U.S. space agency NASA and its European and Japanese counterparts (ESA, JAXA) announced Thursday the launching of the COVID-19 Earth Observation Dashboard, a web-based collection of satellite data from all three agencies documenting how the coronavirus pandemic has changed the planet.Representatives from all three agencies announced the launch at …
your ad hereEiffel Tower Reopens — As Long as You Can Take the Stairs
The Eiffel Tower, one of France’s most iconic landmarks, reopened for the first time on Thursday after it was forced to close its doors for months due to the coronavirus pandemic.France was hit badly by the virus, recording 29,731 deaths and 161,348 confirmed cases as President Macron faced heavy criticism …
your ad hereCongo Announces End to Its Second Deadliest Ebola Outbreak
Eastern Congo marked an official end Thursday to the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which killed 2,280 people over nearly two years, as armed rebels and community mistrust undermined the promise of new vaccines.Thursday’s milestone was overshadowed, though, by the enormous health challenges still facing Congo: the world’s largest …
your ad hereDisney Delays Southern California Theme Park Reopenings
Disney is postponing the mid-July reopening of its Southern California theme parks until it receives guidelines from the state, the company announced Wednesday. Disney had hoped to reopen Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim on July 17 after a four-month closure due to the coronavirus. But the state has …
your ad hereToughest Workout During COVID? Staying Motivated
Hannah Gjerde starts her day at her hot-mat yoga class on the front lawn of her parent’s home, right before settling onto the couch for the rest of the day. “Being home makes it hard because my dad will be in the kitchen working, or it’s too crowded in my room to …
your ad hereSahara Dust Cloud Looms Over Cuba, Caribbean and Florida
A massive cloud of Saharan dust darkened much of Cuba on Wednesday and began to affect air quality in Florida, sparking warnings to people with respiratory illnesses to stay home.The dust cloud swept across the Atlantic from Africa over the past week, covering the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico since …
your ad hereStudy: Female Reporters More Credible on COVID-19
Recent research finds that women are more likely than men to produce trustworthy news reports on the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Factual, a technology company in San Mateo, California, that measures the credibility of hundreds of news outlets.Phillip Meylan, a political analyst at The Factual, said he began crunching …
your ad hereBoston Approves Ban on Facial Recognition Technology
The Boston City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to pass a ban on the use of facial recognition technology by city government. The move makes Boston the second-largest U.S. city after San Francisco to enact a ban. The city joins several other Massachusetts communities that passed similar bans, including Cambridge, Springfield, Northampton, …
your ad hereTwitter Tackles Violent Upsurge Against Women in Lockdown
Twitter has launched a new prompt to fight gender-based violence in response to a surge in sexual assaults and domestic attacks during lockdown, a company official said on Wednesday. The social network said the feature, currently available in 11 countries, directs users to local helpline services if they search …
your ad hereGoogle Tweaks Privacy Settings to Keep Less User Data
Google is tweaking its privacy settings to keep less data on new users by default. The search giant said that starting Wednesday, it will automatically and continuously delete web and app activity and location history for new users after 18 months. Settings for existing users won’t be affected but the …
your ad hereGermany Bans Single-Use Plastic Straws, Food Containers
Germany is banning the sale of single-use plastic straws, cotton buds and food containers, bringing it in line with a European Union directive intended to reduce the amount of plastic garbage that pollutes the environment.The Cabinet agreed Wednesday to end the sale of plastics including single-use cutlery, plates, stirring sticks …
your ad hereHuman Rights Campaign to Sue Trump Administration
The Trump administration’s recent decision to roll back civil rights protections for transgender people in health care has outraged civil rights activists and organizations advocating for transgender rights. The administration move comes as the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling protecting gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination. Now, …
your ad hereUN Weather Agency to Investigate Reported Record Arctic Heat
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Tuesday it is seeking to investigate record high temperatures reported from inside the Arctic Circle June 20. At a news conference in Geneva, WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis told reporters the U.N. weather agency is seeking to verify the reported 38 degrees Celsius temperature …
your ad hereNovak Djokovic Tests Positive for Coronavirus
Novak Djokovic tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday after taking part in a tennis exhibition series he organized in Serbia and Croatia. The top-ranked Serb is the fourth player to test positive for the virus after first playing in Belgrade and then again last weekend in Zadar, Croatia. His wife …
your ad hereUgandan Champion Runner Struggles to Train for Tokyo Olympics During Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has some world athletes struggling to stay sharp for next year’s Tokyo Olympics after training facilities were shut down and competitions cancelled. Ugandan runner Halima Nakaayi, the gold medalist in the 800 meters at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, is doing her best to prepare under the …
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